The Shasta courier., 1867-03-02


dawned again, and still the corpse held its
prey. The mob peered in and ieered. and
the landlord cursed every one bv name
The day passed. and its awful night followed
and then the burial day dawned.
Red Richardt felt his heart leap. as he saw
several of the chief men of Dallsart enterins ,
the room, preceded by two men bearing
coffin, the lid of which was of peculiar con.
struction.
Lord Rudolph, with the widow and daugh
ter of Karl Volmann, then appeared, for the
nobleman had sent for them to gaze on .e
more upon the good husband and father.
The widow and daughter would have
rushed forward and thrown themsel yas on
the body, had not Lord Rudolph restrained
them.
= Wait, . said be, advancing, and at once
drawing the landlords s knife from his belt
'Oh, you mean to cut off my right hand !"
screamed Red Richardt
" Not without your consent"
"Then why draw my knife?'
" Because it is not prudent to leave it in
your possession. 1t should have been re.
moved BEFORE" replied Lord Rudolpii:=
- Again; will you confess your crime 7"
" Confess, landlord" said the chief mag
istrate. Doubtless the corpse will then
free you, and leave its vengeance to the
law"
And the vengeance of the law is the tor.
ture and death on the Wheel" replied the
landlord, with savage bitterness. @ As well
die one way as the other"
g SO be it, said Lord Rudolph. Widow
and child, embrace the body of your beloved
for the last time. The coffin awaits its mel
ancholy use"
The weeping widow and child pressed their
lips to the cold, pale brow, and it was observ
ed that at that instant the rigid limbs of the
corpse, its right hand excepted, grew limp
and lax
The body was laid in the coffin; the lid
fitted on SO that the right arm was outside
for the corpse still held its prey.
The cofin was raised upon the shoulders
of four strong men, and the landlord, held
by that grasp of death, was forced to accom-.
pany it. The bag Of nails no longer remain
ed glued to the table, but Red Richardt
could not unclutch his grasp upon it; so it
hung by he side, binding his left hand to his
thigh.
But he would not confess, though weak
with hunger and thirst and exhausted bv
terror. Ee still hoped for deliverance at the
grave.
The grave was reached, after great pro
cession through the town. for the place was
crowded, the fame of the affair having attract
ed thousands
At the brink of the grave, into which the
landlord glared with dizzy eyes, Lord Ru
dolph said:
4" Richardt, you have noticed the construc-
ton of the lid of the coffin of your victim.
The right arm of the dead is Suffered to re
main out, that its vengeance may be appeased.
chance only one, and terrble-will be
left for you to do justice to the family Of the
deceased, that they may regain the property
OF the dead. The body will be buried upon
its left side, so that its arm, extended upward.
will permit your being buried to your right
shoulder, your body being above the earth.
Thus, with your arm in the grave, your
hand in that of the dead, you may repent
and confess"
Confess-never 1 am Innocent! This
is witchcraftr' exclaimed the landlord.
. Perish in thy otstinacy !" thundered the
judges. 9 Let the services go on, my lord,
that we may complete the vengeance of the
dead"
"Once, more" said Lord Rudolph, "will
you confess?''
g If | confess, and the corpse viii not free
me?" demanded Red Rchardt:
The judges exchanged glances. He SEEM
ed about to yield. But Lord Rudolph reply
was sharp and stern:
/" The corpse of my friend shall not be
mangled."
If l confess, will the judges take my
life?' asked Red Riehardt.
I'VE will be merclful We will not
take thy life" replied the chief judge, after
brief consultation with his friends.
@ But half of my wealth will 90 to the
king, the other half to my wife, who hates
me, and will be banished for life"
Very true. But what will man not
give for bis life ?" said the judge.
''Then | will not confess | will die ! |
will rot The fox shall gnaw my bones, and
the vulture shall pluck ont my eyes, and yet
l will not confess swear it ~
. Bury the dead, and punish the living" !"
said Lord Rudolph.
The .cofhu was placed in the grave, and the
grave filled up. Red Richardt was forced
to lie upon his right side. for the corpse held
its prey.
= Accursed and obstinate We leave you, -
said the judges.
Then the courage of the landlord forsook
him. 1t was too terrible to be left atone IN
that grim.and CHASTITY graveyard, held in the
grave by the grip of dead man.
8 / will confess will confess p Fe bel
low ed. "Oh, haste and dig me out ! His
gold and his diamonds are in my house.
Mercy | have confessed, and yet he does
not free me-"
The excitement Of the crowd now became
intense. and many voices cried out that he
should be left there to die and rot upon the
grave of Karl Volmann.
But the authority Of the young baron was
supreme. The body of Volmann was ex-
humed, and the landlord commanded to con
fess in full.
Weak and trembling, the unhappy man
cried out in gasps of terror.
When placed the sack in my iron chest,
| was sure it contained gold. During the
night | opened it, and hid the gold and Jew
els under a plank behind the bar in the chief
room; they are there now then filled the
bag with nails-you know al the rest. But,
see my confession has done me no good
the corpse still holds its prey ~
50 You have not been sufficiently punished
for thy crime against so good and honest a
man as Karl Volmann," replied the chief
judge. We cannot mangle his body, that
would be foul sacrilege. In addition to
losing thy goods and being tanished forever
from Poland, thou must lose thy right hand.
Executioner of Dallsart, do thy dutyi
A short, savage eyed man, wearing red