Deadwood Free Press Vol.

2 Issue 20 July 21, 1878

Vol. 2 Issue 20 July 21, 1878

MAYOR, JUDGE ASSIST WOULD-BE RAPIST

CRIMINAL REIGN OF TERROR CONTINUED
Women’s Breasts Quake in Anguish
Madman Finally Felled by Warden
Densmith Vows Protection is Job One
Mayor Clay Kungler and Judge Rod Eun
threw themselves in front of a criminal who
tried to violate a young newcomer of the
town, Miss Merryann Munster. They thus
prevented local businessman Dante Den-
smith from gunning down the criminal,
allowing the fiend to attack women and
try to kill several people before a young
man brought him down.
It was not clear if the men knew they
were harboring a criminal, but Densmith
said he expected to advocate for law and
order if elected to the Deadwood Town
Council in next week’s elections.
“Of course both men have high reputa-
tions in this town, but it is unseemly to
protect criminals,” Densmith said. “No
one will want to move here if they think
all of our politicians and judges help crimi-
nals.”
The criminal had entered the home
unannounced of the young woman, and
she reported the matter to authorities.
A few minutes later,the man entered the
Bella Union escorted by the mayor and
judge. It was unknown how long the three
men had known each other or what had
Mayor Kungler ... defending crazed lunatics by accident? transacted between them.
Densmith, reacting to the woman’s cries
of anguish, drew his gun and prepared to
shoot the villain. But both Kungler and
Eun said the man should be allowed to
apologize.
The man the next day harassed the
woman by touching her, and later attempt-
ed to kill a roomful of people at the Bella
Union, grazing the town’s chief librarian,
Samuel Clemenzewski.
A newcomer, Blayne Warden, then
gunned the man down a few days later,
ending his crime spree.
But of course the man could have been
stopped much earlier. Densmith said that
he regrets not pulling the trigger even if
he might have hit Kungler and Eun by
accident, and says he knows that both men
would not have minded being gunned down
if they’d known the act would have taken
down a desperate criminal.
“I am running for town council because
even though Deadwoo d has clearly
matured, it still needs people who under-
stand concepts of protection,” Densmith
said.

Another Gunman's Reign of Terror Ended

Shots ran out in the town of Deadwood
Monday night when a masked maurader
began shooting.
Proprietor Caed Aldwych was hit and
a Miss Helena Maesar attacked near the
telegraph office.
The shooter ran from the scene. Before
long, notes began appearing in town
threatening the destruction of unnamed
hostages.
The first noted stated:
“I have warned you... Now this is my
town, unless the sheriff reviels his self to
me and comes unarmed with no weapons
or any body with him i will kill one person
every day. THis is warnning number one.
The next warning will be tommarow if the
sheriff does not revial his self. The third
warnning is going out with a “Bang”.......
I advise you to be smart sheriff. This is the
three plegues and i have set them up. You
can pay for me to release one of my captives
for 100 pasos(200l) or i will kill them every
day you do not revieal yourself to me. Oh
yeah i want the mayor too.”
Masked Man.......
Editor’s note: Not too imaginative, but
quite colorful!
At some point the villain figured out we
don’t have a sheriff right now, thus making
it hard to comply with his demand. He was
a quick study, and this new note was found
not 20 minutes later:
“Hello mr.lawman....... Its me once
agian the masked man. My next victem
is the one known as Addison Leigh......
For your sake i advice you to give me my
pasos..... Leave them in the telegraph
office where i beat that lady. If you come
with help or even a weapons i will blow the
building up. I have hidden gun powder in
the walls and a flick will set that building
to flames.... Leave it under the machine
and i will collect it there. Also i want a
letter from the mayor so we can negoti-
ate. The letter from the mayor should be
delivered by a guy by the name of markus
farquart who i hear you are holding under
protective costody.... If he fails to come
without help or a wepaons he will be shot
Continued on page 3
Criminals are advised not to bother Miss Leigh, who uses both barrels effectively.

