Rough Justice - Part 3 (of 6)

The Clink

The words rang in her ears. She knew what they were. Heaven knows she’d heard them twice before that morning, but the finality of them still made her shiver uncontrollably. She didn’t feel as if she should be in shock, in a strange way she felt fine, but there was no stopping her body and mind’s natural reaction to the extreme emotions of the day. Her legs felt they were set in concrete, her mind in a fog. As she was led down the stairs into the cells below the court, she could see in her mind’s eye, over and over again, Jane’s face as the wide-eyed girl plaintively mouthed the words …“Do they mean to hang me?”.

She was led past two empty cells, and as she was walked down the passage, she turned to one her guards in sudden fear and asked “Where am I going? Surely it’s not now, surely there is some time?!” The bailiff let out a throaty chuckle. “Hush child, you’re to be held in the clink across the way - the three of you swing together tomorrow morning. You’ll draw quite a crowd. When the second one got the noose, there was already talk of special stagecoaches being laid on from as far as Bath. They’ll probably come from Newbury and Oxford as well now there’s three of ya. It’s not often we get three pretty maidens turned off together. People pay extra to see that.”

She shook her head “What do you mean pay? People pay to watch us die?!” The bailiff explained. “ There’s no permanent gallows here in Braley and you’re the first hanging cases these Assizes, so they’re building one special for you poor wretches. It’ll be in the town square. Lots of windows overlooking the town square. People pays a handsome price to get one of them windows for an offing. Some of them fetch enough for a family to live on for quite some time. I reckon the top windows of your own Haywain should go for a pretty penny, so in a ways, you’ll be repaying the Tavernier for all the grief you’ve caused him, and quite right too! That’s not all, they’re be a roaring trade in news sheets, vittles, drink and keepsakes – they’ll be drinking you into the next world and singing your praises by tomorrow night!”.

She was momentarily blinded as they stepped out of a reinforced oak door and into the bright sunlight. As her eyes adjusted, she saw that she was in the closed courtyard of the magistrates court and she was being led to the waiting prison wagon in the yard. She clambered up the small stepladder into the cage and took a place opposite Jane and Katherine.

Jane was obviously in a bad way, the front of her dress was seemingly saturated with tears as she continued her pitiful sobbing. She was being comforted by the more stoic Katherine, who turned to Sarah with a smile. “Takes my mind off things. I reckon if I get her through this, I might not notice myself. Got to be brave. Brave for her. I don’t want to go out like some quivering lump. Oh, I’m sorry, I’m forgetting myself. The name’s Katherine. My friends call me Kate. Don’t have many of them now” she laughed, and giving Sarah a playful nudge said “They’re giving me a hemp necklace tomorrow – I hope it’s pretty!”.

The words caught in her throat. She was trying hard to keep things together. She momentarily looked down at her shackled ankles and then, looking up briefly said “I deserve it you know, for what I did. Not that knowing counts for much. You know what’s mad? I stole a proper gold necklace last month and they didn’t nick me for that. Should have stopped while the going was good. Now, your story - that is rough – wouldn’t have done nothing different myself. Sounds like the same cretin that knocked poor Jane up. Must be some sort of record – dead fella sends two girls to the gallows. What are the chances eh?”.

Sarah looked at her. “I’m Sarah, Sarah Thorn. Pleased to meet you. Don’t lose hope, they’ll send us to the colonies yet. I hear they need people. They won’t let good stock like us swing. Don’t worry.” She said it brightly, but it was without conviction, and the words rang hollow in her ears even as she said them.

The women sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, interrupted only by Jane’s ceaseless sobbing. With a crack of the whip, the wagon ground into motion. As the courtyard gates swung open, there was a brief silence before someone shouted “It’s them! It’s the gallows birds!” before a wall of noise that greeted them. Almost instantly, the wagon was surrounded, its heavy iron bars all that stood between them and a baying mob.

