Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-05-03

had taken his seat. One by one my fell
low-prisoners were called out by name,
the more prominent being chosen tirst.
They went out from among us amid
Understandings and blessings, bot we sew
and heard no more of them, save that
sudden fierce rattle OF kettledrums would
rise up now aud again. which was as
our guards told us. to drown any dying
words which mighs fall from the suffer
ers and bear fruit in the breasts of those
who heard them With firm stepS and
smiling faces, the roll of martyrs went
forth to their fate, during the whole of
that long autumn day, until the rough
soldiers of the guard stood silent and
awed in the presence of a courage which
they could not but recognize as higher
and nobler than their own. Folk may
call it a trial that they received. and
trial it really was, but not in the sense
that we Englshmen use it 1t was but
being hailed before judge. and insulted
before being dragged TO the gibbet. The
courthouse was the thorny path which
led TO the scaffOld. What use 10 put a
witness up. when he was shouted down,
cursed at and threatened by the chief
justice. who beloved and swore until
the frightened hurghers in Fore street
could hear himf | have heard froIl
those who We're there that day that he
raved like a demoniac. and that his
black eyes Shone with a vivid vindictive
jury shrank from him as from Il ven-s
omouS thing, when he turned his baleful
glance unon them. Al times. as / have
been told, his sternnesS gave place to
still more terrible merriment. and he
would lean back in his seat Of justice
aud laugh until the tears hoped down
upon his erniine. Nearly a hundred We're
either executed or condemned to death
upon that opening day.
mad expected To he among the first
Of those called, and no doubt | should
have been 50 but for the EXERT 1ns of
Alaj. Ogilyy. As it was. the second
day passed. but | still found NV
self overlooked On the third ana fourth
days the slaughter was slackened not
ON account of any awakening grace on
the part of the judge. bur because the
great Tory land owners, and the chief
supporters of the government had still
some bowels of compassion. which re-
VOTED al 1AiS butehery of dpfenselesS
men. Had ii NOT been for the influence
which these gentlemen brought to bear
unon the judge, | have no doubt at all
that JeffreyS would have hung the whole
loo prisoners then confined in Taunton.
As II was, $50 fell victims 10 this ac-
cursed monsters thirst 70, human blood.
On the eighth day of tie asSizes there
were but fifty OF us in the wool war,,-
house. For the last few days prisoners
had been tried in patches of ten and
twenty, but now the whole of us We're
taken III drove. under escort TO the
courthouse, where as many as could be
squeezed in We're ranged in the dock,
while the rest were penned. like calves
in the market. in the body of the hall The
Judge reclined in a high chair. with
scarlet dais above him, while two other
judges. in less elevated seats, were sta
toned ON either side of him. On the
right hand was the jury box, containing
twelve carefully picked men-TorieS of
the old school-frm upholders of the doe
tunes of nonresistance and the divine
right of kings. Much care had been
taken by the crown in the choice of these
men. and there was not one of them but
would have sentenced his own father
had there been so much as Il suspicion
that he leaned toward Presbyterianism
or to Whiggery. Just under the judge
was a broad table, covered with green
cloth and strewn with papers. On the
right hand of this were long array Of
crown lawyers, grim, ferret-faced men,
each with a sheaf of papers in his
hands. which they shifted through again
and again as though they were so many
bloOdhounds picking up the trail along
which they were to hunt us down. On
the other side of the table sat a single
| fresh-faced young man, in silk gown and
VIZ. with a nervous, shuifiing manner.
L
whom the CROWN in its clemency had al
lowed us for our defense, lest any should
be bold enough TO say that we had not
had every fairness in our trial The re-
mainder Of the court was filled with the
servants of the justices retinue and the
soldiers of the garrison, who used the
place rs their COMMON louage, looking
on the whole thing as a mighty cheap
form of sport, and roaring with rude
laughter at the rude banter and coarse
pleasantries of his lordship.
The clerk having gabbled through the
usual form that we. the prisoners at the
bar, having shaken off the fear of God
had unlawfully and traitorously assem-
bled, and so onward. the lord justice pro-
ceeded to take matters into his own
hands. as was his wont.
II trust that we shall come well out
of this!' he broke out Il trust that
no judgment will fall upon this building.
Was ever so ia Ich wickedness fitted into
one courthouse before? Who ever saw
such an array of villainous faces? Ay,
rogues. / see rope ready for every one
of We. Art not afraid of Judgment? Art
not afraid of hell fire? You gray-beard-
ed rascal in the corner, how comes it
that you have not had more of the grace
of God in you than to take up arms
against your most gracious and loving
sovereign
Il have followed the guidance of my
conscience. my lord" said the venerable
cloth worker of Wellington, TO whom
he spoke.
"Ha, your consciencer' howled jeff
reys. a ranter with a conscience!
Where has your conscience been these
two months back. you villain and rogue?
Your conscience will stand you in little
stead sirrah. when you are dancing on
nothing with a rope round your neck.
Was there ever such wickedness? Who
ever heard such effrontery? And you,
you great hulking rebel. have you not
grace enough to east your eyes down, but
must needs look justice in the face as
though you were an honest man? Are
you not afeared, sirrah? Do you not
see death close upon you!
Il have seen that before now, my
lord. and / was not afeard," / answered.
Generation of yipersr' he cried.
throwing up his hands. The best of
fathersi The kindest of kings. See
that my words are placed upon the rec
ord. clerk. The most indulgent of par
entsl But hayward children must. with
all kindness. be fogged into obedience"
Here he broke into a savage grin. THE
King will save your own natural parents
oil Ft4ff mn 10 an hax