1
Deadwood Free Press Vol. 2 Issue 20 July 21, 1878

Upcoming Events
Noon Saturday, July 25, will be dancing and faro at the Shingle Saloon
near the foot of Main Street. Dancing is promised with the company of
Editorial
ladies, plus far and other entertainments. You’re Crazy Not to
On 1 p.m. Sunday the 26th the Deadwood Church will see the wedding
of Dartagnan Czechzielowski, town librarian, previously known as Mr.
Support Asylum
Blitzer Renfold, and Mollie Nootan. There will be a reception afterward
at the Bella Union.
You may have noticed that the Deadwood days are long gone in the United States,
Much fuss and fun is planned for Founder’s Day, the 2nd anniversary of First National Bank, forever thinking first where both God and democracy smiles
the founding of Deadwood in 1876, on Aug. 7-9. The schedule includes and foremost of our citizens and only then on the less fortunate. I include one image
a circus come to town, with offerings of fun and medicine and laughter. but closely of our investors, has erected a you may remember of the man chained to
There will be a parade of circus lovelies and oddities at 11 on Saturday lunatic asylum upon his bed for 12 years;
the 8th, with speechmaking at noon. Other events may be announced, Lee Street. contrasted with an
and Mr. Streeter’s shooting gallery will be up back in operation. The This will be the example of a modern
weekend will conclude at 4 p.m. on the 9th with a grand circus Ball at first insane asylum Eastern institution
the Bella Union. in the Black Hills of which Deadwood
and even the territo- may have someday if
ry, and we are proud the Black Hills grow
of our responsible more in population

Letters to the Editor behavior to those

less fortunate.
This is done out
(though Pierre may
well be a more logi-
cal place)
Editor, Editor, of compassion for We are fortunate
My name is Rachel and I am ate years I was very disturbed to see construction those whose minds in that the asylum
old and I am not very tall and have short on Lee Street leading to a home for the have been affected warden will be a
legs and this means wen I need to use the insane in the center of our town near our by illness or drink. former resident of
outhouse it is a looooong walk for me homes and businesses. There simply is no our town, a Mr.
becuz there are not enuff outhouses in While there are no doubt some who other answer for Mauer, a former
Deadwood. would benefit from restraint, and God these people. You mortician who has
Sum places have fancy indoor plumming knows the town would do well without will recall that our since decided to
like The Phoenix Hotel but have you seen them, I don’t see how this profit venture famous former resi- Like this... study diseases of the
that the mess from the plumming goes rite will do otherwise than attract the fools of dent Miss Jeni Trefu- mind. He has appren-
into the river? I seen sum dead fish and Lead and Custer to to dump their loonies sis had to be confined ticed under a number
some...uh...mess floating in the river. on our doorstep. out of the territory, and there was time and of recognized physicians, such as a Dr.
Can someone pleez put in sum more How can they do otherwise? I will remind expense getting her there. Some of you Henbilt of Tretoria, Ill, who has found a
outhouses? our town officials, though now be hot July will recall another instance, but personal variety of medicines to be of use in treating
Miss Rachel O’Hare (or Kungler I am with the sun beating down on our backs, pain can only lead me to request no one both the insane and moronic. Dr. Henbit
not sure yet) winter is never far away. Snow will be fall- ever speak about it in the town again. has found that chemicals, well applied,
Deadwood ing in a few months, and mark my words, The asylum co-owner is the president of induced seizures that apparently “scare
you’ll have every indigent 49er in the hills our bank, Mr. Densmith, who has expe- out” obstructions to clear thought.
