Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-04-17
The Daily Story
What the Clock said-By F. A. Mitchell.
Copyrighted 1914, by Associated Literary Bureau

Der 10 the mayor asking him TO br-'
the witch at once without WARTS. =
the appointed date Of executfon - lol
mayor told them that the Iav ~
not be interfered with. Tho o,.,N..
had been sentenced to be burnod ~ !
certain day and If she were not buyr.'
ON that day the curse Of heaven ne. ~.
| fall upon the town.
Meanwhile the citizens Of stra..,
were starting their day at an sor,, :
| hours. But they were no vvorsa =, VI
| this respect than before the cIoc,, "a "a
set up-that is, in cloudy vo.,.'
when the sundial cast no shads-
and when they once got started Il !,
morning the clock pursued $50
course Tor the rest Of the time they
were out Of bed.
The day before the execution
round stake was embedded +, -
ground and fagots arranged about q :
such fashion that they would mai.
hot fire. Most of the people w..
plunged in sorrow. for thev 49,
Gretchen, and even IL she were ne
she might have been bewitched nv q.
other, which would not have been bs-
own fault. But all agreed she must NJ,
be permitted to bewitch Others. ana
the only way to prevent that was =
put her out of the way.
On the morning of the execution N.
people awol1e, according TO the cJocs
at the proper hour. and il was pena-
ally presumed that the witch in via,-
of the early REIMBURSEMENT of all Dow.
er to harm human beings. had with.
drawn from troubling them. Gretchen
was to be burned at noon, and tbara
was to be holiday TO witness tho
burning. The mayor of Strassburc went
to his Office early to give his final or.
ders concerning the execution. He
found waiting for him Josef Brett who
said to him:
Most worthy mayor. I have a con.
fession to make. On the night follow.
ing the sentence of Gretchen Borchert
I, believing her TO be innocent, knelt At
the base of the clock tower and PRAYED
to the clock that if she had been wrong
ly accused to tell me how to save her.
whereupon the clock asked me how
many days would elapse before the ex-
ecution. When 1 replied that fourteen
days must pass, the clock told me to
set its hands ahead twenty-four hours
during the interval. so that a day
would be lost. l did so, and know. o
worthy mayor, that yesterday was the
day fixed by law for the execution Of
the witch"
aS
founded, not speaking for some time;
then he said:
what right had you to tamper with
the clock which regulates all our &C.
tions?"
THE authority of the clock itself. I
have told you prayed to it that If the
girl were innocent it should tell me
how TO avert her execution The clock
then told me how. by moving its hands.
1 might lose the day fixed by law from
the calendar"
The mayor at once sent for the chief
citizens of the town and told them
what had happened. Some of them
believed Gretchen innocent and some
believed her guilty. The former argued
that by setting the clock ahead the day
fixed for the execution had passed. the
latter argued that it had simply chang
ed the day from the one appointed to
the one after, but no one contended
that the moving of the hands had no
effect on the calendar.
So it was that these two factions
with each other, at first peace
ably, each endeavoring TO convince the
other; then excitedly and with loud
voices till at last they came to blows.
They fought each other the rest OF the
Finally Josef went out and,
looking at the clock, told them 1t was
ong past noon, the hour for the execu-
ion. Then the mayor, who had walt
I'd to make the contest between the
actions a trial of force, which was
IT'LL in vogue in those days. TO decide
fate called them to order
ind said:
There is every reason to assume
hat the girl is innocent In the nrst
,lace, Josef prayed that he might DC
Instructed only if she were Innocent
/ am convinced that II nau
ermitted the fight TO 90 on those WHO
for her innocence wouiu
ave won; thirdly. we have no wise
lan with us TO tell us what erect lne
lock has had on the day OF execuuon'
Ihether the day was yesterday, IS ~
ay or will be tomorrow. l therefore
rder that the culprit be set free"
Josef rushed to the Jail TO impart que
pod news to Gretchen, who. on reeei'-
lg il, fell into his arms in s"oon
S soon as the order of the mayor az
we'd Josef led his sweetheart oes
TO the light of day. Citizens who ma
card of the turn the affair had takeh
God at the door and lined the stree
congratulate their favorite on he,
cape. They insisted that JOsefs an.
retchen's progress be made we
ng procession. and the couple wep'
raicht 10 the church and were mai
ed.
As for Gretchen's accuser. she W.
flight. fearing the vengeance On
rails friends,
II in American