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 visitors 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.