The women cringed and ducked, as a hail of rotten food pelted them, finding scant refuge in the bottom of the cart. They were halted, and waited until a platoon of soldiers managed to form a moving corridor around them, but the remainder of the journey was mercifully short. At the prison gates, the soldiers formed a protective cordon around the back of the wagon. The three women managed to sit up again, now protected against the crowing crowd and their missiles.

As they waited for the gate to open, Sarah noticed a team of carpenters just under the prison wall and realised with morbid fascination, that tomorrow morning, she, Sarah Thorn, and her companions - Katherine Andrews and Jane Daniels - would hang from the gallows they were building. The cart jerked forward, and the gates shut behind them, cutting off the sunlight as they entered the gloomy forecourt of the clink.

The Night Before the Last Day

The room they were taken to was sparsely furnished. There was only one bed between the three of them, but it was unlikely any of them would sleep that night. A table, on which rested a bowl, a cup and a clay pot full of water was the only other solid furniture. There was only a bucket in the corner to use as a toilet. They were not to be left alone. Immediately outside the cell, two guards settled around a small table for the night and started a game of cards.

Thankfully, Jane had calmed down somewhat, but whether this was because she had accepted her fate or mentally let go was anyone’s guess. The door to the cell opened and a grizzled old man shuffled in, fixing them each with a piercing gaze. “Name’s Diggley” he said, “You needs anything, you wants anything, youse let me know and I’ll do what I can. No men though, can’t do that, can’t have you pleading your bellies to save your necks.” He looked at them critically again “Nice necks too. Shame.”

He sighed. “Right. This is how it is. I wants no trouble from any of youse. When the time comes, behave and go out like good Christians. It’s going to happen no matter, so you can save us all the kicking and screaming. Won’t do no good. If you needs your souls savin’ Father John will be in to be havin’ a chat around dawn. He’ll be with ya till the end in case you wants to get anything off your chests.” He looked at them all critically again “Nice chests too. Shame”.

“When. When do they…” Jane whispered. The other two women looked at her in surprise. They hadn’t expected her to be lucid. “Noon tomorrow” he replied “It was going to be ten o’clock, but they’re expecting around ten thousand and they need more time to pack ‘em in.” “What time is it now sir?” said Kate. “It’s just short of five in the afternoon. I’m sorry for your troubles.” He bowed and let himself out.

“Nineteen hours. Just nineteen hours.” Jane counted them on her fingers and giggled. “I don’t have enough fingers. I have to use them twice. Nineteen hours.” She looked up balefully as she was struck by a sudden thought and let out another little laugh. “It’s the 29^th of July tomorrow. I’ll be nineteen in seven hours. It’s my birthday tomorrow. I’ll be nineteen for a whole twelve hours before…before…” She fell silent for a moment before turning to Sarah, her eyes wide and pleading… “Sarah? Do they really mean to hang me?”.

They had little idea of time. No one was in a mood to talk as each sunk deeper into despair and hopelessness. The sounds of sawing and hammering drifted into the cell from outside and Jane in particular seemed to flinch at the sound of each nail being driven home. After what seemed an eternity, the noises stopped. They sensed evening approaching as the air in the cell grew cooler, and the already gloomy light began to fade. There was a rumble of thunder in the distance as the humid summer air was broken by rain.

Ketch

The key turned in the lock, and once again Diggley appeared. Holding three lanterns to illuminate the gloomy cell, he was accompanied by two guards and an overweight, vulgar looking man dressed in an ill-fitting dark suit and scruffy top hat. “Ladies, I have the displeasure of introducing Mr Ketch. I suggest you be nice to him, as it’ll be better for ya if he does his job right tomorrow. I dare say, barring miracles, he may be the last face you see before your short drop and sharp shock.”

As the penny dropped, the women studied him in horror. His eyes glistened as he beckoned them forward with his large calloused hands, roughly grabbing them and positioning them in a line, about five feet apart. It suddenly dawned on Sarah that he was placing them as he would on the gallows, with Jane first, Kate in the middle and herself last. Placing his meaty hand on his chin, he gave them the once over before saying in a gravely voice “Girls, put your hair up will ya, I need to take a proper butcher’s at your necks.” There was nothing for it. Sarah gathered her long brown, curly tresses and held them up over her head. She flinched as Ketch unexpectedly placed his rough hand on her bare shoulder, caressing the side of her neck with his fat finger.