faking lunacy to exchange their cold tent rience running It is said these
Editor, for a warm pallet and three squares a day, these operations movement also
Where have the manners gone in Dead- all on the town’s thin nickel. in other commu- clear the mind
wood? Why while attending the lovely I suppose to men and ladies like you on nities in Califor- of those who
Bastille Day party at the Phoenix I noticed the council, a few more idiots roaming nia especially. hear hallucina-
a rather stumpy looking crude man spit- around don’t matter much in the great There he found tory commands
ting all over. The most vial brown sub- equation, but I bet if it was you having pitiful souls who or other voices.
stance which I would not even try to guess this nonsense moving in your back yard were so diseased It is not entire-
what is was came spewing out of his mouth you’d think differently. It may not matter in mind they ly clear how
and over and over on the lovely floor Miss matter now to you since it is isn’t your were not able to those ranging
Dufaux has. business suffering and its not your kids make payments from alcoholic
It concerns me greatly that people have and women having to stay locked up in to debts, in the to syphilitic to
seem to have lost all respect for manner doors for safety. case of men, merely imbecilic
and proper customs, specially in the pres- Well, it does matter to us, and it should or not able to are helped by
ence of many refined and classy ladies. matter than your job depends on our vote. continue useful this treatment,
One can only hope this town shapes up and Be advised none of our people will sup- e mploy me nt a nd fu r t he r
remembers its manners in the future! port any candidate that would bring such a s ho ste s s e s study is needed.
Grossed out and offended menace to our peace of mind. and entertain- Mr. Mauer
Deadwood The Lee Street Voters Association ers, as women. also reports that
Deadwood Mr. Densmith restraint, though
reports that a commonly used,
short stay in an can be ineffective
Editor, Mr. Streeter, asylum often and counterpro-
I am writing cause my Pa said I could. clears the mind ductive because
School is a very, very, very bad idea. It of those people research is show-
is really boring and some kinds even get hit and they return ing that strug-
by a ruler if the teacher is mean. I know to pro ductive gling against
this is true cause Olivia told me she saw employment. restraint agitates
another kid get hit and standed in a corner It is to b e ... Not like this. and stresses the
for an hour. This is very bad. expected in a mind. We can
Things that are good: Fishing, running, town our size only hope such
swimming, climbing trees and Toffee. that only a few people will be suitable innovative thinking can make the Black
Please Mr. Streeter, don’t let there be for this place. As the town grows, Mr. Hills Asylum known to not only house,
school, it is much better to be outside. Ma Densmith indicates the population of the but to cure.
wanted me to tell you that she does not asylum may reach the point where it is in
agree and wants a teacher to come so that larger states, where an asylum can move
me and my brother Ralphie don’t grow up perhaps to ranchland outside the commu-
Editor and Publisher next door to idiots. I don’t think there are nity and patients can grow crops. In many
Neil Streeter any idiots living next door, but if there are, communities, dances with woman patients
Im sure they don’t care if they can read or are very popular in the community, and
write or not. provide good mental therapy for the women
Reporter I caught a fish in Whitewood Creek last and a workout for the local men.
Addison Leigh week and we ate him for dinner, Many of us are old enough to recall the
Robert stories of early hospitals, and we all know
Typesetter Deadwood City the horror stories of several patients to a
bed, if they had a bed, and of patients who
S. Morigi
died from repeated attacks by rats. These

