Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-02
Daily eagle
THE WARDER'S STORY.

Of lodger named William Willston, who
died In London tenement was found the
Els. Of the tale which follows:
/, William Worthington. believing that
am about to die, pray to heaven for strength
10 tell a tale of wrong and suffering. l
know not the year il which am living. !
dare not ask | 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 l feel that death is
near. 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 law.
By this inner tribunal of my own, judged
that the Duke of Elton bad been traitor to
his king, and from my hands he received no
favors beyond the requirements OF the law
little dreamed that so great parsonage
would wreak vengeance upon vassal 30 far
below him, yet his hlreiings gave oath,
months after his release, that during time
when the utmost watchfuiness had been Ell
Joined upon the warders, was found asleep
at my posi-. DuIlIlR Indb CiiIlcai Pei iou 1n1
penalty was death
That very day had walked far into the
suburbs o! London, on leave Of absence to
glsit my family, and had returned to take my
usual watch from nine at night until nine on
She following morning.
l was weary aud travel stained, which told
against me, but there is a just God in
heaven, did not sleep on my post neither
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.
l could prove nothing. had paced the
corridors through the night, but the prison
ers had slept and could say nothing to
save HE.
Two men claimed to have passed through
the corridor as the clock struck twelve, and
upon their oaths affirmed that was sleeping.
If they entered the corridor at all, it was
while l was at the farther end, and they
must have left before my return. In vain !
protested my innocence. The friends Of the
Duke Ct Elton We're in favor, and my doom
seemed inevitable.
had been fouliy dealt with, and during
short recess bethought me of foul means for
escape.
had a stanch friend in the tower, a fell
low warder. l would risk everything and
trust to him. The infinite patience and kind
ness of mothers love had taught me to
write, and | csrelessly toyed with the mate
rails at hand, stealthily writing a word or
two now and then, without detection. At
last it 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
n saw n thirteenth NOTCH after the twelve, in the
striking wheel, and save the life of
WILLIAM WoRTHNaroS.
With this paper crumbled In his hand, he
gave his evidence which svailed me naught,
save to prove that was at my post before
IL o'clock, and that the usual greetings were
exchanged.
look. but its meaning could not divine
could not tell his bearing toward me. If
were removed my place would become mis-,
and was little above him. Would he risk
imprisonment for himself to save mel
Midnight alone could answer.
was asked if had aught to say, and, as
though under the influence of sudden recol-
lection, said:
twelve while l was sleeping. At twelve
O'Clock was awake, in proof Of which know
this: The great clock needs repairing, for at
twelve in the night counted thirteen strokes
Of the bell. 1t will probably do 30 again to-
night. Wait and see"
Oh, the horror of those hours Of waitingi
Threei Fourl Fivel Six O'Clock, and for
the first time in twenty years, save for my
al; I ir,
Eight! Ninel 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 oil the actions of my life
in slow procession trooped before me- ]
longed for midnight and yet dreaded to
know what fate it held in store for me.
Boom !n-came the first stroke from the
great bell. With breathless bps | counted
the strokes, at each one pressing finger into
tho 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 Eleven! The
4 u,
tening, trembling, praying. Twelve i
could feel the very vibrations of the bell
beating against my temples as the iron
tongue struck the side. Thrteenl Thank
GodI 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
81 l,,& -g,,l
mics were at work against me and the freshly
sawed slot in the striking wheel of thG
clock was discovered, and / was again sum
moned for further trial. The guards svore
that no person had access TO me after my ar.
rest, and thus left doubt in their minds,
This doubt caused them TO modify the death
sentence 70 solitary confinement in the lower
dungeon OF the tower. What modification
Better death than that; better to know
that one swift stroke would end all earthly
suffering and that revengeful enuity could
never more assail me.
But prisoners had escaped from this very
tower before, and why not sgaini / would
wait and hope and strive; wait for the un-
folding Of the futures mysterious problems,
hope for those almost miraculous changes
that sometimes shift the power Of a sovereign
in the twlnkIlns Of an eye; strive, if | could,
but what Is the strife of one close kept within
rock bound CELL So in my solitude | sal
for hours, broodins upon my condition.
Then came the desire to know my surround
ings more intimately. How well | know
each stone, each line and hssurei
| could press my hands upon bed Of yield
ing clay and reproduce the walls of my cell
so accurately that mold OF one would ft
the other 50 closely stream Of water could