Morris tribune., 1881-12-15
A Dickens TRAMP.

Dickens.
Various writer's in the English magazines
are now engaged in reviving "reminiscences
of the great master of English novelist,
Charles Dickens The simplest details of
the life of the man who has written for the
largest number, probably, in the history of
modern literature are possessed of e rare
iaterest, and one who has wept with Little
Nell, laughed with congenial Weller,
or kept up spirits with the ire
pressible Mark Tapley, would fain accom-
pany the wizard in his rambles through
London, where his all-obselvant 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 Londcner, and en-
joys the distinction of having known the
great WI ter. Last evening a Globe Demo-
crat reporter was seated in the parlor of
the senator's home in South st. Louis, and
ill conversation OF old country affairs
generally the name of Dickens came up,
when Mr.. Manistre said. Il had the honor
Of Mr.. Dickens acquaintance, and accom-
panied him one evening on one OF his
Characteristic tramps through the haunts OF
the lower N lion, which he made. memor-
able. It was in the spring of 1910, | think,
and the night was cold, raw and buster
ing. On the following morning man
named Manning and his wife were to be
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
O'Connor. The trial Of the cause had Gre
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 a course of revenue, and levied blackmail
10 such an extent that he could stand it no
longer. When be declared his intention of
cutting her off she flew 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 ,mur-
deress. Such was the general interest ia
ken in the forthcoming yindication
Of the outraged law, that Mr.. Dickens con-
ceived the idea of taking an extensive ramble
through the night resorts Of the coster-
| mongers, longshoremen and low living
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..
| William Twelle, a wealthy coppersmith,
| Mr.. Linton, proprietor Of a glass factory
establishment, John Grant, the London
| representative of great Manchester house,
myself, and one other. At that time I was
doing a large confectionery business III
| LOughbocough Road, Briston. We crossed
| London bridge from the Sussex side, thence
| through Cheapside, Fleet street and the
Strand clear out 70 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
| ity, from scions Of nobility on lark, in
some pretentious establishment; to grovel-
ing, degraded humanity in noisesome dens
poTs from their vile poisonF.
Mr.. Dickens was throughout the trip
singularly 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, his
| eyes were everywhere, and his ears we're
listening to and following the thread
of dozen conversations. It was a long
and weary tramp, and the day had fairly
| broken when we reached the Horsemonger
Lane Jail again. During the night had
not seen him take single note, yet when,
a day or two later the history of that
| "trip appeared in print, was amazed at its
| fidelity to the events OF the night I care
fully read it over, and found the scenes and
incidents of the iaunt were reproduce d
with Photographic accuracy, from the frivo-
Ious, half maudlin utterances of a
ne had found in a resort on the
Str nd, to the abominable and. to me, al
most unintelligible slang of lot of coster-
mongers in 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 refec-
ted with a 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 Mannings
were ushered into eternity had been erect
ed upon tee top of the great stone gateway
to the jail. 1 never saw bigger crowd
| The housetops were black with people for
blocks in every direction, and in the street
below the crowd was o dense that it was
| Impossible to move. Men and women were
fainting, and then came in the play of the
police. On the low buildings on either
side of the street police were stationed
| with ropes convenient. When q person
| tainted he er.she was actually passed over
the heads of the throng to o
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
and it was knocked hither and thither over
the heads of the people, as if it were on
| the bosom of the ocean. stood near Mr..
Dickens, who calmly, almost carelesslv,
i looked upon the throng, yet no single in
cident was overlooked by those keen eyes,
no sound unfeard, and reading his sketch
l saw again the surging, trembling null
titude, saw again the condemned marched
to their doom, 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
at the mob which no ted at her from below,
/ I saw again the ashen face of the craven
husband who tainted when the rope was put
around his neck, and heard again
@The dull thud?" II suppose SO, but
Dickens did not call it SO. met the
master many times after that, but was never
/ his companion. Much that I knew of and
admired in him l gained from his brother
| Gus, who was near neighbor of mine on
the Loughborough road. That brother, j
believe, came to America afterI did, and
died in Chicago, whe,e he was engaged in
the railroad business.