Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-07-14

more uappy than she nau Deen Tor
some time.
In the course of a few weeks Marga-
ret obtained the situation of housemaid
in the service of Mr.. and Mrs. Cobbold.
The dwelling Of this couple was known
as the Cliff, and stood on the bank of
the Orwell. Here Margaret's time
passed smoothly on until May, 1877,
when she received letter signed Will
lam Laud, dated from the Dog and
Bone public house, in the borough of
Southwark, and earnestly imploring her
to repair to London without delay that
their hands might be united. She was
overjoyed with this news. But how
was she to get to London? She had
no money, and she knew that her mas
ter and mistress would not grant her
leave to undertake a journey which was
to lead her to William Laud. She,
however, soon made up her mind how
to act. She attired herself in the garb
of groom, and, mounting one of Mr..
Cobbold's horses, began her journey.
We have said that when child she de-
lighted in riding on horseback, and this
freak of her childhood stood her in
good stead by giving her experience for
the present occasion. She actually
rode Mr.. Cobbold's horse from Ip-
switch to London in eight hours and
half-a distance of seventy miles
She alighted at the Bull in Aldgate;
and, determined not to go empty
handed to rejoin her lover, intimated to
the landlord her desire to sell the horse.
A customer was soon found, so guineas
were offered for the animal, and the
bargain was about to be brought to a
close when constables entered the inn
yard and took the pretended groom into
custody. The horse had been missed
Immediately after Margaret's depart
ure; pursuit was commenced, and
she had been traced, stage by stage,
from Ipswich to London.
Margaret was taken before Mr.. n
Bond, the sitting Magistrate at the then
Wbite-chapel Police Court, and COM
mitted for trial. But as the offense
was committed in the country, she was
removed to the County Jail at Fps
witch. The attempt to depict the I'M
fortunate young womans feelings
would be impossible.
The trial took place on the 9th of Au-
gust, 1897, before Lord Chief Baron
Macdonald Margaret pleaded guilty
and was sentenced to death. Thejudge,
in condemding her, declared he had
never known, throughout his judicial
experience a person who was so well
acquainted with the principles Of right
and wrong, good and evil and who had
perverted that discriminatIve power in
so strange manner. The sentence
was afterward committed to seven
years, Imprisonment in Ipswich Jail,
and she became the servant of Mrs Rip
shaw, wife Of the governor of the pris-
on.
Two years passed away, and her ex-
emplary conduct led to hopes that at
| the expiration of another twelvemonth
she would be restored to liberty. But
it happened that William Laud, who
had lately returned to his evil practices,
was arrested, upon a charge of snug
Cling, tried and sentenced to one years
Imprisonment in Ipswich jail AS Mar
garet washed the linen of the prisoners
she was frequently Compiled to visit
the mems wards in the daytime. There
she one day encountered William Laud
him whom she had never for mo-
ment forgotten-never deserted in her
| heart.
Dread was the effect of this meeting
upon Margaret. The hope Of obtain
ing remission of her sentence hap
pened to be defeated William Laud
prevailed upon her to attempt an es-
cape from jail when his term of incar-
ceration should have arrived. At length
he was set free; and the plan for es-
cape was duly settled and arranged.
When the appointed time arrived Mar
garet managed to avoid being locked
in her cell; and at II o'clock she found
herself at liberty in one Of the court
yards. But how was she to mount the
wall? She was provided with q rope
and that was all. Casting around her
eyes, she espied, by the moonlight, a
governors flower beds. By dint of i'm
mense exertions she raised it in a slop-
| ing position against the wall. Here
was ladder for her. She then took a
| clothes-prop, and mounting her ladder,
fixed, by means Of the prongs of the
prop, the moose of the rope over the
upright piece of iron on the wall which
sustained the horizontal bar of the che
vaux-de-frize. She then drew herself
up by the line to the top of the wall,
and actually bent her body over the
bristling spikes. The chevaux-de-frize
reyOlved and she was thrown to the
other side of the wall. The rope ena-
bled her to lower herself in safety; and
as the clock Of St. Clements Church,
Ipswich, struck II, she was free!
William Laud received her in his
arms. and they fled together. In by
place Margaret shifted her clothes and
dOnned sailors garb. They then pro-
ceeded toward Orwell ferry, on their
way to Sutton Walks and Sudbourn.
And now they have reached the ferry
they are about to enter boat which
John Luff had provided for them, when
a body of the preventive guards rushed
up to the spot. Margaret tainted
through excessive alarm. William
Laud, with pistol in each hand, strobe
over her, and swore lie would defend
her and himself or die. A terrible
combat took place between the SNUG
| glers and the revenue officers, and Will
liam Laud was shot with a pistol bullet.
Thus was fulfilled Susan's prophecy;
Margaret never married William naud!
The young lady was taken to Ipswich,
recognized and conveyed back to jail.
In due time she was brought to trial
before the same judge who had before
condemned her The law impera-
tive. Any person who, suffering a