The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1876-07-21
CLEVELAND, Tenn, July 81, 1876.

see, and by and by doors opened
and a few curly risers joined! il
the pursuit, wondering and Gu
rious.
The calvacade never CLEARED
the town of Norwich; the friar, il
the blindness Of despair, turned
his mare up what seemed to be al
open lane; but there was no exit
his dead pursuer came up witt
him, and he threw himself off anC
cried, "Mereylmercy! mea culpa
/ confess it II confess it!-only
take that horrible face from me !
and in his despair he owned that
he had slain brother John.
Then some lead the horse and
his CHASTITY rider away, and won.
dered sore; but others hauled
Friar Richard to justice; he be.
lieving it was a myracle, and
Heavens hand upon him, persist
ed in his confession, and was cast
into prison to abide his trial.
He had not to wait long. In
those days the law did not tarry
long for judges Of assize TO come
around the country now and then
Each town had its Mayor and AL
dermen, any one of whom could
try and hang man if need was
So Friar Richard was, tried. next
week.
BY this time he had somewhat
recovered his sp' rits and lis love
of life. He ended himself.
and said that H. Indeed had slain
his brother, but it was by misad-
venture. He had thrown a stone
at him in some anger, but not to
do him any deadly harm. This he
said with many tears. But, on the
other hand, it was proved that he
had long hated brother John;
that he had got out Of the priory
without passing the door, and had
borrowed. the malster's; mare on a
false. preteilse; and finally marks
of strangulation had been found
on the dead mans throat. All
this amazed and overpowered the
poorfriar, and although his. terror
at the apparition was not easily
to be reconciled with his having
been the person who tied the
body on the horse, and though
one alderman, shrewder than the
rest, said he thought great deal
lay behid that, yet upon the
whole it was thought the safest
and most usual course to hang
him. SO he was condemned to
die-in three days time.
The friar, seeing his end. so' near,
struggled no more against his
fate. He sent for the prior to
confess to him, and told the truth
with great sorrow and humility:
''Mea culpa! mea culpa !" he
cried. "lf! ! had not hated my
brother and broken my rule, then
this Is had not come upon me.
Then the prl1or gave nm lull
aDs0iqtlon, ana went away eA-
ceedlngly sorr0Wlul ana GouDtlng
the wisdom and justice OF laymen,
and IN particular win those VINO
were about TO hang Dfotner hich-
ard Tor wlliul murder, ms prey
ad upon ms mlnd, ana he went 10
Sir Richard Erplngham TO utter
his mlsglvlngs ana pray the good
iknlght TO work upon the oherlll,
Tor respite untll the matter
could be looked INTO more close
~.
The Knight was not at home;
but my lady saw the prior ana
earned his errand, Alas, g0od
Iather!' sad she, "Sir KlGhard Is
not here; ne Is gone TO London
his two days
1he prior went nome SICK AT
leart,~
Even so long ago as this they
lung from Norwich Castle. So
5he rude gallows was put up at Z
o'clock, and at eight Brother
Richard must hang and turn in
he wind like a weathercock.
But before that fatal houG, a
Kings messenger galloped into
he city and spurred into the
,ourt,' yard of the castle. Very
soon the Sheriff was reading a
parchment signed by the Kings
,wn hand; the gallows was taken
iown ana the people dispersed by
,I l,eIsrees,-,Some felt .lll-used'.
they thought appointments
should be kept, or else not made.
AT night Frlar Richard, not re-