Gipsy Life: Being an account of our Gipsies and their children, with suggestions for their improvementSmith, George
History
Gipsy Life: Being an account of our Gipsies and their children, with suggestions for their improvement
Smith, George
Romanies -- Great Britain
Mr. Crabb happened to enter just as the judge was passing sentence of
death on two unhappy men. To one he held out the hope of mercy; but to
the other, a poor Gipsy, who was convicted of horse-stealing, he said, no
hope could be given. The young man, for he was but a youth, immediately
fell on his knees, and with uplifted hands and eyes, apparently
unconscious of any persons being present but the judge and himself,
addressed him as follows: “Oh, my Lord, save my life!” The judge
replied, “No; you can have no mercy in this world: I and my brother
judges have come to the determination to execute horse-stealers,
especially Gipsies, because of the increase of the crime.” The
suppliant, still on his knees, entreated—“Do, my Lord Judge, save my
life! do, for God’s sake, for my wife’s sake, for my baby’s sake!” “No,”
replied the judge, “I cannot; you should have thought of your wife and
children before.” He then ordered him to be taken away, and the poor
fellow was rudely dragged from his earthly judge. It is hoped, as a
penitent sinner, he obtained the more needful mercy of God, through the
abounding grace of Christ. After this scene Mr. Crabb could not remain
in court. As he returned he found the mournful intelligence had been
communicated to some Gipsies who had been waiting without, anxious to
learn the fate of their companion. They seemed distracted.
On the outside of the court, seated on the ground, appeared an old woman
and a very young one, and with them two children, the eldest three years
and the other an infant but fourteen days old. The former sat by its
mother’s side, alike unconscious of her bitter agonies and of her
father’s despair. The old woman held the infant tenderly in her arms,
and endeavoured to comfort its weeping mother, soon to be a widow under
circumstances the most melancholy. “My dear, don’t cry,” said she;
“remember you have this dear little baby.” Impelled by the sympathies of
pity and a sense of duty, Mr. Crabb spoke to them on the evil of sin, and
expressed his hope that the melancholy event would prove a warning to
them, and to all their people. The poor man was executed about a
fortnight after his condemnation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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