The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-07-22

The next morning when the people
awoke they discovered that the clock
instead Of registering 6 or 8, as It had
done the morning before. registered 4.
This circumstance created a greater dis
turbance In the village than anything
that had ever occurred there since the
great Indian massacre. 1t was evident
that the clock had lost considerable
time, for two days before the sun had
risen at 6. and now when the clock
struck that hour the sun was high In
the heavens.
Had the clock been few minutes
too slow or too fast. even had the
burghers known it. they would not have
wondered. As 1t was they did not
know what to make Of 1t. So great was
their faith in their timepiece that in
stead Of thinking 1t wrong they laid
the blame on the sun. though many Of
them preferred to believe that the
devil had got into the belfry and had
interfered with the mechanism. A
committee Of three was appointed to
sit up and watch the hands to see when
the change took place. The dial was
lighted by full moon, and they could
see it distinctly. By 10 o'clock they
had drunk so much schnapps that they
saw marvellous sight. The hands
spun round like the spokes Of rapidly
revolving wagon wheel. first forward
and then backward. stopping at 0. This
settled the matter. The devil was at
work In the belfry.
When twelve days had passed the
burghers began to notice that each
morning the clock was getting nearer
their rising hour. though now 1t seem
ed to be gaining instead of losing.
and before four weeks had passed 1t
had come right again. Then they con-
Guided that the devil had tired Of fool
ing with It and had let 1t alone, for 1t
went on steadily for twenty-fOur days
after it had commenced its antics.
Meanwhile the date Of Hieleger Van
Tromp's execution approached. The
morning of the execution Anneke Van
Wrinkle went to the judge Of the court
and said:
"Your worship. l have confession
to make"
what II It, AnnekeT asked the
judge.
"It is in connection with the hanging
Of Hieleger Van Tromp. What day was
he sentenced to be hanged"
Friday; that Il today"
'This Is not Friday. your worship; it
IL Saturday"
'What is the matter with you, An
neke? Has the loss of your lover made
you mad?'
mo, your worship. say 1t II Satur-
day, because we have lost a day. Ev-
cry night for twenty-four days have
climbed to the belfry Of the church and
turned the hands Of the clock back an
hour"
did you do that, Annexed"
'Yes."
The Judge began to puzzle his brain
over the question AZ to whether day
had been lost or not by the setting
back Of the clock. But, not reaching
any conclusion. he sent word to the
sheriff not to execute the prisoner until
further orders. Then he called In the
most prominent citizens and stated the
case to them. asking their opinion
whether, Anneke having set back the
hands Of the clock twenty-four hours.
the day on which Hieleger Van Tromp
was to be executed had passed.
The question struck those to whom It
was propounded as the most difficult
they had ever been called upon to solve.
After an hours babel. during which
some maintained one side and some an
other and frequent shifting from one
side to the other, It was decided that
the matter was too important to be de-
cided In a hurry. and they all adjourn
ed to a place where they could procure
schnapps and tobacco.
When the hour Of noon came-the
time the hanging had been ordered
the debate was still going on and had
extended to every person in the VII
lage. Never had there been such ex-
element In the sleepy old town since
the day Of the great Indian fight In
1890. A man would be Of one opinion,
while his wife took the opposite view.
They quarreled. Fathers and sons,
mothers and daughters contended, and
before nightfall all the lovers In town
were estranged.
The next morning. there being doubt
whether the day was Saturday or Sun
day, the trouble broke out afresh.
Some called on the domino to hold
service; others declared that the church
should not be opened. This caused Z
riot at the door Of the sanctuary, those
trying to get in being attacked by those
trying to keep the church shut.
During the afternoon man was
seen crossing the Mohawk river In q
boat. 1t was agreed that this person.
who doubtless came from the Long
house, be asked whether the day was
Saturday or Sunday. When he came
near enough for the people to distin-
guish his features he was seen to be
Martin Smith, the murderer man.
Every man and woman and child, be-
ing more interested in the date than
the legal aspects involved in Smiths