The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-05-08


way up to the clock. Once there he
set the hands ahead couple of hours.
The next morning all the people Of
Strassburg woke up to find that they
had oversight themselves and some OF
them hurried to their daily work with
out taking time to eat their breakfasts.
But not one of them thought Of accus-
ing the clock of being wrong. From
that time forward for two weeks they
found themselves ut times getting out
OF bed too late, at times too early. but
it was usually too late. Some Of them
believed that Gretchen had bewitched
the town and they would not return
to regular habits until she had been
executed.
These persons sent one of their num-
Der to the mayor asking him to burn
the witch at once without waiting for
the appointed date of execution. The
mayor told them that the law could
not be interfered with. The culprit
had been sentenced to be burned on a
on that day the curse of heaven would
fall upon the town.
Meanwhile the citizens of Strassburg
were starting their day at all sorts of
hours. But they were no worse off in
this respect than before the clock was
set up-that is, in cloudy weather.
when the sundial cast no shadow
and when they once got started in the
morning the clock pursued steady
course for the rest of the time they
were out Of bed.
The day before the execution came
round a stake was embedded in the
ground and fagots arranged about it in
such fashion that they would make a
hot fire. Most of the people were
plunged in sorrow, for they loved
Gretchen, and even If she were witch
she might have been bewitched by an
other, which would not have been her
own fault. But all agreed she must not
be permitted to bewitch others, and
the only way to prevent that was to
put her out Of the way.
On the morning of the execution the
people awoke, according to the clock.
at the proper hour, and it was gener-
ally presumed that the witch, in view
of the early REIMBURSEMENT Of all pow
er to harm human beings, had with
drawn from troubling them. Gretchen
was to be burned at noon, and there
was to be a holiday to witness the
burning. The mayor Of Strassburg 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 IL 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 l 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. did so, and know, o
worthy mayor, that yesterday was the
day fixed by law for the execution of
the WITCH"
The mayor looked at Josef dunn
founded, not speaking for some time;
then he said:
What right had you to tamper with
the clock which regulates all our &C.
tions?'
1.-THE authority Of the clock itself.
have told you prayed to it that II the
girl were innocent 1t should tell me
how to avert her execution The clock
then told me how. by moving its hands.
l 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
argued 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
morning. Finally Josef went out and,
looking at the clock, told them it was
long past noon, the hour for the execu-
ton. Then the mayor, who had wait
ed to mike the contest between the
factions trial of force. which was
still in vogue in those days. to decide
Gretchen's fate called them to order
and said
There Is every reason to assume
that the girl is innocent In the first
place, Josef prayed that he might be
instructed only If she were innocent:
secondly, am convinced that If had
permitted the fight to go on those who
contended for her innocence would
have won; thirdly. we have no wise
man with us to tell us what effect the
clock has had on the day of execution,
whether the day was yesterday, is to-
day or will be tomorrow. ! therefore
order that the culprit be set Free
Josef rushed to the Jail to impart the
good news to Gretchen, who, on receiv-
ing ii, fell into his arms I'm n swoon