Kate was next, and he roughly turned her head from one side to the other until he was satisfied. But as he turned toward Jane, Kate suddenly snarled “Touch her you oaf and I’ll kick you where it hurts!”. She then turned to Jane, motioned Ketch to walk over, and carefully moved the hair away from the nape of Jane’s neck, who was trembling in terror. Ketch, having done what he had to do, motioned toward the door.

A slight man, barely out of his teens, shambled submissively into the room. “Yes sir, what’s the plan sir” he warbled obsequiously. “Right” said Ketch, “We got three of ‘em to do. Short drop with no assistance unless they’re paying. We’ve got a big crowd who’ll be expecting their money’s worth tomorrow.”

Realising the women were still lined up behind him, Ketch half-turned, chortling “Begging you pardon girls, just discussing business, you can get on now – I won’t be needing ya till the morrow!” It wasn’t as if they could go far, and given Ketch’s booming voice, they were not spared the grisly details of his gruesome craft.

“Listen up Bridges and listen good. No sense doing all three at once. I’m being paid to string this out a bit. They’re to be made an h’example of apparently. So we’ll take ‘em out together, get ‘em properly trussed and noosed, and then we’ll drop ‘em one by one in the same order I stuck ‘em in. Did you get that?”

“Yes sir, I did sir, in the same order sir, like you said” replied Bridges. “Right” continued Ketch, that’s the blond babykiller first – she’s a dainty, nervy little thing, so best do her quick and keep the drop short else we’ll ‘ave ‘er ‘ead off by accident. Won’t do to scare the gentlefolk like that.” The description of her own execution was too much for Jane, already in a fragile state, and the insinuation that she could be decapitated was the last straw. It was all Kate could do to catch her as she fainted.

Oblivious. Ketch continued haranguing his assistant. “Once she’s taken the drop, we’ll do the feisty one with the red hair – the thief – watch her though, she’ll be trouble. We’ll finish off with brownie there, the murderess. It’ll be rough on her hearing the other two go before her, but there’s nothing for it. We ‘ave our brief and we ‘aves to stick to it.

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out without a backwards glance unaware of the daggers Kate was staring into his receding back. Diggley sighed and looked at them sympathetically. “Apologies ladies, he didn’t have to do that, but he was told to put the fear of God into you. There are some who want to see you lose your dignity as well as your lives tomorrow. You’ll see that she’s all right won’t you. She’ll want to be awake for her visitors. That’ll cheer her up, we’ve been told to expect one or two later tonight.”

As he turned to leave, Kate stopped him. “Diggley, you’ve been kind. Pray, what time is it? How much do we have left?” Diggley examined his shoes. “It’s eight o’clock miss. Supper will be here soon.” Eyes still firmly on the straw laden floor, he slipped out and the door clanked closed behind him.

As good as his word, supper arrived shortly afterwards, brought by Diggley himself. It was nothing but stale bread and a thin gruel, but despite their desperate circumstances, none of them had eaten since breakfast and they attached the meal with guarded enthusiasm. Jane was awake, but weak, and Kate made it her business to get a few spoonfuls of the tasteless soup into her.

Sarah had been playing Ketch’s words over and over in her head, and with nothing else to think about, she began to develop a morbid interest in the means of her demise. With no one of knowledge other than Diggley, she started to bombard him with questions.

The subject made him very uncomfortable, and as he was in no mood to answer, he pleaded ignorance. Sarah persisted “You promised. You said we should come to you with anything we wanted when we arrived here, all I want is to know – is that too much to ask?” She leaned forward slightly at the request, allowing her charms to work on the old man. Diggley hesitated for a moment. “Bridges. He may talk to you. I think he’s still here. He’s an inoffensive fellow. I’ll see if he can come later. That oaf Ketch is down the tavern in any case. I’ll have to leave a guard with you though.” He disappeared in search of the assistant.

