How Blueskin underwent the Peine Forte et Dure.
As soon as it became known, through the medium of the public prints on
the following day, that Jack Sheppard had broken out of prison, and had
been again captured during the night, fresh curiosity was excited, and
larger crowds than ever flocked to Newgate, in the hope of obtaining
admission to his cell; but by the governor's express commands, Wild
having privately counselled the step, no one was allowed to see him. A
question next arose whether the prisoner could be executed under the
existing warrant,--some inclining to one opinion, some to another. To
settle the point, the governor started to Windsor, delegating his trust
in the interim to Wild, who took advantage of his brief rule to adopt
the harshest measures towards the prisoner. He had him removed from the
Condemned Hold, stripped of his fine apparel, clothed in the most sordid
rags, loaded with additional fetters, and thrust into the Stone
Hold,--already described as the most noisome cell in the whole prison.
Here, without a glimpse of daylight; visited by no one except Austin at
stated intervals, who neither answered a question nor addressed a word
to him; fed upon the worst diet, literally mouldy bread and ditch-water;
surrounded by stone walls; with a flagged floor for his pillow, and
without so much as a blanket to protect him from the death-like cold
that pierced his frame,--Jack's stout heart was subdued, and he fell
into the deepest dejection, ardently longing for the time when even a
violent death should terminate his sufferings. But it was not so
ordered. Mr. Pitt returned with intelligence that the warrant was
delayed, and, on taking the opinion of two eminent lawyers of the day,
Sir William Thomson and Mr. Serjeant Raby, it was decided that it must
be proved in a regular and judicial manner that Sheppard was the
identical person who had been convicted and had escaped, before a fresh
order could be made for his execution; and that the matter must,
therefore, stand over until the next sessions, to be held at the Old
Bailey in October, when it could be brought before the court.
The unfortunate prisoner, meanwhile, who was not informed of the
respite, languished in his horrible dungeon, and, at the expiration of
three weeks, became so seriously indisposed that it was feared he could
not long survive. He refused his food,--and even when better provisions
were offered him, rejected them. As his death was by no means what
Jonathan desired, he resolved to remove him to a more airy ward, and
afford him such slight comforts as might tend to his restoration, or at
least keep him alive until the period of execution. With this view, Jack
was carried--for he was no longer able to move without assistance--to a
ward called the Castle, situated over the gateway on the western side,
in what was considered the strongest part of the jail. The walls were of
immense thickness; the small windows double-grated and unglazed; the
fire-place was without a grate; and a barrack-bed, divided into two
compartments, occupied one corner. It was about twelve feet high, nine
wide, and fourteen long; and was approached by double doors each six
inches thick. As Jack appeared to be sinking fast, his fetters were
removed, his own clothes were returned to him, and he was allowed a
mattress and a scanty supply of bed-linen. Mrs. Spurling attended him as
his nurse, and, under her care, he speedily revived. As soon as he
became convalescent, and all fears of his premature dissolution were at
an end, Wild recommenced his rigorous treatment. The bedding was
removed; Mrs. Spurling was no longer allowed to visit him; he was again
loaded with irons; fastened by an enormous horse-padlock to a staple in
the floor; and only allowed to take repose in a chair. A single blanket
constituted his sole covering at night. In spite of all this, he grew
daily better and stronger, and his spirits revived. Hitherto, no
visiters had been permitted to see him. As the time when his identity
had to be proved approached, this rigour was, in a trifling degree,
relaxed, and a few persons were occasionally admitted to the ward, but
only in the presence of Austin. From none of these could Jack ascertain
what had become of Thames, or learn any particulars concerning the
family at Dollis Hill, or of his mother. Austin, who had been evidently
schooled by Wild, maintained a profound silence on this head. In this
way, more than a month passed over. October arrived; and in another week
the court would be sitting at the Old Bailey.
One night, about this time, just as Austin was about to lock the great
gate, Jonathan Wild and his two janizaries entered the Lodge with a
prisoner bound hand and foot. It was Blueskin. On the cords being
removed, he made a desperate spring at Wild, bore him to the ground,
clutched at his throat, and would, infallibly, have strangled him, if
the keepers had not all thrown themselves upon him, and by main force
torn him off. His struggles were so violent, that, being a man of
tremendous strength, it was some time before they could master him, and
it required the combined efforts of all the four partners to put him
into irons. It appeared from what he said that he had been captured when
asleep,--that his liquor had been drugged,--otherwise, he would never
have allowed himself to be taken alive. Wild, he asserted, had robbed
him of a large sum of money, and till it was restored he would never
plead.
