The Press., 1901-08-22

!
of a priest. who enjoined him to re-
joice that he was about to pass into a
better world He did not glance at q
| single person, so great was the shame
| he felt on account of the filthy mischief
of which he was accused. It was only
when he had assembled the first rounds
of the fatal ladder, having the cord
about his neck that below the soldiers
| grouped around the base Of the gibbet,
he perceived the crowd and recognized
among thero a fair young woman for
whom in happier days he had conceiv-
ed q tender and violent passion.
At the sight Of her he experienced
| yet more poignant sorrow at leaving SO
soon and so painfully an existence
from which he had expected to derive
such delicate felicities. And then, i'm
PEELED by a sudden Renaissance and
by a natural instinct for preservation,
he began to cry out with all his might:
"Loyse, Loyse, by God the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost I allure
you! Save my life. claim me In mas.
riage."
The girl stood there trembling with
emotion among her companions. Hear
ing herself thus addressed by name by
the prisoner, she became convulsed
with agitation; almost unconsciously,
half moved by pity, half melted by
her neighbors, she approached the glib.
bet without the police daring to pre-
vent her.
"Oh, Loyse," repeated the prisoner
ardently. II am innocent. swear 1t
| by my eternal salvation! Demand me
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, marriages! She has
claimed him! Cut the cord, hangman;
| cut it, cut itv'
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 1t 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-
| lieving the man from that moment to
| be saved.
But the stealthy cats did not so cas-
| lily let 60 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, 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 subterfuge2
But, ali, traditional or written, the
law is the law, and the case in ques-
ton had to be elucidated! Unwillingly
rather than willingly they opened all
inquest upon the matter in hand to
learn whether or not so unreasonable
usage had ever at any period had
power by law, which inquest finally es-
tablished that no similar case had been
| presented since the time of the con-
quest in Calais, but that previous to
that date there had been many such
| cases, more particularly in Flanders
and in Artois than in Picardy.
In consideration Of these indecisive
conclusions the enemies of Dullart urg
ed the magistrates to override the law,
and the magistrates did not demur. 1t
was the governor who placed an OBJ
stacle before them in view of public
opinion, which had become greatly agi-
tated over a controversy which had
at stake the life Of a man made in the
image Of God. Suddenly that dignitary
called to mind the example of prudence
offered of yore to the world by that
worthy magistrate Pontius PLATE in
order that he might avoid thrusting
his own finger between the tree and
its bark. In place of announcing his
fears in public he appealed to his mas
ter, King Edward, the fourth of that
| name, to decide the matter according to
his own good pleasure.
The monarch judiciOusly estimated
that one man more or less upon the gal
lows was of small value in enhancing
his glory and bespoke clemency for the
case under consideration. He ordained
then that the old usages should be con-
formed with and that full pardon be
| awarded the condemned man, under
the condition, be it we'll understood,
that the solicitor Of his love hold him
duly to his engagement.
So 1t came to pass that the good jesse
had the rare and marvellous fortune to
espouse a gentle and we'll favored maid
en- after the approved fashion instead
Of the cold and grimacing death and
to be indebted to his wife for that
which ordinarily men owe to their
mothers only-that is to say, his =.
A similar occurrence took plA->
short time afterward unexpectedly
the city of Rouen. AS a certain thief,
a native of Hautvilliers, was conduct
ped out of the crowd below and declar-
ed that she desired him in marriage.
The prisoner, astOnished, considered a
moment; then, remarking that the
aforesaid person was II homely bag.
shook his head and pursued his way to
the gallows, observing to the execu-
TONER:
1.-The wench, don't want herr
And In moment he was welded to
the gallows.-Chicago Tribune.
Fled to the Wolves.