The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-12-15
A DICKENS TRAMP.


pressible Mark Tapley, would fain accom-
pany the wizard in his rambles through
London, where his all-obselva eyes and
all-hearing ears discovered the characters
that beam from the pages Of his novels of
the people. State Senator Henry Manistre
Of st. Louis, is an old Londc ner, and en-
joys the distinction of having known the
great WI ter. Last evening Globe Demo-
trat reporter was seated in the parlor of
the senator's home in South st. Louis, and
in O conversation on old country affairs
generally the name of Dickens came up.
when Mr. Manistre said. Il had the honor
OF MIR: Dickens acquaintance, and accom-.
panied him one evening on one Of his
characteristic tramps through the haunts of
the lower million, which he made memoir
able. 1t was in the spring Of 1910, 1 think,
and the night was cold, raw and buster.
ing. On the following morning man
named Manning and his wife were to he
publicly executed at Horsemonger Lane
Jail, which was at that time the Jail for the
division Of London called the borough.
Manning and his wife had been convicted
for the murder of an excise officer named
OConnor. The trial of the cause had ore
ated great excitement throughout London.
The woman was an Italian, and illicit rela.
tons had existed between her and the ex-
ciseman, the husband being privy to the
affair. Stimulated by her wretched con-
sort she turned her hold upon the exciseman
to course OF revenue, and levied blackmaiI
to such an extent that he could stand it no
longer. When be declared his intention of
cutting her off she few into violent pas
sion and slew him with stiletto. The hus-
band assisted to dispose of the body, and
was sentenced to die along with the muir
deress. Such was the general interest ta-
ken in the forthcoming vindication
OF the outraged law, that Mr.. Dickens con.
celved the idea of taking an extensive ramble
through the night resorts Of the coster-
inongers, longshoremen and loY-Iivinp
characters generally. with view TO gather
ing the impression of that class regarding
the event Of the morrow. With our great
coats closely buttoned up, we started from
Horsemonger Lane Jail There were six,
think, In the party, Mr.. Dickens, Mr.
Wi'lam Twelle, a wealthy coppersmith,
Mr.. Linton, proprietor of glass factory
establishment, John Grant, the London
representative of great Manchester house.
myself, end one other. At that time was
doing large confectionery business in
Loughborough Road, Briston. We crossed
London bridge from the Sussex eide, thence
through Cheapside, Fleet street and the
Strand, clear out to Stingo Lane, actually
walking through London. We dropped in
at all the saloons,-"gin palaces" they call
them-and ran across all grades of human.
lty, from scions of nobility on llrk, in
some pretentious establishment; to grovel-
ing, degraded humanity in noisesome dens
that fairly reeked with 9th and the vile va
pors from their vile poisons.
MIR. Dickens was throughout the trip
singu'ar]y quiet. He occasionally emil
vened the tramp with some humorous an
ecdote, generally associated with the locaii-
ty through which we were passing. In no
instance did he mingle or attempt associa-
ton with the people whom he came In con-
tact with. As We took our drinks or cigars
he was silent. but without showing it. bis
eyes were everywhere, and his ears were
OF dozen conversations. It was q long
and weary tramp, and the day had fairly
broken when We reached the HorsemonRer
Lane Jail again. During the night had
not seen him take single note, yet wien,
day or two later, the history Of that
trip appeared in print, was amazed at its
fidelity to the events of tho Night. cure
fully read it over, and found the scenes aud
incidents Of the jaunt were reproduced
with photographic accuracy. from the frivo-
lous, half naudlin utterances Of q
party of young Tom Noddys
ve had found in resort on the
StrAnd, to the abominablo and, to me, al.
most unintelligible slang of a lot of coster-
mOngers in a Fleet street establishment
which in this country would be called a
dive. The effect of the impending event up
on the populace. high and low, was reflec-
ted with vividness and truthful STYLE
that conjured up the scenes again as they
we're. Nor were the details Of the execu-
ton overlooked in any particular. Public
executions were then in vogue, and the
scaffold from which the guilty Mannines
were ushered into eternity had been erect
ed upon tee top of the great stone gateway
to the Jail. never saw bigger crowd.
The housetops were black with people for
blocks in every direction, and in the street
below the crowd was 70 dense that it was
impossible to move. Men md women were
and then came in the play Of the
police: On the low buildings on either
side Of tho street police were stationed
tainted he or she was actually passed over
the heads of the throng to g
point where one Of these ropes could
be placed under their arms, when the
police dragged the limp form up to the roof,
Some one threw basket from window
aud it was knocked hither aud thither over
the heads of the people, as if it were on
the bosom Of the ocean. I stood near Mr.,
Dickens, who calmly, almost carelessly,
looked upon the throng, yet no single in
cident was overlooked by those keen eyes,
no sound unkeard, and reading his sketch
l saw again the surgiug, trembling null
titude, saw again the condemned marched
to their doom, I saw again the last look of
agony and terror upon their faces as they
gazed for the last time upon earth, saw
again the look of defiance the woman cast
1t the mob which ho- tod at her from below.
[ saw again the ashen face Of the craven
husband who tainted when the rope vas put
around his neck, and 1 heard again"
The dull thud?" II suppose SO, but
Dickens did not call it SO. I met the
master many times after that, but was never
his companion. Much that knew of and
admired in him gained from his brother
Gus, who was near neighbor of mine on
The Loughborough road. That brother, /
believe, came to America after I did, and
died in Chicago, where be was engaged in
The railroad business.
Polite Society.
From Julia Ward Howe's Lecture
What is polite society if not polite? Pc.
Ito oNoSakv oivoe IN oiyo Aho to~o - v.o,,n