2
Deadwood Free Press Vol. 2 Issue 20
Stiffs to Get Warm Treatment
instead of Ice House
Town Council retains mortician and teacher; thankfully, not the same person
The Deadwood Town Council agreed to
retain the services of Black Hills Mortu-
ary for the purpose of ridding the town of
unwanted corpses.
By unanimous vote of those
present, the council agreed to
pay the mortuary, represented
by Mr. Eugene Sorrowman, to
take care of bodies when no next
of kin are available.
Previously, bodies have been
dragged to the ice house where
last winters they often lay for
weeks and two winters ago often
lay for months. It got to me there
were more cold corpses than cold
ice, and there were reports of
inexplicable odors in drinks.
Editor’s note. Our worst fear is
that the odors were explicable.
An arrangement with a
mortician is pretty standard in
most communities, this being
1878. Sorrowman asked $35 for
removal, embalming, casket
and burial. Town Treasurer Neil
Streeter ((Poohneil Streeter))
moved to approve $35 a body but $30 for
children owning to the reduced need for as
much chemical treatment.
Some people found the price too stiff.
Editor’s note: I hope you get that, Part of
your subscription price goes to keep these
jokes coming! Community member Miss
Merryann Munster questioned whether
embalming is needed for abandoned pau-
pers and the unclaimed, but Streeter kept
his motion to keep the prices as stated for a
two-month trial period. It is assumed town
council members will use these two months
to determine if Sorrowman will need the
full price in order to reimburse people, such
Blackheart-Fallen Union
Miss Laurel Blackheart, a town librar- by Methodist Rev. Baird Bravin. The his way to dead wood to pay my killers a
ian, and Mr. Sentenza Fallen, retired mili- couple is wished the very best. little visit. My plan was to die to give my
tary, were wed in the Deadwood Church
as town council members, for any services destination, but as noted, this arrangement
they might provide him. is standard in almost any town that doesn’t
This will apply to unclaimed dead bodies want bodies sitting around.
There was also discussion about
recovery of costs, which Sorrow-
man will attempt when he can find
relatives who are almost certainly
going to be willing to pay more,
and also by the town when it ends
up having to pay the fee.
“I simply think that anyone
who chooses to die in Deadwood,
must have something on there
person that has value, and could
be pawned to pay for their burial.
Or kin to pay for their burial,”
Miss Hye stated.
Town Attorney Addison Leigh
stated, “The town only becomes
responsible to supporting the poor
once they have achieved a three-
month residency before which
they are returned to whence they
came or their place of residency is
billed. We could invoke this idea
here as well and bill the the cost
of disposal to the deceased’s rela-
found within’ town limits and hopefully tives or county of official residency. It’s
reduce the number of corpses dragged standard law that a person, be they orphan
outside city limits. After the council meet- child or adult is not the responsibility of
ing, Minister Rev. Baird Bravin said his the county unless they have established
faith community has buried about 10 such residency.”
people since arrival in town, and that he Mayor Clay Kungler and other council
appreciates the town stepping forward to members agreed that the town should seek
accept the obligation that none may want reimbursement, but its choices were limited
but which death makes necessary. when the body is dead.
Miss Khaya Hye expressed concern that “That is a good point ... however how
people may come to Deadwood to die and many of the dead bodies that have been
be buried, but it was discussed that most of
those who have died in the town’s experi-
ence did not plan on that outcome. The
trial period will determine if we become a
Gunman's Reign...
Continued from page 1
dead, by a sniper. I have sharp shooters
watching and i advice you not to do any-
thing stupid. This is the second warning,
dont get to the third.
Also if the mayor is pulling any tricks i
will not hesitate to kill all my hostages. Its
time to have some fun.”
Editor’s note: If this fellow had bothered
to participate in our Fourth of July festivi-
ties, he would have known Miss Leigh is
a champion target shooter. His choices are
getting worse.
Citizens need not fear though. After a
scuffle in Sorrowman’s mortuary, the man
did not match wits well with Mr. Sorrow-
man’s cane - not to mention my Beaumont
pistol. At last we had the man hogtied in
the center of Main Street, a threat to noone.
Deputy Warden unmasked the horrible
man and to our shock, revealed the face of
none other than Mr. Markus Farquat, the
so called hostage. In Mr. Farquat’s pocket
was found one final note.
Editor’s note: It turns out this man is a
writer. How sad he needs to die.
“good good...... you have killed me. But
even in the act of the dead i am comming
back. My elder brother kotana xaris is on
brother a chance to escape..... I knew you
July 21, 1878
stuffed in the Gem, Bella, Number 10
Saloon or any other place have been resi-
dents?” he said.
In other business:
- The town council hired Miss Khaya
Hye to serve as schoolteacher for a six-
week term to start Thursday.
“I just want to able to teach the children
and teach them everything they should
know to be come productive members of
society,” she stated to the 75 or so people
present.
Parents may drop their children off at
the school for a few hours and thus have
the house to themselves in order to work
at making more children.
- Streeter asked council members to
approve a similar arrangement as with
the mortuary in terms of a new mental
asylum opening on Lee Street. He said
the Deadwood Bank is investing in the
medical facility on behalf of the town and
as an investment. However, a majority of
town council members, with the exception
of Streeter, agreed to let lunatics roam the
town freely until such time as town council
members can tour the new Black Hills
Asylum and meets its medical attendant,
a doctor in the very broadest and most
healing sense of the term.
- The town council certified candidates
for election. See accompanying story, this
issue, about the elections.
- It was noted that former town council
member Rod Eun was looking very seri-
ous. Someone should try to jest with him
a bit to make him laugh.
wouldnt ask me questions just kill me so
there for only me and kotana know where
the hostages are. Untill next time..
Markus Farquart.”
Editor’s note: the thing about writing
though is that you also have to know what
not to say. Or maybe reveal the whole plot in
advance. Hmmm...
Well clearly, Mr. Farquart is too insane
to realize that, being dead, there would be
no “next time.” The tale should have ended
there, but more nonsense was afoot. No
sooner had the deputy stashed the carion
in the morgue, when the man’s brother
appeared (we assume since he affectionatly
called the man “brother”.)
This fact could not be confirmed since a
large clown mask obscured his face. The
deputy ordered the man unmasked; instead,
he jumped from the balcony and declared
his intentions to go eat pancakes.
Later the man appeared again in his
menacing mask at the hotel demanding a
room. He refused to remove his mask at
the request of the deputy who pulled his
gun. The Clown masked man pulled his
gun, and Deputy Warden won the day.
Editor’s note: Can someone remind me
why the town council did not want to autho-
rize use of an insane asylum?
By Miss Addison Leigh
3
Deadwood Free Press Vol. 2 Issue 20 July 21, 1878

