The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-10-21


all cxplanation was withheld. He was con-
Quoted to the Inquistion, distant only fifty
PAGES from his house, by endless turnings
and wntings.-NVhen there, he was made
to halt suddenly before a little private door.
The chief of the escort, Judge OF the Grim
ina court, gave a mysterious and prccon-
certcd kind of knock. A jailor presented
himself, and demanded, with solemnity of
Inference which was the judge and which
the accused. This point ascertaincd, he
took the two in with him, leaving the others
outside. The door closed on them, and all
was involved in darkness and silence. The
tailor, cropping along, and without a syllable
of speech, conducted his two companions
through the intricate labyrinth OF corridors,
now ascending stair cases now descending.
| This course of involutlonS occupied about
twenty minutes. Their conductor suddenly
stopped, and clapping thrice with his hands,
was answered in like manner from above.
Two folding doors opened with startling
sound, and wide, well lighted staircase was
displayed to view. This brought them to a
hall hung with black velvet, having a table
\ lour. a silver crucifx, and two candles OF
green wax. At this table stood two inquisi-
tors, habitcd in full ccremony-thc square
cap, the cross of honor, green neck hnndhcr-
chiefs, and green sleeves. Ono of these per-
sonages was recognized BY NJ. g. as one
of the friends of his boyhood, IL wcolle-
gian; the other was a man whom he was Ill
the daily habit of seeing, and who had in
deed. discourscd with him but few hours
before in the most amicable way. Neither
of them, however, gave him the least sign
of recognition, or Showed, either then or in
the sequel, the least disposition to soften his
state of suffering. They began by gravcly
chanting forth some verses OF the Psalm
Ersurge Del, CSC. and demanded OF the
criminal his name and profession. The
tailor was thercupon told to do MS daty.
This consisted in conducting NJ. c. to a
dungeon, eight feet square, (having grated
skylght without glass) and in leaving him
there without candle, or even pitcher OF
water. After remaining for three days, he
was supplied with a wretched mattress and
a chair. These formed, during Is months,
the whole of his furniture. His sustenancc
was dish of rice every 81 hours, with hall
pound Of brown bread, and, in the morn
. ing cup of diluted stuff, mis-callcd choco-
| late. His jailors, seen only at these periods
/, always maintained the silence of statutes
The light of the day, in this living tomb
was of but five hours duration.
On one occasion the barber who was sent
9 to shave the unfortunate prisoner, contrivcd
to slip into his hands letter from his wife
together with pencil and a bit ofpaper tc
t facilitate reply. Delighted at this uncX-
. Dected consolation, NJ. c. pcruscd and
kissed a thousand times the cherished lines
, His reply was soon prepared-but alas the
Argus eyed turnkcys had conceived suspi-
cions the result o. which was discovery
and the consignment of the poor barber tc
one of the prison rooms, where he was kept
until 1920. His successor in office showed
, none of the zeal of pity. After three months
incarceration, M. G. underwent his first
regular examination in the same Hall, and
with the same ceremony. One OF the In
quisitors, after short interval, made a sort
Of opening oraton on the justice and bems-
Mtg of the Holy Office (thcse were wonder
fully borne witness to by the livid and hag-
gard countenancc of their victm) and pro-
, ceeded to tell him that the tribunal knew al
ready the 7vhoie, even to the precise day,
place, and hour, when NJ. c. had been
present, with other accomplices, at a mason
ic meeting that it was consequently useless
to deny it; and that the tribunal, in calling
on him now for his confession, desired mere
lv to find preteXt for extending towards
him the indulgence allowed to penitents, &c
&c. M. c., not to be duped by this
mode of address, protested openly against it.
The addition of menaccs and insults could
not shake his frmncss; and he was taken
back to his confinement. Some months at
terwards he was again summoned into the
same presence, but with the like result and
from that period he was no longer interro-
gated. Being seized with illness, through
the various miseries and horrors of his situa-
ton, he several times implored the aid OF a
physician but was answered that when his
life should be i'll danger, that would be grant
ed him! When reduced to the extreme OF
weakness, and no longer able to rise from
Il his mattrass, he requested the presence Of
the inquistors, and bcsought them most
: touchingly for some nourishment of whole
some kind, adding that his family would re-
munerate such attention. "Your family has
abandoned you, sir" replied these impos-
tors; "thcy will answer no application OF
the part of reprobate; and as for the tri-
bunal it has no funds for the melioraton o.
your treatmentp
Such series of infamous usage must inev-
itably have proved fatal to M. C., hat
C not these dcns of horror been thrown oper
e by the effect of the Kings oath to the con-
l. stitution on the 9th of March, 1920. The
+ following day brought the decree at Nalen
/ cia, and the people went en- masse to burs
+ the gates of the Inquisiton Half an hou
n previously, and when the news was alrcad.
'i known every where, one Of the jailors ha'
= the inhuman assurance to tell M, C tha