"We'll see that," replied Jonathan. "Take him to the bilbowes. Put him
in the stocks, and there let him sleep off his drunken fit. Whether he
pleads or not, he shall swing with his confederate, Jack Sheppard."
At this allusion to his leader, a shudder passed through Blueskin's
athletic frame.
"Where is he?" he cried. "Let me see him. Let me have a word with him,
and you may take all the money."
Jonathan made no answer, but motioned the partners to take him away.
As soon as Blueskin was removed, Wild intimated his intention of
visiting the Castle. He was accompanied by Ireton and Austin. The
massive door was unlocked, and they entered the cell. What was their
surprise to find it vacant, and the prisoner gone! Jonathan, could
scarcely believe his eyes. He looked fiercely and inquiringly from one
to the other of his companions; but, though both of them were
excessively frightened, neither appeared guilty. Before a word could be
said, however, a slight noise was heard in the chimney, and Jack with
his irons on descended from it. Without betraying the slightest
confusion, or making a single remark, he quietly resumed his seat.
"Amazement!" cried Wild. "How has he unfastened his padlock? Austin, it
must be owing to your negligence."
"My negligence, Mr. Wild," said the turnkey, trembling in every joint.
"I assure you, Sir, when I left him an hour ago, it was locked. I tried
it myself, Sir. I'm as much astonished as you. But I can't account for
it!"
"At all events, you shall answer for it," thundered Wild, with a bitter
imprecation.
"He's not to blame," said Jack, rising. "I opened the padlock with this
crooked nail, which I found in the floor. If you had arrived ten minutes
later, or if there hadn't been an iron bar in the chimney, that hindered
my progress, I should have been beyond your reach."
"You talk boldly," replied Wild. "Go to the Iron Hold, Austin, and tell
two of the partners to bring another padlock of the largest size, and
the heaviest handcuffs they can find. We'll try whether he'll get loose
again."
Sheppard said nothing, but a disdainful smile curled his lips.
Austin departed, and presently afterwards returned with the two
subordinate officers, each of whom wore a leathern apron round his
waist, and carried a large hammer. As soon as the manacles were slipped
over the prisoner's wrists, and the new padlock secured to the staple,
they withdrew.
"Leave me alone with him a moment," said Jonathan. And the jailers also
retired.
"Jack," said Wild, with a glance of malignant triumph, "I will now tell
you what I have done. All my plans have succeeded. Before a month has
elapsed, your mother will be mine. The Trenchard estates will likewise
be mine, for Sir Rowland is no more, and the youth, Thames, will never
again see daylight. Blueskin, who had evaded me with the papers and the
money, is a prisoner here, and will perish on the same gallows as
yourself. My vengeance is completely gratified."
Without waiting for a reply, but darting a malevolent look at the
prisoner, he quitted the cell, the door of which was instantly
double-locked and bolted.
"I've not quite done yet," said Jonathan, as he joined the turnkeys. "I
should like to see whether Blueskin is a little more composed. I've a
question to ask him. Give me the keys and the light. I'll go alone."
So saying, he descended a short spiral staircase, and, entering a long
stone gallery, from which several other passages branched, took one of
them, and after various turnings--for he was familiar with all the
intricacies of the prison--arrived at the cell of which he was in
search. Selecting a key from the heavy bunch committed to him by Austin,
he threw open the door, and beheld Blueskin seated at the back of the
small chamber, handcuffed, and with his feet confined in a heavy pair of
stocks. He was asleep when Jonathan entered, and growled at being
disturbed. But, as soon as he perceived who it was, he roused himself,
and glared fiercely at the intruder from under his bent brows.
"What do you want?" he asked, in a gruff voice.
"I want to know what you've done with the rest of the notes--with the
gold--and the papers you took away from my room!" rejoined Wild.
"Then you'll never know more than this," retorted Blueskin, with a grin
of satisfaction;--"they're in a place of safety, where _you_'ll never
find 'em, but where somebody else _will_, and that before long."
"Hear me, Blueskin," said Jonathan, restraining his choler. "If you'll
tell me where to look for these things, and I _do_ find them, I'll set
you free. And you shall have a share of the gold for yourself."
"I'll tell you what I'll do," rejoined the other. "Set Captain Sheppard
free, and when I hear he's safe,--not before,--I'll put the money and
papers into your possession, and some other matters, too, that you know
nothing about."
"Impracticable dolt!" exclaimed Jonathan, furiously. "Do you think I'd
part with the sweetest morsel of revenge on those terms? No! But I'll
have the secret out of you by other means."