Town Council Elections Coming Up

The elections for Deadwood Town Council and for sheriff will be July 29 to 31. Visit
the Deadwood Town Hall then to exercise your democratic right.
The candidates for sheriff are Blayne Warden and BlackJack Landar.
The candidates for town council are Daniel Densmith, Clayton Kungler, Merryann
Munster and Coodnank Thibedeau. They are competing for the seats presently held
by Mr Kungler and Miss Thibedeau, as well as seats presently or formerly held by Miss
Grey Bedlam and Neil Streeter.
For those of you wondering, one of the council members will be chosen mayor by his
or her peers, but only after this election where the voters will decide who the council
members should be.
The Free Press distributed surveys to candidates for town council and received these
replies. Replies received later will be printed as possible.

Meet the Candidates

Clayton Kungler Daniel Dante Densmith Merryann Munster

“Proven Record” “More Women & More Prayer” “Balanced Progress”

Occupation Gem Saloon Owner, Centennial Densmith Investments and Securi- Hostess, for the Phoenix hotel; sales
Boarding House Co-Owner, Mayor ty, San Francisco, CA and Chicago, clerk at Montagne Noire
of Deadwood Ill. President, First National Bank
of Deadwood.

What should be the town To attract more people to our fine, To grow stable jobs and stable popu- Improving commerce, protection
council’s goals for the coming fine town. lation by encouraging employers for the citizens.
months? and families to locate here. The
council must encourage more fami-
lies for the good of the town.

Specific laws you’d like to see We need to create financial incen-
passed tives to bring marriageable women
here for our miners and other single
men to meet in order to add more
couples and families to stabilize our
community.
A decency law. There should be
no half-naked men on the streets
(the fighters from the Gem have
been known to come outside). I
suppose that should also include no
half-naked women, as Mr. Kungler
tells me that women are occasional
contestants.

What are your personal goals To work at the continued growth of Apply my expertise in finance, To serve the town with a measured
as a council member? the town of Deadwood by attract- hopefully following my colleague vote toward progress.
ing more people and giving them Neil Streeter as town treasurer in
more opportunities. association with our roles at the
bank. I have a long history of bring
people together and hope to broker
better relationships between our
unions and the mine companies.
Pray to God daily for the wisdom
to help my community.

What role would you like to Mayor or Public Safety Commis- Court commissioner
specialize in, if any? sioner

Why should someone vote for Someone should vote for me because After years developing a skills tool- When a town experiences rapid
you? I have a proven record of service kit through building businesses in growth, certain elements tend to
in working hard at trying to make several mining communities, I’d thrive. To achieve stability, all
council work at best serving the like to help build a stronger and aspects of the community must be
town of Deadwood. more democratic town with a good encouraged. A vote for me is a vote
economic base and lovely water- for balanced progress.
front parks for people to enjoy.
We can become a destination, thus
broadening our economy beyond
mining, which we can encourage
through the presence of representa-
tive unions and a government that
works with mine owners. I stand for
the working man!

