The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-05-21

awoke they discovered that the clock
instead Of registering 6 or 8. IA 1t had
done the morning before, registered !.
This circumstance created a greater dis.
turbance In the village than anything
that had " 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 a few minutes
too slow or too fast. even had the
burghers known 1t. they would mo- have
wondered. As It was they did not
know what to make Of It. So great was
their faith in their timepiece that In.
stead Of thinking It wrong they laid
the blame on the sum-. 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 a full moon and they could
see it distinctly. BY 10 O'Clock they
had drunk so much schnapps that they
saw a marvellous sight The hands
spun round like the spokes of a rapidly
revolving wagon wheel. 6rst onward
and then backward. stopping at o. 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 It 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. ! have a confession
to make"
what IL It, AnnekeY" asked the
Judge.
1T Is In connection with the hanging
Of Hieleger Van Tromp. What day was
he sentenced to be hangedT
FRIDAY: that Is today"
This is not Friday, your worship: 1t
IL Saturday"
"Wha Is the matter with you. An
neke? Has the loss Of your lover made
you madY"
mo. your worship. ! say it Is Satur
day. because we have lost q day. Ev
cry night for twenty-four days l have
climbed to the belfry Of the church and
turned the hands Of the clock back ar
hour"
Did you do that Anneker"
YES"
The Judge began to puzzle his brail
owe the question as to whether a da!
had been lost Or not by the setting
back Of the clock. But, not reaching
n conclusion. he sent word to thu
sheriff not to execute the prisoner unit
further orders. Then he called in the
most prominent citizens and stated tn.
case to them, asking their opinion
whether. Anneke having set back tn,
hands of the clock tw~enty-four hours
the day on which Hieleger Van Troml
was to be executed had passed.
The question struck those to whom i
was propounded as the most Difficult
they had ever been called upon to solve
After al hours babel. during which
some maintained one side and some an
other and frequent shifting from On'
side to the other. it was decided tina
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-th,
time the hanging had been ordered
the debate was still going on and hat
extended to every person In the vii
lage. Never had there been such ex
element in the sleepy old town sine,
the day Of the great Indian fight II
1890 A man would be Of one opinion
while his wife took the opposite view
They quarreled. Fathers and sons
u%OCucIS duU ~uCcuU ant
before nightfall all the lovers in tow
were estranged.
The next morning. there being doub
whether the day was Saturday or Sun
day, the trouble broke out afresh
Some called on the domino to hol,
service: others declared that the churcl
should not be opened. This caused
riot at the door of the sanctuary, thos,
trying to get in being attacked by thos'
trying to keep the church shut
During the afternoon a man wa
seen crossing the Mohawk river In
boat 1t was agreed that this person
who doubtless came from the Lonl
house. be asked whether the day wa,
Saturday Of Sunday. When be cam
neal enough for the people to distin
guish his features he was seen to b
Martin Smith. the murderer man.
Every man and woman and child. be
ing more interested in the date thai
the legal aSDectS involved in Smith