So saying, he violently shut and locked the door.
About ten days after this interview, Blueskin, having been indicted by
Wild for several robberies, and true bills found against him, was placed
at the bar of the Old Bailey to be arraigned; when he declared that he
would not plead to the indictment, unless the sum of five hundred
pounds, taken from him by Jonathan Wild, was first restored to him. This
sum, claimed by Wild under the statute 4th and 5th of William and Mary,
entitled "_An act for encouraging the apprehending of Highwaymen_," was
granted to him by the court.
As Blueskin still continued obstinate, the judgment appointed to be
executed upon such prisoners as stood mute, was then read. It was as
follows, and, when uttered, produced a strong effect upon all who heard
it, except the prisoner, who, in no respect, altered his sullen and
dogged demeanour.
"Prisoner at the bar," thus ran the sentence, "you shall be taken to the
prison from whence you came, and put into a mean room, stopped from the
light; and shall there be laid on the bare ground, without any litter,
straw, or other covering, and without any garment. You shall lie upon
your back; your head shall be covered; and your feet shall be bare. One
of your arms shall be drawn to one side of the room, and the other arm
to the other side, and your legs shall be served in the like manner.
Then, there shall be laid upon your body as much iron, or stone as you
can bear, and more. And the first day, you shall have three morsels of
barley bread, without any drink; and the second day, you shall be
allowed to drink as much as you can, at three times, of the water that
is next to the prison-door, except running-water, without any bread. And
this shall be your diet till you die."
"Prisoner at the bar," continued the clerk of the court, "he against
whom this judgment is given, forfeits his goods to the king."
An awful silence prevailed throughout the court. Every eye was fixed
upon the prisoner. But, as he made no answer, he was removed.
Before the full sentence was carried into execution, he was taken into a
small room adjoining the court. Here Marvel, the executioner, who was in
attendance, was commanded by Wild to tie his thumbs together, which he
did with whipcord so tightly, that the string cut to the bone. But, as
this produced no effect, and did not even elicit a groan, the prisoner
was carried back to Newgate.
The Press Room, to which Blueskin was conveyed on his arrival at the
jail, was a small square chamber, walled and paved with stone. In each
corner stood a stout square post reaching to the ceiling. To these a
heavy wooden apparatus was attached, which could be raised or lowered at
pleasure by pullies. In the floor were set four ring-bolts, about nine
feet apart. When the prisoner was brought into this room, he was again
questioned; but, continuing contumacious, preparations were made for
inflicting the torture. His great personal strength being so well known,
it was deemed prudent by Marvel to have all the four partners, together
with Caliban, in attendance. The prisoner, however, submitted more
quietly than was anticipated. He allowed his irons and clothes to be
taken off without resistance. But just as they were about to place him
on the ground, he burst from their hold, and made a desperate spring at
Jonathan, who was standing with his arms folded near the door watching
the scene. The attempt was unsuccessful. He was instantly overpowered,
and stretched upon the ground. The four men fell upon him, holding his
arms and legs, while Caliban forced back his head. In this state, he
contrived to get the poor black's hand into his mouth, and nearly bit
off one of his fingers before the sufferer could be rescued. Meanwhile,
the executioner had attached strong cords to his ankles and wrists, and
fastened them tightly to the iron rings. This done, he unloosed the
pulley, and the ponderous machine, which resembled a trough, slowly
descended upon the prisoner's breast. Marvel, then, took two iron
weights, each of a hundred pounds, and placed them in the press. As this
seemed insufficient, after a lapse of five minutes, he added another
hundred weight. The prisoner breathed with difficulty. Still, his robust
frame enabled him to hold out. After he had endured this torture for an
hour, at a sign from Wild another hundred weight was added. In a few
minutes, an appalling change was perceptible. The veins in his throat
and forehead swelled and blackened; his eyes protruded from their
sockets, and stared wildly; a thick damp gathered on his brow: and blood
gushed from his mouth, nostrils, and ears.
"Water!" he gasped.
The executioner shook his head.
"Do you submit?" interrogated Wild.
Blueskin answered by dashing his head violently against the flagged
floor. His efforts at self-destruction were, however, prevented.
"Try fifty pounds more," said Jonathan.
"Stop!" groaned Blueskin.
"Will you plead?" demanded Wild, harshly.
"I will," answered the prisoner.
"Release him," said Jonathan. "We have cured his obstinacy, you
perceive," he added to Marvel.
"I _will_ live," cried Blueskin, with a look of the deadliest hatred at
Wild, "to be revenged on you."
And, as the weights were removed, he fainted.