Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-08-03

''You remember, OF course, a BURGLARY
committed here year ago, or more.
[ could not keep my seat then, but went
forward, trembling like leaf
Young Mr.. Grinby had turned quite faint.
and was leaning against the wall for sup
port.
''You are agitated," said the clergyman:
81 fear you viii be still more affected by
what you must soon hear. A person now in
custody, condemned to execution, las a
confession to make to you in regard to the
affair-a very horrible one, fear"
He took a card from his pocket. and
wrote few lines.
eff you will call at the prison anv time
to-day, you will not be too late. It is Fri
day, 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, I 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 corrider
Morris stopped US.
'Gentlemen," he said, you must nerve
yourselves. Have you reflected that you
may see Benjamin Wade when yonder door
is opened?'
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 1T was a blow. 1t stag
gered 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-in rough arments-who seemed to
have cast himself down in grief or terror
VUoG no Tod firCE r L =
I never had seen the face he lifted as he
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 you?" he said sitting
down on the stone seat, 'and l see you
know me. They've caught me again, and
it's murder this time, and I've got to swing.
1t it wasn't for that, no person nd have
got this out of me. But I've promised,
and L always keep my promise, do. You
remember young man called Ben. Wade?"
''What of him2" we cried in a breath.
"Not much; he didn't rob your place,
that's all. We done it-Dick Buch, Slip
perry 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 long,
though; I cut off and came home. And
the first thing did was to VOW vengeance
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; would
not speak to as in the street. Threatened
to give information if he saw one OF us
prowling about. l heard it all. I swore
I'd fix him; and it seemed to come to me.
"One night / was agoin' to Slappers
Shades to have a drink. Burch was with
me; and in quiet sort of street we came
up to Ben, in mighty 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, and
we made the best of it. He was coming
out, with book or something in his hand,
and we met him. He was plucky, I 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.. Grim by
''He had but to come to us-to tell the
truth. Where is he? Do you know?
Speak? ?"
The robber was turning the hue of ashes.
His words came slowly. His eye glanced
over his shoulder, and he backed up
against the wall.
owe locked him up in the stone vault,
he said, 'and took the keys with u.s. If
you look you'll find them there.
And Mr.. Grinby tainted outright in my
arms.
Well sir, the robbers words 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, than poor Ben Wade.
The first thing Mr.. Grinby said was:
"Thank Heaven, Lucy cannot know it
And the next he sobbed-''Oh, but the GER
tainty would have been better for her af-
ter all. And then to know his name was
clear"
And so that is the story of our stone
vault; and, strange as it is, it is quite true
You may see his grave close beside Lucy's
any day. And Mrs. phries-shes a
romantic woman, sir-says she thinks the
violets and roses grow there of their own
accord under the white monument.