4
Deadwood Free Press Vol. 2 Issue 20 July 21, 1878

Scenes From Around Town

A very successful festival of the French, which Miss Dufaux of
the Phoenix calls Bastille Day, was celebrated at the hotel and
theater by a play about a young girl’s vision of Joan of Arc. The
hotel’s cook played the girl and Miss Dufaux herself portrayed
Joan, looking both sharp and shiny in her chain mail armor. We
hope the fashion does not catch on as it does seem to provide some
obstacles to free use of the body.

The Fourth of July was celebrated with merriment and sport and
fireworks and the sheer joy of democracy. To list here results from
just some of the competitions, your editor, Neil Streeter, won the
horse race with his steed of fury, Crapshoot.
The dunk tank was very popular, Mayor Kungler and your
humble editor and others proving very good sports. You will see
from the picture of the townspeople that those throwing balls at
the dunk tank were ferocious indeed!
The canoe races were won by Mr. Rod Eun, and then a competi-
tion featuring two in a canoe was won by Augustus Macarthur
and Merryann Munster.
For the shooting contest run by Mrs. Kuhr, results were: Ernst
Osterham 1st; Rod Eun 2nd and Adelaide Naimarc 3rd for pistol
and then for rifle, Rod Eun and Adelaide Naimarc.
The shooting gallery at the foot of Main was popular, and the
finest sharpshooters were Young Mr. Deacon Dryke, Mr. Rod Eun,
Mr. Clay Kungler, Miss Addison Leigh, Mr. Augustus MacArthur
and Jatan Rammidge.

