New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-05
INEw OKE1lNS Rxru1f1taNl sUNDlY. 'NoVK11aR Saisn


aa - S6ks5 II Gaaa vrot,
.TS "a .fn ,call 1t, IL ,si,.n s.y,tim.
to-day,y ua viii not be 10 leee. To.1osrow
10 Friday, end be = 70 sufFer execution q
! dawn. Present this, II y0u please, and
inplere you, ak NO questions now.
Before they could cav much hs was gone
story, and ouf gentlemen called cab and
took me with them ct my request. They
seemed - expect % ct the prison, md We
were admitted. But in the narrow corridor
Norris stopped -. i, ..e'.5 s...e
ssGentlenen," he said, "you must nerve
yourselves. Have you reelected that you
may zee Beqjamin Wade when yonder door
i opened" -
Young .Grinby put his hand upon hia
heart, and seemed turning. faint again. II
was the first tine the thought had stag.
eered my mind, aadit was blow. It stag.
The next minute the turnkey flung the
door open and We were in the cell. On the
floor lay . man-s broad shouldered fellow,
in rough Garmeuts-wh0 seemed TO have
cast himself down in grief and terror. 1t
Was not Ben Wade. At first I thought
had never seen the face he lifted q he
arose. In . monentit came to me: 1t was
the leader. Of the gang who had been ar
rested for thst cid attempt ct robbery,
when We had found little Ben in the stone
vault.
/ you've c@e, have your" said he,
sitting down On the stone seat; land ! zee
you know me. They've caught me again,
and it's murder this time, and I've got to
swing. If it wasn't for that, no person 'ud
have got this ont of me. But I've promised,
and I always keep my WORD, do: Yon
remember . young man called Ben Wsde!"
SsVhnf nf hian9S vra cFio6 in 4 hFAQfh
mot mueh-he didn't rob your place,
that's oil. We done it-Dick Burch. Slip.
perry Tom and me-. Tell you how it was.
You know that boy informed ON u, 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 did was to vow vengeance on
that boy. Why. there he was, gay young
buck in hne toys, with the handling Of
money, and thought of and trusted just for
having done for us. Proud, to0-wOuldnt
speak 70 10 in the street. Threatened to
give information If he ever saw one of US
proving about. I heard it all. swore
I'd fix him; and it seemed to come to me.
''One night I was agoin' to Slspper's
shades to have drink. Burch was with
me; and in quiet sort Of street We came
up to Ben, in hurry.
I'D have knocked him on the head, but
Burch stopped me. l
:. See what he's up to- says he. And we
followed. We 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 10 wouldn't have got Of 80 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 7" cried Mr.. Grinby.
HE had but to come to us, to tell the truth.
Whers i hei@Do You knOwl Speak ~
The robber was turning the hue of ashes.
His words came slowly. His eyes glanced
over his shoulder, and be backed up against
the wall. -t..4 49,
I'VE locked him up in the stone vault"
he said, land took the keys with u.s." If
You look you'll find him there"
And Mr.. Grinby tainted outright in my
arms. .H'" 80
Well, sir, the robbers words were true.
there-no matter. 1t was easier to know
the ring he wore, and the keys and the |
purse in his pocket, than poor Ben Wade.
The first thing Mr.. HUMPHREYS said was,
Thank heaven, Lucy can not know it," |
And the next he sobbed, "Oh, but the Ger |
tainty would have been better for her |
after all! And then to know that his name |
was clear" !
Aud 30 that is the story of our stone
vault: and strange a. it is, it is quite true. |
You may see his grave close beside Lucy's |
any day. And Mrs. Humphries-she's q
woman, sir-says she thinks the |
violets and roses grew there of their own
accord under the white monument.