|
Come all you people my story to hear |
|
What happened to me in june of last year |
|
Oh its poor ellen smith how was she found |
|
Shot through the heart lying dead on the ground |
|
Its true I'm in jail a prisoner now |
|
God is here with me and hears every vow |
|
So I do promise the truth to relate |
|
I'll tell you all that I know of ellen's sad fate |
|
I saw her on Monday before that sad day |
|
Found her body lying and took it away |
|
That she had been murdered never entered my mind |
|
Till a bullet through the heart they happened to find |
|
Who is so cruel so heartless so base |
|
To murder my poor ellen in such a lonesome place |
|
I seen her laid out so still and so cold |
|
I heard the wild stories the witnesses told |
|
I choked back the tears as the people all said |
|
"It was you Peter Degraph shot our Ellen Smith dead" |
|
Ellen lies sleeping with her hand on her breast |
|
The bloodhounds and the sheriff won't give me no rest |
|
They got their Winchesters and hunted me down |
|
I stole away to Mt. Airy town |
|
I laid off a year and I prayed the whole time |
|
The man could be found what committed the crime |
|
I prayed I'd come back and my character save |
|
But the flowers faded round poor ellen's grave |
|
So I came back to Winston my trial to stand |
|
I'll live or I'll die as the law might command |
|
Ellen lies sleeping in that lonesome churchyard |
|
I stare through the bars god knows its hard! |
|
I know they will hang me at least if they can |
|
But I swear to you I'll die as an innocent man |
|
My soul will be free when I stand at the bar |
|
Where God tries his cross, then there like a star |
|
That shines in the night will my innocence shine |
|
And I'll make my appeal to the justice of time |
