The record-union., 1895-05-18

10 ubdue less naughty children. When
vessels left for the southwestern islands
or across to Spain, the prayers OF the
merchants were. not that they might es-
cape storms and shipwreck, but that
Beebe would be kept far away from their
courses. He had twice fallen into the
hands of the law on shore and had been
tried for piracy and murder, but in neith-
er case could he be convicted. 1t was not
the cleverness of his lawyers SO much as
the influence of his personality and ap-
pearance; the evidence against him, also,
was far from convincing; but the execra-
ton IN which the name of Beebe was held
would have been quite sufficient to hang
| hlm had he looked and acted the villain
he WAS taken to be.
Those who had been so fortunate as to
escape from his clutches describe him as
man who was in look and act every
inch the pirate. Did there, indeed, hap
pen TO be an old gentleman or lady on
any OF the vessels he boarded, not only
would they be spared and the ship let go
Tree with sufficient crew TO navigate it
TO port, but the property belonging to the
old people would be untouched, and Beebe
himself would do the honors of wishing
them pleasant voyage. All else was his
prey; the cargoes were transferred the
seamen having walked the plank, the
women were carried off-nO one knew
whittier.
The Beebe presented for trial, how
ever, was an altogether different looking
character, a slender, handsome young
man, who appeared not more than % or %
years Of age. His face was clean-shaven
and his head was covered with a mass of
light, curly hair. His manner had been
selt-possessed and modest, and he an
swered all questions with softly modu-
lated voice. Every effort made to force
him to disclose his identity was either
sklllfully parrled or was met with an ab-
solute refusal, on account, he said, of his
family in England. He made no en-
deavor to prove MS innocence, leaving to
the State the burden of proving that he
was Beebe the pirate. The witnesses
brought forward TO identify the prisoner
failed absolutely. The State could prove
nothing against him that would warrant
| conviction, the juries' sympathy each
time was clearly with the bOyish-looking
| prisoner, and twice he walked out of the
courthouse free man. The third time
he had been caught on the high seas by q
man -of-war. The cloth had been torn at
once from his head, showing his curly
| locks, and the dye was washed from his
moustache. When he appeared in the
| dock lie was again clean-Shaven and
! looked exactly as he had done at his for
mer trials; his conduct was even more
cool and his bearing graceful and easy.
| When called to plead, he said Guilty
that he was the pirate known as Beebe,
and quite worthy the galloWs. He was
sentenced to death in short order, with
enough time allowed him to prepare for
| the fate he so richly deserved.
This was the man l was called upon
to minister to.
81 went to the prison and was admitted
TO his cell. He arose from the bed upon
which he had been sitting and received
o. ha of -al1 hoe T
sat down upon the only stool there was,
while the turnkey walked up and down
the corridor. l said l was very glad he
had sent for me, and hoped that / might
| be of some service to him. Beebe's face
was study; instead of the hang-dog look
| of the ordinary criminal, he was evil
dently making an effort to be serious.
His eyes laughed, and his mouth, though
set, bore an expression of wishing to
] laugh also. This rather disconnected me-
| He was very handsome man; and when
! he arose from his bed aud paced the floor
of the cell, as he did before he answered,
l saw that he was tall and muscular, but
SO we'll proportioned that his size did not
strike one at first.
"'Doctor, you must forgive my troub-
ling you.' he began, but they said
ought to have clergyman, so L sent for
you. do not believe you can do much
| towards making repentant sinner OF
me, for l have enjoyed lay life too well to
| be sorry now. l do not believe in q
hereafter much less in any good a
trumped up death bed repentance can do.
But as you would say, with God ali
! things are possible; you are His priest
and | would be very glad to have a
course laid in the correct direction if
you can possibly set my head and heart
| arig ht.' -4-.-s
II asked him how he happened to send
for me; / felt some curiosity on that score,
and, seeing that had a strange character
to deal with, ! thought it might afford me
clue by which l might be guided.
/ Beebe turned on me a quick and rather
startled glance, but finding little more
| than blank curiosity on my face, he
laughed and said:
"'Oh, you know Pm something of an
aristocrat in my way. These very good
clergymen who came to see me went at
me as they would petty thief. Their
| intentions were good, but they bored
me with their religious conversation. I'd
rather be hung at once than expect their
! kind attentions every day. SO, If 1t had
| to be DONE | asked for the most learned
Clergyman in town, the one also who
mlDistered to the genteelest congregation,
and they mentioned you. They said you
would not come to see such as l am. They
were wrong-as L know they were. But,
doctor, can't l have a few interesting
books-just as an appetizer between
| Bible and prayer book?
II answered certainly but that /
| hoped he would try his best to think of
| his serious situation; and as he said he
had the instincts of a gentleman in his
way | was sure he had not sent either
to make game of me or simply to amuse
| him.
His face became serious at once; he
thanked me sincerely for coming, and
| made me promise that | would call as
| often as l could, even at some inconveni-
ence, for he added, L shall soon dance
out of this world aud beyond your power
| for good-you cannot pray me out of pur-
| gatory-it is not in the Thirty-nine Arti-
cles.' l left, promising to call the next
| day. He started to otter me his hand but
withdrew it, at which evidence of gentle
man-like instinct l confess l was glad. l
went away from the prison thoroughly
| Interested in my sinner.
HE impressed me queerly. That he
was of good birth and some education
was evident; he spoke of the church and
her tenets as one who had been familiar
with them. That he had not given me
| the correct reason for sending for me 1
| felt convinced, as l was also that it would
| be the only reason L would ever get un-
less very marked change came over
him. lie had not a particle of the swagger
natural to the life he had led, nor in fact
did his light manner of conversation pos
sess any idea of acting or bravado. l felt
sure also that his sending for ME was not
Tor his souPs comfort, but for some ulte-
| rior purpose. He would give no hint as
I TO his parentage, nor speak of his life. /
| hoped to have started some regret by ref
erence to his family, and so get him into
a serious frame of mind yet feared it to
| be impossible, at any rate for some time
: to come.
Il saw Beebe daily after that, but
made little headway either in preparing
him for his death or learning ANYTHING
| about him or his family that I did net o. !.