Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction
“Hope not to shift the weight of guilt upon poor Josephs there. On earth
muddle-heads will call his death and the self-murderer's by one name
of 'suicide,' and so dream the two acts were one; but you cannot gull
Omniscience with a word--the wise man's counter and the money of a fool.
Be not deceived! As Rosamond took poison in her hand, and drank it with
her own lips, and died by her own act, yet died assassinated by her
rival--so died Josephs. As men taken by pirates at sea, and pricked
with cold steel till in despair and pain they fling themselves into the
sea--so died Josephs and his fellows murdered by you. Be not deceived!
I, a minister of the gospel of mercy--I, whose character leans toward
charity, tell you that if you die impenitent, so surely as the sun
shines and the Bible is true, the murder of Edward Josephs and his
brothers will damn your soul to the flames of hell forever--and
forever--and forever!
“Begone, then, poor miserable creature! Do not look behind you. Fly from
this scene where crime and its delusions still cling round your brain
and your self-deceiving heart. Waste no more time with me. A minute lost
may be a soul lost. The avenger of blood is behind you. Run quickly to
your own home--go up to your secret chamber--and there fall down upon
your knees before your God and cry loud and long to him for pardon.
Cry mightily for help--cry humbly and groaning for the power to repent.
Away! away! Wash those red hands and that black soul in years and years
of charity, in tears and tears of penitence, and in our Redeemer's
blood. Begone, and darken and trouble us here no more.”
The cowed jailer shrank and cowered before the thunder and lightning of
the priest, who, mild by nature, was awful when he rebuked an impenitent
sinner out of holy writ. He slunk away, his knees trembling under him,
and the first fiery seeds of remorse sown in his dry heart. He met the
printing-press coming in, and the loom following it (naturally); he
scowled at them and groaned. Evans held the door open for him with
a look of joy that stirred all his bile again. He turned on the very
threshold and spat a volley of oaths upon Evans. Evans at this put down
his head like a bull, and running fiercely with the huge door, slammed
it close on his heel with such ferocity that the report rang like a
thunder-clap through the entire building, and the ex-jailer was in the
street.
Five minutes more, the printing-press and loom were reinstalled, and the
punishment-jacket packed up and sent to London to the Home Office. Ten
minutes more, the cranks were examined by the artists in iron Mr. Eden
had sent for, and all condemned, it being proved that the value of their
resistance stated on their lying faces was scarce one-third of their
actual resistance. So much for unerring* science!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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