The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-12-17
A Night at the Seven Bells.

10 ali save one person, and, to guard
against his being aware of my pres
ence. avoided being = guest IL any
prominent hotel. The Seven Bells
was in Street, and was certainly
dingy aud dark enough to suit my
purpose. / entered my name rs "JOhn
Hancock, U. S. America" and be-
came its guest. The clerk, with de-
eided cherry-cOlored nose, watched
my autograph for 4 moment, and
then asked
''Aneock, is that?"
'Yes," replied.
"Any connection TO The Revolu-
tionary ,'Aneoek ?'
"Yes, same stock"
"Any baggage, Mr. 'AncOek ,"
Nothing but two pistols and a
bovie-knife."
BE seemed somewhat astOnished at
thelnature OF my baggage, and then
asked:
"Want to be shown to your room,
Mr.. 'AncOck ?"
ayes"
aJohn, show Mr.. 'Ancock to 49,"
handing him a tallow dip, and at the
same time whispering something in
his ear.
Ibid not know the nature of the
communication impaired by the clerk
to john, but did notice that the latter
Kept himself and his tallow dip full
ten feet in advance of me.
It required considerable of an effort
on The part of ''1r. 'AncOek of Amer
ica,D aud John of England, to reach
No. l9. Riekety stairs and hail Of
utter darkness had TO be travelled first.
Room 10 did not impress me very IA
vorably with English hotels; but after
inquring from John the usual supper
hour at the Seven Bells" L flung
myself upon the bed for an hours
rest.
A cracked bell, rung with vigor of
thousand stalwart arms, sounded
through the dark aud dingy corridor
of tbs "Seven Bells" of London, an
uouucing supper. My seat at the ta-
Bile was directly oppOsits that of girl
who's youth and beauty l never have
forgotten. learned afterwards that
she was a native of Spain, and dam
Ger at one of the minor London thea
/ ters. Her hair was both black and
luxlrant, her eyes large and lustrOus,
whileher skin betrayed her Castil-
liam blood. Her lips were full and
ripe, and when she parted them her
teeth seemed like pearls placed there
| by Heaven 70 show the contrast be-
tween red and white. Indeed L
thought her very beautiful.
l inquired from John at what thea
ter she danced d? He told me it was
but two blocks from the Seven Bells.
He took me TO one side and said
"Her room is on the same floor as
yours. Be careiul-you ara armed, l
know that, and il is well. She danced
in Paris, and a Frenchman fell in love
with her, aud has followed her from
place to place since. be Is mad-loVe
mad, and has tried to assassinate her
for refusing to marry him. But
week since he secreted himself in one
of the rooms of the Seven Bells and
tried to murder her at midnight. To-
morrow she leaves LondOn-he knows
it, and he is both cunning and mad"
| visited the theater aud found its
grade in keeping with the Seven
Bells Inn. The audience was COM
posed of the lower strata Of London
life, and when the Spanish dancer APP
peared upon the stage she appeared
more beautiful than ever. L noticed
one man wild in his demonstrations
of applause, and was told that il was
the Frenchman who had become in
fatuated with her beauty and had
once attempted to take her life. She
seemed to tremble when she saw
him, and refused to appear upon the
stage again after repeated encOres as
only London audience ct one of its
third-rate theaters can give.
1 retired to Room 10 at the Seven
Bells. was both nervous and rest
less. Perhaps its being my first night
in the great city of London /; perhaps
the ominous character of the Seven
Bells, combined with the romantic
story of the beautiful Spanish dancer,
and her lodging upon the same floor,
caused it. Il was past midnight when
l fell asleep.
How long 1 had slept cannot say
probably an hour, when shrek
rang through the gloomy hall. L
heard cry of murder-the situation
shot through my brain in an instant.
L jumped from my bed and groped
my way toward whence the sound
proceeded. A door stood open, and a
dim light burned in the room. l saw
the beautiful face of the Spanish dane
er, pale in apparent death, with the
blood ooZing from a wound in the
neck, and a man with a knife in an
uplifted hand ready to strike the Sec
Ond blow.
Not moment was to be lost. 1
rushed into the room, and with one
blow felled the madman to the floor.
His knife fell from his hand, he grap-
pied me by the throat with the seem
ing strength of q giant, and then
shook me from his grasp and disap-
peared in the hall. How be gained
an entrance, or how he escaped, /
never learned. No one but the
speechless and bleeding girl and my
self knew of his presence. The mid
night shrek and the cry OF murder
had aroused the inmates of the house.
They hurried to the room excited and
pale. and among the number the
clerk with the cherry-colored nose. l
was found alone in the dancers room,
with knife red with blood at my
feet.
The clerk of the Seven Bells rushed
to the window, and in q voice that
should have aroused all London,
shouted, "Police police police %
Two of these meek gentlemen rush
ed in and informed me that 1 was
prisoner. 1 endeayored to explain
nv innocence, and had partly sue
ceeded, until the clerk of the Seven
Bells said "Don't b'lieve him. He
is a swell named AncOck. / had my
'spishuns on him when he registered
his name at this 'Otel. He done it
in such bold manner. And then,
gentlemen, when 1 asked him if he
had any baggage, he said: Nothing
but two pistols and a bOwie-knife.'
l told John how as believed he was
a murderer, and that there would be
murder in this house tonight.
Didn't tell you so, John ?'
"Yes," replied the almost speech
less John, them was his exact
words"
/ saw that further expostulation
would be vain, so accepted the sit
uatiOn, and walked to London pris-
on.
Twas released the following day, as
the knife found in the room was found
to be the same one used by the mao
anu lONt-StIiChSli AcuChAah III hAS
former attempt to assassinate the
beautiful Spanish dancer.
What became of him / never learn
ed, as the police were unable TO find
him in the city.
The wound in the girls neck PROV
ed serious, but not of a dangerous
character. / changed my quarters
from the Seven Bells to the Golden
Crown Inn. On the morning Of my
departure from London for America,
1 found upon my table at the GoldOn
Crown the following note:
DEAR STRANGER Il learn that
you are about to leave London, per-
haps forever. So am l. have moth
ing to offer worthy of acceptance for
risking your life to save mine. Heav-
en- can only reward you for the deed.
Accept the inclOsed as an humble to-
ken of my gratitude. 'Tis all [ have
to give. God bless you always
S|A CO
1 cannot inform the reader how she
learned of my intended departure. l
never have parted with the poor girls
offering, and shall keep it sacred with
nv life. Ii often reminds me of my