Poor Ellen Smith

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 it's 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