Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-10-16
GaOttester Gully Syn
The Sailor and the Convict.


at the ship witnessed an accident. The crew
were engaged in turling sails. The topman,
whose duty 1t was to take in the starboard up
per corner OF the main topsail, lost his bal
ance, he was seen lettering the dense throng
assembled on the wharf of the arsenal uttered
cry, the mans head overbalanced his BODY,
and he whirled over the yard, his arms out
stretched toward the deep; as he went over
he grasped the man ropes, first with one hand
and then with the other, and hung suspended
in that manner. The sea lay far below him
at giddy depth. The shock of his fall had
given to the man ropes violent swinging mo-
ton, and the poor fellow hung dangling to and
tro at the end of this line, like a stone in
sling.
To go to his aid was to run a frightful risk.
None of the crew, who were all fishermen of
the coast recently taken into service, dared
attempt it. In the meantime the poor topman
was becoming exhausted; his agony could not
be seen in his countenance, but his increas-
ing weakness could be detected in his move
ments of all his limbs His arms twisted
about in horrible contortions. Every attempt
he made to reascend only increased the oscil-
lati0ns ofthe man ropes. He did not cry out
for fear of losing his strength. All were now
looking forward to that moment when he
. should let go Of the rope, and, at instants, all
turned their heads away that they might not
see him fall. There are moments when
ropes end, pole, the branch of tree, is life
itself, and it is frightfu thing to see a living
being lose his hold upon it, and fall like ripe
fruit.
Suddenly man was discovered clambering
up the rigging with the agility of wild cat
This man was clad in red-it was a convict;
he wore green capt was convict for life.
As he reached the round top gust of wind
blew Oft his cap and revealed a head entirely
white; it was young man.
In fact, one of the convcts employed on
board in some prison task, had at the first
alarm, run to the officer of the watch and,
amid the confusion and hesitation of the crew.
while all the sailors trembled and shrank back
had asked permission to save the topmans lite
at the risk of his own. A sign of assent being
given, with one blow of the hammer he broke
the chain riyeted to the iron ring at his an
kle, then took rope in his hand, and flung
himself into the shroudS. Nobody, at the mo-
ment, noticed with what ease the chain was
broken. 1t was only sometime atterward that
anybody remembered it.
In a twinkle he was upon the yard. He
paused a few seconds, and seemed to measure
it with his glance. Those seconds, during
which the wind swayed the sailor to and fro
at the end of the rope, seemed ages to the
lookers-on. AT length the convict raised his
eyes to heaven, and took a step forward. The
crowd drew a long breath. He was seen to
run along the yard. On reaching its extreme
tip, he fastened one end of the rope he had
with him, and let the other hangat full length.
Thereupon he began to let himself down by
his hands along this rope, and then there was
an ineXpressibe sensation of terror; instead
of one man, two were seen dangling at that
giddy hight.
You would have said it was a spider seiz-
ing fly; only, in this case, the spider was
bringing life and not death. Ten thousand
eyes were fixed upon the group. Not cry;
not word was uttered; the same emotion
contracted every brow. Every man held his
breath, as if afraid to add the least whisper to
the wind which was swaying the two unfortu-
nate men.
However, the convict had at length man
aged to make his way down to the seaman. 1t
was time; one minute more, and the man, eX-
hausted and despairing would have fallen into
the deep. The convict firmly secured him to
the rope, to which he chung with one hand,
while he worked with the other. Finally he
was seen reascending the yard, and hauling
the sailor after him; he supported him there
for an instant, to let him recover his strength,
and then, lifting him in his arms, carried him,
as he walked along the yard to the cross
trees, and from there to the round top, where
he left him in the hands of his messmate.
Then the throng applauded; galley SER
geant wept women Rugged each other on
the wharves, and on all sides voices were
heard exclaiming, with sort of tenderly sub
dued enthusiasm: "This man must be par
doned!"
He however had made it point of duty to
descend again Immediately, and go back to
his work. In order to arrive more quickly,
he slid down the rigging, and started to run
along lower yard. All eyes were following
him. There was a certain moment when ev-
cry one felt alarmed; whether it was that he
felt fatigued, or because his head swan, peo-
pie then saw him hesitate and stagger. Sud-
denly the throng uttered a thrilling cutlery
the convict had fallen into the
The fall was perilous. The frigate Algesras
was moored close to the Orion, and the poor
convict had plunged between the two ships.
1t was feared he would be drawn under one
or the other. Four men sprang at once into
a boat. The people cheered them on, and
anxiety again took possession of all minds
The man had not again risen to the surface.
He had disappeared in the sea, without max
ing even a ripple, as though he had fallen into
a cask of oil They sounded and dragged the
Mace. 1t was in vain. The search was con-
tinued until night, but not even the body was
found.
The next morning the TOulOn Journal pub
lished the following lines :-"November II,
lS23.-Y esterday, a convict, at work on board
of the Orion on his return from resculng
sailor. fell into the sea and was drowned. His
body was not recovered. 1t is presumed it
has been caught under the piles at the pier
head of the arsenal. This man was registered
by the number 9430, and his name was Jean
Valiean."- Victor Hugo.