Forgiveness

Sarah was unsure how much time had passed since the last interruption. Once again the door opened, and she half expected to see Diggley with Bridges, but it was a different but familiar face this time. The Shire Reeve, who had arrested her the night before, his face carrying a care worn look, motioned for her to come forward. He looked her straight in the eye, doing his best not to show the depth of his feelings. “I should have let you go when I had the chance. I knew things would not go well for you, but I had no idea…”

She put a finger to her lips to shush him. “It’s not your fault. You did what you had to. We both relied on justice being blind, though I suppose I was naïve enough to believe that it truly was, when you knew well enough where this would lead when you arrested me. If it’s forgiveness you are seeking, rest assured I do not intend to die before clearing my conscience. To that end, I forgive you sir for what you had to do, and what you must help do tomorrow. What is within my power I give you, though I regret it may not be enough for you.”

The Shire Reeve looked away partly in embarrassment, partly in pain. “There was another reason I came” he said quietly, “There is someone else here to see you.” Sarah was about to ask who would see her at such a time, perhaps expecting the Tavernier to make an appearance as she had no one else in Braley, but her question was aborted as Jane let out a squeal of joy as one of the guards informed her that her family were waiting to see her. “He’s come” she shouted “It’s alright, he’s come. He’s come to save me!”. Kate looked expectantly toward the cell door, but any hopes of last minute visitors were dashed as Diggley reluctantly told her no one was coming for her.

With the distractions out of the way, Sarah turned back toward the Shire Reeve. He was gone. As the face of another man emerged from the flickering half-light, recognition slowly dawned and she recoiled violently in disgust. It was William Miller. Before she could stop herself, she spat at him, following it quickly with a resounding slap. He flinched, mumbling “I probably deserve that.”

She was overtaken by a strange calming, but cold fury. “If you have come for forgiveness William, you are too late, I gave what I had to the Shire Reeve before you. I hope you never sleep again thinking of where your words have sent me. I hope the sight of my cold dangling corpse gives you nightmares. I hope you are man enough to watch me die, as you were certainly too much of a coward to look at me as you condemned me to the gallows this morning. Now, say your peace and let me be. I do not want my last thoughts on this earth to be occupied by a wretch such as you”.

“Sarah, please, hear me out. It is true, I held much bitterness in my heart when you left, but in time I grew to accept it, even understand it. My appearance today was not my doing. I did not know that my words would be manipulated in such a way as to bring you this end. It was not my choice to condemn you, but a choice it was that I had to make. Mathew Smyth has a strong hold on our family. We owe him money. Had he called in our debts it would have destroyed us. I had to think of my sister who would have been left without a dowry, without which there would have been little hope of marrying her into a family with position.”

“Sarah, I deserve your fury, I deserve your scorn, but I swear upon all that I hold dear that I knew nothing of the import my words would have. When I realised, it was too late, I would have had to perjure myself, and though I may be many things I am not a knowing liar. You are right, I am a coward, I could not look upon you as I said those damning words, but I will be there tomorrow unless you insist otherwise, and I will continue to pray for the commutation to transportation that we are all dearly hoping for. Be brave Sarah. Please be brave. Forgive me. I loved you once. I knew you once. That has to mean something.”

Sarah struggled with his words, struggled to get beyond her hate and pride, and as she looked at her former fiancée with unreserved contempt, she knew it was a struggle she would lose. “William. You must have spent a long time thinking of those words – you say them so earnestly. But know this. You have traded my life for position. It is clear to me that in your world, bankruptcy is equal in its brutality and finality as my death. Nothing you can say will change that. Do what you wish tomorrow, it is not my concern. I understand that your face will be one of amongst ten thousand others tomorrow. I cannot forgive you William. Go to your grave with those words ringing in your ears. I cannot forgive you. Now please, leave me in peace and let me die with the little dignity I have left.” With that, Sarah turned her face away. William stared at her for what seemed an age, before finally succumbing to the inevitable. She would not speak to him again, and so he left.

