Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-12-17
YMPIA WASHINGTON TERRITORY SATURDAY MORNING. DECEMBER IT,

1
" fear you will be still more affected by
what you most soon hear. A person now
in custody, condemned to execution, has
confession to make to you in regard to that
AFFAIR." very horrible one fear.
He took a card from his pocket and
wrote few lines.
eff you will call at the prison any time
to-day, you will not be too late. 1t is
Friday, and he is to suffer execution at
dawn. Present this, if you please, and /
implore you to ask no questions now"
Before they could say much he was
gone, afraid, l think, to be the first to tell
the story, and our gentlemen called cab
and took me with them at my request.
They seemed to expect us at the prison,
and we were admitted. But in the narrow
corridor Morris stopped US.
Gentlemen" he said, you must nerve
yourselves. Have you reflected that you
may see Benjamin Wade when yonder door
is opened Z"
Young Grinby put his hand upon his
heart and seemed turning faint again. It
was the first time the thought had entered
my mind, and it was a blow. 1t staggered
me.
The next minute the turnkey flung the
door open and we were in the CELL On the
floor lay a mana broad-shouldered fellow
lin rough garments-who seemed to have
cast. himself down in grief or terror. 1t
was not Ben Wade. At first thought l
never had seen the face he lifted as it
rose. In moment it came to me.
1t was the leader of the gang who had
been arrested for that old attempt at rob-
berry when we had found little Ben in the
stone vault.
"You've come, have your" he said,
sitting down on the stone seat, "and see
you know me. They've caught me again,
and it's murder this time, aud I've got to
swing" III it wasn't for that, no person
'ud have got this out of me. But I've
promised, and / always keep my promise, l
do. You remember a young man called
Ben Wade?"
"What of him ?" we cried in a breath.
"Not much-he didn't rob your place,
that's ALL We done it-Dick Burch and
Slippery Tom and me. Tell you how it
was. You know that boy informed on us,
and was locked up for hard labor for
more years than most men live. I didn't
stay, though, cut off and came home.
And the first thing l did was to vow ven-
geance on that boy. Why, there was
gay young buck, in fine togs, with the
handling Of money, and thought of and
trusted just for having done for US. Proud,
too-wouldut speak to us in the street.
Threatened to give information if he saw
one of us prowling about. / heard it all.
l swore I'd fix him and it seemed to
come to me.
"Onc night I was agoin' to Slapper's
Shades to have drink. Burch was with
me; and in quiet sort of street we came
up TO Ben, in a might hurry"
"I'd have knocked him on the head,
but Burch stopped me.
"' See what he's up to- says he. And
we followed. He went down to your
place, and went in. He left the door ajar,
aud We made the best of it, He was COM
ing out with q book or something in his
hand, and we met him. He was plucky,
/ tell you. One of US wouldn't have got
off SO easy, but We were two to one. We
gagged and tied him. and made clean
sweep Of the place that night"
"And Benny God, did Ben think we
would not believe him?" cried Mr.. Grin
by.
/" He had but to come to us-to te,2 the
truth. Where is he? Do yc. know !?
Speak" !"
The robber was turning the hue of ashes.
His words came slowly. His eyes glanced
over his shoulder and he backed up against
the wall
ave locked him up in the stone vault" /"
he said, " and took the keys with US. If
you look you'll find him there"
And Mr.. Grinby tainted outright in my
arms.
Well, sir, the robbers word were true
The stone vault was opened that day, and
there-no matter. 1t was easier to know
the ring he wore, and the keys and purse
in his pocket, that poor Ben Wade.
The first thing Mr.. Grinby said was !:
Thank heaven, Lucy cannot know it. !"
Aud the next he sobbed-" Oh. but the
certainty would have been better for her
after all. And then to know his name
was clear"
And so that is the story Of our stone
vault; aud, strange as it is, it is quite
true. You may see his grave close beside
Lucy's any day. And Mrs. Humphries-
she's a romantic woman, sir-says she
thinks the violets and roses grow there Of
their own accord under the white monu.
ment.
aD- Mass Tom Massa Oh! Massa
Tom! how's l gwine to yet down dis lad.
ider'?' exclaimed young niger from the top
ofa new building. "Come down the same
way you went up, you blockhead" replied
the master, running up to see what was
the matter. " De same way as | came up,
Massa Tom ?" "Yes, confound your skin,
don't bother me any more" Well if
must must!" and down came the little
darkey headforemost