Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-01-18
THE WARDER'S STORY.

a, lodger named William Willston, who
died in a London tenement, was found the
MS. of the tale which follows:
/, William Worthington, believing that
am about to die, pray to heaven for strength
10 tell tale of wrong and suffering. I
know not the year in which I am living. I
dare not ask. I only pray for strength to
finish, for my wife and children, if they still
live, the story of my woes. The shock of
freedom upon my broken constitution is
proving too great, and feel that death is
near, I was warder in the Tower Of
London.
Every prisoner placed under my surveil-
lance for twenty years had been tried, judged
and sentenced by my inner consciousness,
and as my intuitions led me. SO were they
treated, though never violated a law.
By this inner tribunal Of my own, judged
that the Duke of Elton had been a traitor to
his king, and from my hands he received no
favors beyond the requirements of the law.
little dreamed that SO great a parsonage
would wreak vengeance upon vassal SO far
below him, yet his hirelings gave oath,
months after his release, that during a time
when the utmost watchfulness had been en-
Joined upon the warders, was found asleep
at my post. During that critical period the
penalty was death.
That very day had walked far into the
suburbs of London, on leave of absence to
visit my family, and had returned to take my
usual watch from nine at night until nine on
the following morning
was weary and travel stained, which told
against me, but as there is just God in
heaven, did not sleep on my post, neither
that night nor any night during my years of
service. A warder had once slept and al
lowed the escape of political prisoners. He
was accused of completely, and the death
penalty had been instituted.
I could prove nothing. I had paced the
corridors through the night. but the prison.
ers had slept and could say nothing to
save me.
Two men claimed to have passed through
the corridor as the clock struck twelve, and
upon their oaths affirmed that was sleeping
Ifsthey entered the corridor at all, it was
while I was at the farther end, and they
must have left before my return. In vain
protested my innocence. The friends OF the
Duke of Elton were in favor, and my doom
seemed inevitable.
1 had been foully dealt with, and during a
short recess bethought me of foul means for
escape.
had stanch friend in the tower, a fell
low warder. I would risk everything and
trust to him. The infinite patience and kind
ness of a mothers love had taught me to
write, and carelessly toyed with the mate
rails at hand, stealthily writing a word or
two now and then, without detection. AT
last it was finished, no whit too soon, for the
opportunity came at once to slip into the
warder's hand, unseen, this writing:
Haste to the clock, outside the wall. Cut, with
saw, a thirteenth NOTCH after the twelve, in the
striking wheel, and save the life Of
WILLIAM WoRTHNGToN.
With this paper crumbled in his hand, he
gave his evidence which availed me naught,
save to prove that was at my post before
II o'clock and that the usual greetings were
exchanged.
As he passed out he gave me a searching
look, but its meaning could not divine. l
could not tell his bearing toward me. If
were removed my place would become his,
and was little above him. Would he risk
imprisonment for himself to save me?
Midnight alone could answer.
was asked if I had aught to say, and, as
though under the influence of sudden recol-
lection, said:
'sThese men claim that the clock struck
twelve while I was sleeping. At twelve
OClCCh was 1he1tACi LII ~ OO4 "a "AASiA 1AiO''
this: The great clock needs repairing, for at
twelve in the night 1 counted thirteen strokes
of the bell. 1t will probably do SO again to-
night Wait and see."
Oh, the horror of those hours of waiting
Threei -Four! Fivel Six o'clock, and for
the first time in twenty years, save for my
holidays, I was not in my place. Seven!
Eight Nine! And still the hours dragged
on, YEARLY, when bethought me Of the all
absorbing issue, but much too swiftly if that
wooden wheel was untouched.
Ten and eleven o'clock struck. Then came
the longest hour of my life. Days and weeks
seemed to pass, and all the actions of my life
in slow procession trooped before me. I
longed for midnight and yet dreaded to
know what fate it held in store for me.
''Boomr'-carne the first stroke from the
great bell With breathless lips I counted
the strokes, at each one pressing finger into
the palm of my hands so hard that the nails
pierced the skin. Four fingers had thus closed
on the right hand, and over them the thumb,
recording the fifth stroke. Four more on the
left hand, and slowly over them closed the
thumb like a band of steel. Elevenl The
hands few open and I started forward, lis
tening, trembling, praying. Twelve! !
could feel the very vibrations of the bell
beating against my temples as the iron
tongue struck the side. Thirteenl Thank
Godl He had befriended me in my hour of
need. fell fainting to the floor, and from
sheer exhaustion slept till daybreak.
believe that the judges would have rein
stated me, could they have been allowed to
use their own discretion, but powerful enc
mics were at work against me and the freshly
sawed slot in the striking wheel of the
al, r ~,
noned for further trial. The guards swore
that no person had access to me after my ar
rest, and thus left a doubt in their minds
This doubt caused them to modify the death
sentence to solitary confinement in the lower
dungeon of the tower. What notification
Better death than that; better to know
that one swift stroke would end all earthly
suffering and that revengeful enmity could
never more assail me-
But prisoners had escaped from this very
tower before, and why not again? 1 would
wait and hope and strive; wait for the I'M
folding of the futures mysterious problems.
hope for those almost miraculous changes
that sometimes shift the power of a sovereign
In the twinkling Of an eye; strive, if could
but what is the strife of one close kept within
rock bound CELL So in my solitude I sat
for hours, brooding upon my condition.
Then came the desire to know my surround
ings more intimately. How well I know
each stone, each line and fssure!
could press my hands upon bed of yield
ing clay and reproduce the walls of my eel
SO accurately that a mold Of one would fl
the other SO closely stream of water could
not trickle through between them. Eacb
stone I hate, save those moved aside and
broke against each other TO use as nipple
ments of toll.
My cell was nine feet high, five feet broad
and ten feet deep. Two bars of iron inserted
in the solid rock supported four boards six
inches wide and two inches in thickness,
which, with coarse blanket and sack OF
straw, composed my bed. Along the outel
edge of the planks was fastened another one,
extending one and half inches above the
edge, three legged stool and billet OF
wood to place beneath the sack Of straw fo
pillow, completed the equipment Of the
cell
Through an opening in the heavy door l