The Night Grows Long

She looked over at Kate, who had witnessed the whole spectacle. “Well at least you had him to have a go at! Who’ve I got?! said Kate, her voice breaking. Without warning, she started to weep. She had tried her hardest to be a rock for Jane, but as the poor girl was not in the cell, she finally gave vent to her pent up feelings. “Oh Sarah, I don’t think I can do this. I’m trying to be good for Jane, but I feel like her sometimes. I should have hung myself with the scarf and had done with it. It’s all this waiting around that’s so hard. They should have let that mob string us up when they brought us here. Now we’ll have ten times that number jeering at us while they do it proper-like, all so’s the gentlefolk can feel good about themselves. Hearing old Ketch talk about us like that was horrible. I’ve heard it can take ages to die. I’ve never seen one done, but I’ve heard about it plenty.”

Sarah put her arm around Kate’s shoulders. “What’s done is done Kate. I know that won’t make things better, but we have to accept it and prepare for it. If there is no miracle tomorrow, we have to be ready. I don’t want us dragged out there, soiled, dirty and a shambles to be hung for others to gawp at. I want them to say how brave we were, how we looked after each other. Jane won’t make it without us. We’ll stand at the pearly gates together the three of us when the time comes. Now, I’ll see what Diggley can do about getting some things to tidy ourselves up. They’re coming tomorrow to see three pretty maidens hang, now that’s a compliment if I ever heard one. Ten thousand of them want to see us off, and by gosh, let’s not disappoint them.”

Kate pulled herself together, and they briefly hugged. Then turning to Sarah, with a quizzical look said “Does it hurt much? Only I’m not much for pain”. Sarah laughed. “I was thinking that a while back, so I sent Diggley to look for that fellow Bridges, so’s I can ask him about allsorts. Funny how you can so curious about something so repulsive isn’t it?. But not around Jane mind, she’s got enough to deal with.”

They sat in silence for a while, until the turn of the key in the lock signalled the return of Jane Daniels. The guard led her in, collected the supper implements and left. Jane looked at the women expectantly. “So did you see anyone?” Not waiting for a response, she went on “I saw father, mother, my sisters and auntie and they looked ever so happy to see me. Father said they were praying all the time and that surely God will hear them. I’m sure that when God hears about the nasty things they want to do to us, he’ll stop it. Father said that if they send me to Australia, then they’ll come too, so it won’t be so bad. They’ve sent a petition for clemency to the court. Mother said they don’t hang good people, only bad ones. I’m a good girl. They tried to say that Kate was bad, but I wouldn’t have it. I told them you’d been nice to me. I told them we we’re all good girls really. I think they know. I think keeping us here is the way they punish people like us. They make us think they’re going to, well, you know… and then they let us go because we’ve learned our lesson. Yes that’s it. That’s what is going to happen. I shall be very brave – but I’ll have to act surprised when they let us go, otherwise they may know that I know. Yes, that’s the key. We have to act surprised or they’ll think we haven’t learned our lesson.” She walked over to Sarah, put her hands on Sarah’s shoulders, and said in a faux deep voice “Be brave Sarah”. Sarah could only look on in bewilderment and pity as she did the same with Kate “Be brave Kate”.

Then flicking back her hair, she sat down on the makeshift bed, looked up at them and said “Do you think it’s my birthday yet? I’m nineteen at midnight. Tomorrow’s the 29^th of July. I’ll be nineteen for a whole twelve hours before…before…” She fell silent for a moment before turning to Sarah, her eyes wide and pleading… “Sarah? Do they really mean to hang me?”.

Kate and Sarah looked at each other, realising that Jane’s mind had gone. In a way it was merciful. The poor girl had retreated into a fantasy world, and would not be fully cognizant of her fate. Their layman’s diagnosis was confirmed as she promptly lay down on the bed and within seconds, was asleep.

... to be continued.

(c) 2006 - Son of Ketch - Do not reproduce without permission (sonofketch@yahoo.co.uk)