MOVED BY MUSIC. A Touching Scene In a Murderer's Cell.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 194, 12 March 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

MOVED BY MUSIC. A Touching Scene In a Murderer's Cell.

To-day, for the first time eince his tml and incarceration, Thomas J. Cluverius, the condemned murderer of Lillian Madison, exhibited emotion. Frank Cunningham, a favourite tenor singer of this city, whose great forte ia in singing tender religious songs, received a message from Cluvorius, begging him to come to his cell. Mr Cunningham complied. He found the now celebrated prisoner reading his Bible, but still maintaining that cool, imperturbable demeanour which neither the sentence of the Judge, refusal of pardon by the Governor, nor sight of the gallows' plan has been able to disturb. It is suspected that the religious counsellors of Culverius, find, ing all other means of softening the appar enti> hard nature of the man, suggested to him that he get Cunningham to sing, and he complied. He conversed pleasantly with the singer for a while and then, more out of deference probably to the wishes of his minister than for any other reason, asked for a song. The singer, feeling himself the solemnity of the occasion, selected as the vocal offei ing the aong, "The Home of the Soul," but as Boon as these words wero finished hia attitude changed and he grew interested. When the pure and STyeet notes of the singer.whose eyeßwere growing moist, took up the musical story and told how the harps were playing heavenly music in that far-away home of the soul, how tho sinnor who repented might enter there, and how all danger and suffering would bo past, once ia its haven of rest, the murderer, unable longer to preserve the grit of which his friends have been proud, laaned hia head upon his hands and sobbed aloud, and the death watch looking through the grated iron door turned away, touched by the scene, and prisoners in all parts of the gaol paused and listened, and as they caught the words, " The Home of the Soul," and knew from whence they proceeded, they soon became quiet. The e*pieode made a great impresaionat the gaol* for the murderer, whom nothing else oould move, was moved by mueio.— •" Richmond Letter "in the 41 Globe-Demoorat."