literature

The End

Deviation Actions

By
Published:
302 Views

Literature Text

       A great crowd had gathered on Old Baily road outside Newgate prison. The people had packed into the spaces at the base of the scaffold and spilled into every alleyway. Some spectators had found their way onto rooftops or had rented windows and telescopes from enterprising homeowners in the pursuit of the best view of the day's events. Men, women and even some children awaited the arrival of the condemned. The occasion was far from a grim one. Each viewer in the road had paid their entrance fee to come see their fellow citizens meet their end.  
Birds had been drawn by the noise of the crowd and were circling the hastily erected scaffold. The more brazen among them would occasionally swoop down in the hope of snatching up something edible from the crowd. Some like minded street vendors were pushing their wares among the gathering people. Their cries and haggling merely added to the carnival atmosphere on Old Baily. The cacophony was crowned by the tolling of the church bells at St. Stephens, which signaled the beginning of the day's events.  The ringing of St. Stephen's bells signaled the beginning of the end in The Year of our Lord, 1816.
Within Newgate prison the condemned could not hear the crowd outside. They could not see the circling birds or the scaffold. But they could hear the bells. The iron bells that sounded throughout the Newgate yard told the prisoners all they needed to know. One by one their cells were unlocked and they were made to stand in line.
The first to exit the cells was a highwayman. He had been famous for a time. He had been thought uncatchable because he would always come upon the carriages seemingly out of nowhere and disappear back into the darkness. He would always strike in a different way, each more audacious than the last. He had been nicknamed "The Laughing Man" due to his habit of laughing joyously as he rode off with his prizes. He was thought mad because he rarely even kept what he stole. Sometimes the treasure could be found tossed like worthless trash on the roadside. His long run of having his way with the stagecoaches and travelers of the lonely roads had come to an end when his horse had stepped in a rut during an escape and fallen. There was no laughter in his eyes now. He had not spoken a word since he had been caught and convicted.
            The second convict to come blinking into the sunlight was a burglar. He had broken into the home of the local magistrate and rather than taking jewels had taken all the clothing he could find. Showing more ambition than most in his trade, he had decided to cast off his rags and don the clothing and masquerade as a gentleman. His impression was skilled enough that he gained entrance into some of the homes of the well to do and had stolen silverware in addition to still more lavish adornments. He would have been successful in his dealings if he hadn't taken so much of a liking to the genteel life. He had begun to wear the stolen finery and frequent the salons and gentleman's clubs in the better parts of London with the money gained from pawning the stolen goods. He could only tempt the fates for so long until they brought him to the same corner pub as the local magistrate; the magistrate recognized his own stolen coat and the man was condemned for theft. A few members of the gentility in the choicest seats would recognize him as the man they had spoken or joked with on occasion. They would shake their heads and comment among themselves about what a pity it was that he had been born a pauper.  
             Third was a girl of about twelve years of age. She was a maid in the house of a certain lady of influence. The lady was a vain creature and insisted that everything be just so. The girl was constantly dusting and polishing and primping and preparing everything under the lady's critical eye. When one day a pearl necklace went missing the certain lady knew that her young maid had stolen it out from under her nose. The necklace was never found so the vile little thing must have pawned it. The girl denied all of this but the lady would not be swayed by the girl's pleas for clemency. The girl was brought to trial, but the trial was merely a formality. The lady was certain and she was adamant and, of course; she was a lady. Why take the word of a little servant girl over hers? The girl shook violently as she was helped out of her cell.
            The fourth began as an artist. As an artist he suffered the twin scourges of too few clients and too much drinking. He fell into debt and enlisted to escape his debts. He braved the smoke and fire and fury of the Napoleonic Wars until he was wounded at Waterloo. When he was taken home to England the fighting was over he was cast off onto the street with no more in the world than what he had when he enlisted. He returned from hell only to find his troubles with money and liquor still waiting for him. He was too poor to paint and too proud to beg and so was left to working whatever lowly and poorly paid jobs he could find. Most of what he made went to debt collectors and ever increasing amounts went into taverns. When a drunken brawl led to a man's death the artist turned soldier was convicted of murder. He stepped out of his cell into the sunlight and looked toward the sound of the bells.        
