Smyrna times., 1901-07-24

the Son and the Holy Ghost, an,ura /
you! Save my life, claim me in mar.
riage.''
The girl stood there trembling with |
emotion among her companions. Hear. |
ing herself thus addressed by name bv. |
the prisoner, she became convuised
with agitation; almost unconsciouslv-
half moved by pity, half incited bv
her neighbors, she approached the gib-
bet without the police daring to pre-
vent her.
"Oh, Loyse," repeated the prisoner
ardently, 81 am innocent. swear n
by my eternal salvation! Demand mo
in marriage, and you will have saved
my life!'
She did not know one word to say,
she had so lost her senses, but she ex-
tended her hand, which the poor devil
seized with avidity. Seeing this. the
people in all direction began to roar:
"a marriage, a marriage! She has
claimed him! Cut the cord. hangman:
cut it, cut itp' =.
The executioner did not cut the rope,
but he let it drop, undecided as to what
was most expedient for him to do. and
as the crowd continued to below and
even become threatening the officer of
the provostship, judging it an oppor-
tune time for delay, led the condemn
ed man back into his cell in order to
submit his peculiar case to the law.
/ And the people dispersed content, be-
/ lfovrfno AI.oL
! be saved
But the stealthy cats did not so cas-
/ lily let go one whom they held in their
claws. They had man to be hanged
a pretty little man, man over whose
hanging they licked their lips, and
here how people pretended that he
was taken out of their grasp! And
why, L ask you? Under the most fool
ish Of preteXts, in the name of some RI
diculous custom, some illegal pretense
which granted grace, full, free and I'M
mediate, to any condemned man whom
a woman declared in public to desire
In lawful wedlOck. Who ever had
heard of an equal subterfuge?
But, ah, traditional or written, the
AnN 10 NhC Jaw anu NAiS NelSC III 4uCo
tion had to be elucidated! UnwillinglS
rather than willingly they opened al
inquest upon the matter in hand t
learn whether or not so unreasonable
a usage had ever at any period haC
power by law, which inquest finally es
tablished that no similar case had beer
presented since the time of the con
quest in Calais, but that previous t.
that date there had been many sucl
cases, more particularly in Flander
and in ArtOis than in Picardy.
In consideration of these indecisiv
conclusions the enemies of Dullart urg
ed the magistrates to override the law
and the magistrates did not demur.
was the governor who placed an OF
stacle before them in view of publ
opinion, which had become greatly ag
tated over a controversy which ha
at stake the life of man made in til
image Of God. Suddenly that dignitar
called to mind the example of prudenC
offered of yore to the world by tha
worthy magistrate POntius PLATE
order that he might avoid thrustin
his own finger between the tree an
it's bark. In place of announcing h
fears in public he appealed to his ma
ter, King Edward, the fourth of til;
: name, to decide the matter according
his own good pleasure.
The monarch judiciously estimate
that one man more or less upon the ga
lows was of small value in enhanciI
J. his glory and bespoke clemency for ii
$ case under consideration. He Ordan'
: then that the old usages should be co
4 formed with and that full pardon
Il awarded the condemned man, und
u the condition, be 1t we'll understoc
II that the solicitor of his love hold hi
duly to his engagement.
= So it came to pass that the good Jos
Il had the rare and marvellous fortune
s. espouse a gentle and we'll favored maj
J en- after the approved fashion inste
~ of the cold and grimacing death a
J. TO be Indebted to his wife for th
' which ordinarily men owe to thu
"a mothers only-that is to say, his life
A similar occurrence took place
- short time afterward unexpectedly
* the city of Rouen. As a certain thi
So a native of Hautvilliers, was condu
r. ed to his fate, loud old woman ste
ped out of the crowd below and deci
1t ed that she desired him in marriet
lf The prisoner, astonished, considered
So moment; then, remarking that
in aforesaid person was homely III
IL shook his head and pursued his way
ID the gallows, observing TO the exc
Us tioner:
" "The wench, don't want her!
de And in a moment he was welded
he the gallows.-Chicago Tribune.
no -
or Fled to the Wolves.
4Io I'm ol