The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-11

CAUGHT IN A BELL ROPE
ADVENTURE OF A DOCTOR WHO
TRIED TO USHER IN A WEDDING.

he Didn't Understand the Knack o
Pulling the Rope of Church Bell, and
when He Got Hold of Three Chin,
Peal He Hung for Several Hours.
In all England no county has so many
churches as Lincolnshire. In 1875 the
writer was taking charge of a somewhat
widespread country medical practice for ar
old friend at Osbournby, a village about
Ewenty miles from Grantham and eight
from SIeaford Ny house was the old par
eonage, and its windows, ominously enough
for a doctor, looked right out on to the
churchyard
The lord of the manor (all the manors
have lords in England, you know was Sin
Thomas Whichc3te He had daughter
She was as the apple of his eye, beautiful
foremost in kindly works among the people
on the estate and in the surrounding vii.
lagos, beloved by everybody
And she was to be married-married
upon her twenty-irst birthday to the
young Lord of Burleigh, the descendant OF
the lord who married peasant girl and
brought her to his home thinking she had
welded common laborer, only to find
herself the Lady of Burleigh.
To say that the people of the entire
Whichcote manor rejoiced is to employ a
term weak in its mildness. The prepare
lions for the celebration of this joyful
event surpassed anything that anybody
within miles of Osbournby had ever heard
or dreamed of, and the old days when Eng
land was merry England still were to be
lad in oil hcir rrlo nd
ness.
There was, however, In Osbournby one
man (who, by the way, ought to have
known better who thought that in the big
programme something very important had
been left out. 1t was all very well to nave
all these merrymakings aud bell ringings
on the day of the great event, but who was
going to usher it in. and how was it going
TO be done?
SCHEMTNG.
The individual in question was myself
Iwanted all the world-that is, the little
world of Osbournby, to wake up with the
day and herald the glad event with cheers
A brilliant idea occurred to me as | sat
looking out on the old churchyard
would ring the bells of the old church at
midnight and so usher in the happy day.
Osbournby church. / knew nothing about
bell ringing, but surely it wouldn't be very
difficult to pull three bells one after an
other. 1t was not like a chime of eight.
The bells were swung on big wheels, the
ropes going over the wheels and SO making
the movement of the heavy pieces of
metal very much easier than had they
been without l didn't know this at the
4 III 4
discovery namely, that a loop of iron
fixed to the floor was intended to slip the
foot of the ringer into.
/ knew the big front doors would be
closed and bolted, quite likely, too, the
vestry door would be closed, but the win.
dow was modern one, and was generally
open, and could creep in through that.
The door was closed, but the window, as
thought, was little way open. To push
it up and crawl in was the easiest thing in
the world, and 1 found myself inside the
church. A few more minutes and had
CROPPED my way along the side aisle to the
door Of the belfry and was in the ringers
room with three worsted padded ropes
hanging nicely within my reach.
SUSPENDED.
grasped one of the ropes and deter
mined that Immediately following the last
stroke would let her go for all she was
worth.
At last the hour came and the clock
struck out l, 2, 8, 4, 5. 6. z 8, 8, 10, IL. IL
took fresh hold of nay rope little higher
up and began to pull-12l
Then gave a good haul on the rope.
Not a sound. had not pulled hard
enough.
Another swing, gently, so; back, forth,
up, down, nowl Away / went almost
down on TO my knees with the swing, and
then heard one sudden clang from the |
big bell overhead and all was over No, |
not all. The rope, which in my anxiety to
excel / had wound once round nay wrist, |
took a sudden jerk upward and went
with it. gave two or three dancing-like |
motions, then stePped-and was hanging |
there, suspended at least twenty-five feet |
from the stone floor of the belfry.
What could do? l dared not let 90, fol |
to drop on to that stone floor meant a fear
full mangling, if not certain death. To |
hang there all night would be terrible, vet |
there was nothing else for it. So there ] |
hung. l dared not 20 to sleep, for that
meant the fall, yet every now and then a |
horrible desire to slumber came over me.
and only the strongest effort of nv will |
Overcame the desire. BY dint of almost
superhuman exertion, for my arms had |
been almost dislocated by the fearful Jerk,
managed TO haul myself up couple of |
feet, and, drawing the rope up after me,
constructed a very unsafe sort of a loop,
which eased me a little.
But it took me hours to do it, and as
listened to each hour striking from the
clock it seemed as though centuries had
passed between each, and as though the
next would never come TO bring daylight
and relief. Besides, might have to hang
there until Ii O'Clock, when the wedding
was to take place, before the bell ringer
came to perform his part of the general re-
1oicings.
RESCUED.
Well let me shorten a long story. II
was nearly Z o'clock and the belfrv was
eth only half lighted by the rays of sun
which came through the little window.
think will never be able TO express my
and JOY when heard foot
steps near the belfry door, aud presently
the voice of the old sexton, patient of
my own. by the way, saying:
Moo, than, wort ye doom OBJ theers"
Great God, mani cried, tits the doc
tor; Tn caught IN the bell rope and can't
get down"
Doctor. is it, wun ye're bigger tule
nor thought Why don't We slip doom
'tother rosps"
What fool bad been. to he sure! In
less than minute was beside him, and
soon told him the whole story. Il cost me
bali sovereign. though. 10 make him
keep the secret, for that day al least And
he did let it leak out, snyway, and l was
pretty well chafed about it, | can tell you.
CIV kNnseLsaanar TOO rnla me that .kn ~. |