AN OBLIGING CRIMINAL.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1242, 9 January 1883, Page 2

AN OBLIGING CRIMINAL.

The following story is published aa a “solid fact" by a New York paper : —“ Only recently, it seems, the crack reporter of a Brooklyn evening pfipef was sent by an early train to Plain 4 field, New Jersey, there to witness an execution appointed to take place that \ morning. Upon arriving at his destination he found that the criminal was not to be hanged until mid-day, an arrangement altogether incompatible with tne despatch of his report in time for insertion in his paper, issued at 2 pm. He therefore hurried off to--the sheriff, and, after pointing out that he should be a loser of ten doh lars if the mau under sentence were not turned off before 12 o’clock, implored that official to give orders that the ‘ ceremony ’ should take place an hour earlier. At first the sheriff flatly, and even with some indignation, refused to entertain sb unusual a requestbut the reporter, nd less persuasive than persevering, coaxed him into promising that he would authorise the change of hour if the per- . son chiefly concerned could be induced •* to consent thereto; for, he added, the sooner the job wrts over and done with the better he (the sheriff) would be pleased. The reporter was then admitted Without delay to the condemned Bell, where ho briefly explained His wishes to its occupant. Drinks were freely partaken of, aild the reporter made himself so agreeable that presently the doomed prisoner volunteered the statement that he did not mind being hanged nn hour before his time to oblige so pleasant a fellow.' This magnanimous offer was forthwith notified to the sheriff, who gave the necessary directions, and the man was hanged at 11 instead of at 12, thereby enabling the Brooklyn reporter to get a full, true, and particular account of the execution to his paper in time for the two o’clock issue.