The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-17
A NIGHTS VIGIL.

ing was conducted to the chamber" by
one of the officials and left alone.
And in what situation! Imagine a
long, vaulted chamber, shrouded in deep
gloom, save that here and there an electric
bulb lamp-technically known as a "panie
lamp''-just suffced to make the darkness
visible All around me were the counter
felt preseutments of men and women
whose crimes have shocked this or some
past generation. The very sofa was sit
ting upon, common piece of furniture,
covered with red chintz, had been used as
bed by Florence Dennis on the night be-
fore she met her death, and right opposite
me, trim and neat and dapper, as he ap-
peared in the dock at Southend, was the
murderer James Canham Read. Then, as
my eyes began to get used to the gloom,
fresh shapes hideous and sinister, began
to reveal themselves. Burke, the Edin-
burgh stranger, and Hare, his accomplice;
Franz Muller, who murdered Mr.. Briggs
in a railway carriage on the North London
line in July, 1864; John Lee, the Babbi-
combe murderer who survived three sep
arate attempts TO hang him, and who is
Row spending lifetime in penal servitude;
Mrs. Hermann, her black dress hidden by
a long white sheet (put on at night to pro-
tect it from injury I was afterward in
formed). These, and many other infamous
wretches, I could make cut from my place
of vantage.
But both ends of the long room were
shrouded in darkness, and rising from my
seat started upon a tour of inspection.
AS I did so neighboring church clock
chimed the half hour. I listened with a
feeling akin to thankfulness. The clear,
mellow tones inspired me with courage.
felt why cannot say, a strange sense of
companiOnship.
Almost the first object which attracted
my attention was a small grated window,
Immediately opposite where I had been
sitting. 1 crossed over and peered in, and
found myself looking into the kitchen of
Dinham Villa, and the open grave of
Deeming's victims, the murderer himself
standing, spade in hand, by the yawning
hole. 1t was a fearsome sight-too awful
" realistic for my nerves-and hurried
off to where ''panic light 'shed round
blotch of white on the stone floor.
At IL O'Clock a Waterman appeared on
the scene, and very thankful / was to see
him 'sEh, miss, but you are a pIucky
one - was his greeting. laughed and said
what was quite true in the abstract
that there was nothing to inspire terror in
lot of wax figures. maybe, maybe, "
he returned with a shake of the head, "but
ha' seen strong, big men as wouldn't ha'
staid down here all night, not for a $50
note 'Well I am not getting anything
like that - I answered. To which lie made
something about "pIelaty O. pluck At
the foot of the flight of stone stairs which
led to the upper regions he stopped and
called to me that he would be back at
midnight and every hour thereafter a
piece of information I was exceedingly
grateful for.
But how long the hours seemed between
those periodical visits. At first I consult
ed my watch every few minutes but had
fn
the time seem so much slower in passing.
/ could not, however, shut my ears to the
Ginning of nearby church clock, and
found myself longing involuntarily for
dawn and freedom.
Shortly before 1 O'Clock I had a fine
fright. was sitting on the sofa previous
ly mentioned, and, I fancy must have
dOzed off, when was startled nearly out
of my wits by hearing harsh voice eK-
claim: eth! Get out! Helpl Murderl
Helpr' l started to my feet, every nerve
in my body tingling. What had happened?
Was some terrible tragedy being enacted
in the silence and darkness of the night2
There was a minute of absolute silence,
and then again came the agOnized cry:
"Help! Murderi HelpP' This was too
- much, and incOntinently fled toward the
stairway, intent upon escaping to the up
per air just at that moment, however,
heard the slow, measured tread of the
Waterman, and with his advent the mys-
terry was explained The voice proceeded
from parrot domiciled in one of the up
/ stairs rooms. He must have been sudden
ly awakened out of a bad dream, and as
promptly gone to sleep again, for heard
no more of him until just before took
my departure at a. m.
My next interruption was of q more
pleasurable kind. Exactly at o'clock a
bird began singing and kept it up for
fully half an hour. I thought had never
heard such exquisite music 1t flooded the
whole building with melody, and for the
time forgot WEAKNESS and my grewsome
surroundings. Then, as suddenly it be-
gan, it ceased, and the silence and dark
ness seemed more oppressive than ever by
contrast. was very curious to know
what manner of bird it could be that
would thus sing in captivity during the
hours of darkness, and when the watch
man next put in appearance I asked him
concerning the matter. He told me it was
an Australian nightingale.
From $3.50, when the bird ceased sing
ing, until f. the silence was most pro-
found. Not sound reached me from the
street outside. Only that now and again,
my ear caught the muffied tread of a watch
man on duty in one of the up stairs rooms,
might have been in tomb.
About O'Clock the sleeping city outside
began to awaken, and my spirits rose per
ceptibly,. especially as I knew that the
hour of my release was at hand and when
at length the welcome chimes rang out ane
my vigil was ended I felt as light hearted
as if the night had been spent in a bali
room with friends instead of in an under
ground dungeon amid the efhgies of crimi-
nails.
Nevertheless I was pleased to breathe
once more the fresh morning air and see
around me the familiar sights and listen
to the we'll known sounds of London life.
The milkman on his rounds the brisk,
sharp step of the postman; the work girl
hurrying to her days toil-a1 seemed to
take on a new and more vivid significance
after my eight hours immurement. Even
the cabman who drove me home seemed
more rubicund and jovial than the ordi
nary run of Jehus.