          The Turnkey barked at the prisoners to form a line and one by one they had the irons hammered off their legs. Brandy was passed down the line of prisoners. Their elbows were pinioned behind their backs and their hands tied in front. The solemn line was marched across the Press Yard. Other prisoners called farewells to the four and obscenities to the Keeper who led them.  The Keeper led the Prisoners through the Debtor's Door into the sunlight of Old Baily. The crowd cheered as each prisoner was led into the light. The condemned didn't seem to hear them; they simply stared up at the scaffold. Then their eyes fell to the four hastily cut pinewood boxes that lay beneath the scaffold's stage. The Ordinary mounted the scaffold's stage and began to give a sermon heavy with fire and brimstone and warnings for those who go against the will of God.
       The highwayman was first in the line and the hangman took him by his bound arms. The highwayman allowed himself to be led up at the Hangman's side. He looked out at the crowd before him and took a bow. He bid farewell to the Ordinary and screwed his face into a smile as he stood under the rope. The crowd cheered at the highwayman's spirit but the bravado was forced. His legs were stiff and his hands were trembling in front of him. The Hangman stepped back from the highwayman and threw the switch that held the platform in place. The highwayman fell, the rope went taunt and the bells tolled on.
        The burglar ascended the stairs beside the Hangman. The burglar had slipped the hangman a coin for a bribe. The burglar's arms were not bound too tightly and his end was sure to be swift. He raised his eyes to the balconies where the rich sat looking down at him as the noose came over his head. A few turned up their noses at the man who had held pretentions above his station. The Hangman stepped back from the burglar and threw the switch that held the platform in place. The burglar fell, the rope went taunt and the bells tolled on.    
           The girl was in tears. She ascended the steps with difficulty because she wasn't used to moving without the leg irons, and so the Hangman half dragged her up the stairs. She tried to say she was innocent but no words would come. The crowd looked intently and a few showed pity in their faces. She began to breathe rapidly and shallowly as the loop was dropped over her head. The Hangman stepped back from the girl and threw the switch that held the platform in place. The girl fell, the rope went taunt and the bells tolled on.
         The murderer was last. He ascended the steps of his own volition. His back was straight, his head was held high, his face was stony. He turned his eyes to the laughing jeering mob and stared them down into silence. He seemed to look into every eye in the crowd, challenging them to speak and not allowing them to look away. When rope was placed over his neck he did not flinch. The crowd was silent. The Hangman stepped back from the murderer and threw the switch that held the platform in place. The murderer fell, the rope went taunt and the bells tolled on.
         The Ordinary closed his bible and the crowd began to disperse. The merchants went back to sell their wares and the rented windows were reclaimed by their owners. The birds flew off into the sky and the Debtor's Door was locked. Justice had been done, order had been preserved, and the bells tolled relentlessly on.
I was not sure exactly what to put this under since it is rather overarching in theme. I was wondering if anyone understood the historical context. If people Recognized the allusions in the story and what everyone thought about the generality of the characters. Did this piece evoke any feeling? did it make you think and if so what about? What did you find particularly striking? :iconthewrittenrevolution:
© 2010 - 2024 HourglassMan
Comments3
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
One of the points i was originally trying to make was to juxtapose the way people who came from all walks of life met their end. Though they came from all walks of life i wanted them to all face the hangman, as we all do in one form or another and in the original draft i gave much shorter back stories so that the only thing was that they all came to their end from different lives but they all had to face it. I wanted the way that they faced their ends to be the focus not who they were beforehand. I realize the piece has changed but has that been lost completely? did anyone see that

Pardon the huge lag in comments.