5
Deadwood Free Press Vol. 2 Issue 20
A Serial Story Continues...
The Perilous Journeys of
Mary Sue Sweetlyness
Mary Sue Sweetliness lay sleeping with
hands tucked neatly in prayer beneath one
soft angelic cheek.
In the darkness, her lips curled in a
peaceful smile as happy images of child-
hood danced through her mind like soft
ripples on on a clear mountain lake.
A door crashed inches from her resting
head. Mary Sue Jumped awake!
Squinting into the darkness, a familiar
voice cried out, “Oh Mary, are you alive
at last,” sobbed dear Beth inches from
her ear, “I feared God had already taken
you to sit on his side as a sweet angel of
mercy!”
“Do not fear,” Mary breathed in reply,
suddenly remembering where she was, “I
could not leave you in such circumstances
even if Jesus himself kissed my cheek and
led me himself to the right hand of his
father!”
Mary Sue took Beth into her arms.
Patting her head, she comforted her as
no one else could. Mary Sue’s lash-tipped
cornflower blue eyes rimmed with violet
golden flecks watched their strange sur-
roundings take shape by the scant light of
one oily candle.
Suddenly, she gasped, allowed as a small
fear ignited in her heart and grew. Turn-
ing wildly, her eyes traveled wildly back
around the room, eyes darting from from
the one vile vessel smeared with wet grain
on he floor to the boarded window behind
them.
“But where is Little Nell!” cried Mary
in anguish!
“Do you not remember?” answered Beth
sobbing.
“I...I....I,” Mary Sue faltered, her mind
a dark swirling cloud refusing to take
shape. “I cannot recall it all, Tell me!” she
cried.
Dear Beth stood up near the small dusty
window that even brightest daylight failed
to penetrate.
“Oh Mary, it was horrible. The ugly
hairy barrel-chested men cast us into
this cave. We struggled bravely until the
demons sat upon our chests and pinned us
to the floor. Nell and I were helpless, but
not you Mary Sue, you fought on and when
all hope was lost. You alone stood in the
middle of the floor - and quoth, ““And for
their sakes I sanctify Myself.” Lo! He bore
the sins” and charged in to defend us!
“Miraculously you were victorious. You
dove in like the swift flaxen eagle, dart-
ing more quickly than any human being
I have ever seen. You bravely relieved the
largest man of his evil weapon, and within
moments, all three lay at on the ground
at your sweet mercy awaiting the finale
blow.
“Oh Mary,” sighed dear Beth with a
tear in her eye, “Little did they know what
valiant creature God’s mercy had bestowed
Episode 2: Rampant Violence
By Miss Adele Leeland
upon them. For only you, who such cir-
cumstances rendered, nay demanded, just
recompense; you Mary Sue, offered only
the hand of redemption.
“Oh! I shall never forget the beatific
looks on their faces. All three reached
out to your offered hand of friendship and
took it gladly. How your perfect kindness
etched crooked smiles into their twisted
countenances. I could have laughed for joy
at the sight of it. Surely we should have
escaped with our new friends, but sadly,
a fourth came into the room unseen and
struck you over the head with a board.”
“What vile evil is this, that Satan’s
spawn snatch away what grace the God
has clearly given” exclaimed Mary Sue in
the muted cries.
“Forgive me, Sister! sobbed little Beth,
with you insensible, I had no hope of stop-
ping the evil one. He boxed the ears of
those recently converted and seized poor
Little Nell, and I know not where they took
her or to what fate,” Cried dear Beth, her
words descending to unintelligible sobs as
the two remaining sisters clutched each
other in a paroxysm of fear and suffer-
ing.
Silently they lay together, passing the
long night. Consciousness ebbed and
flowed as fearful sounds came to them
through the walls, stretched and distorted
by the stone vessel and grime that con-
tained them. Before a dawn dawned that
could never penetrate the hard stone of
fate, the sound of laughter crashed the
darkness waking them, wood scraped
loudly on stone and Little Nell and light
burst forth into the room.
“Sisters, do not despair, we shall be the
authors of our own deliverance!”
“Nell!” cried Beth in glad celebration,
“You are not dead!”
“No, I am alive!” celebrated little Nell,
with an odd gleam in her eye. “We are
delivered! We only must earn our fate
willingly and in time. They will free us!
Look!” said she, holding out her palm. “I
have gold.”
Mary Sue and Beth stared at the small
gleaming coins in amazement. Dear Beth
reached mesmerized finger to touch the
glowing coins as Mary Sue took hold of
little Nell nearly hugging her. “Did they
not attack you?”
“Well, not exactly ... “ Nell started to
explain.
“Stop!” screamed the voice of a small
child obviously wise beyond her years.
The three sisters gazed around the room,
amazed to see an undiscovered urchin
standing by the wall holding them at bay
with a pair of six guns in one hand and
volumes one through three of Newton’s
Exegesis on Natural World Physics bal-
anced in the other.
All three sisters fell back with a shout as
the child jumped between them, holding
Little Nell at bay. “Can you not see she is
changed! Do not touch her! All light and
virtue has faded from her eyes!”
To be continued...
July 21, 1878
“Eh, what?” said little Nell.
“Run! screamed the protegee at Mary
Sue and Beth, “I’ll hold her off!”
Mary Sue gazed at little Nell as if seeing
her for the first time, and marked a change
a maiden such as she could never under-
stand. Mourning her mysterious loss, she
sobbed once, grabbed the hand of her
remaining sister and ran out of the cell,
through the dark hallway to a door where
one tarp covered wagon stood outside the
door awaiting its driver.
Shhh! Advised the little one running up
behind them, gesturing them hide beneath
the tarp. “Ride in silence, for the driver
will not know you are there till it be too
late. But should he discover you too soon,
all will be lost!” spoke the child.
Mary Sue clasped both hands of the
impossibly wise child. “But you must come
with us”, she said gazing into her eyes,
“I cannot leave you here to bear such a
horrible fate”
“But you must,” declared the cherubim
with great courage, “Such sorrows i have
had, this horror is to be my fate for I suffer
like no others!
“Oh No” countered Mary Sue, “to have
lost the one you are fated to love through
eternity is the greatest pain I could never
wish on anyone, you must come!”
“Alas no”, insisted the child, “it may be
that we shall meet again, but I have lost
mother and father and siblings to horrible
violence and though I have struck down 17
evil men with my sharpshooting, I have
committed my life to study and have com-
pleted six university degrees already! “
“But I must save you from yourself little
child, this is no place for one such as your-
self” cried Mary Sue
“No! I have saved you dear lady” intoned
small genius, her urgent voice tinkling like
a bell in the early morning light as she
picked up a stick and struck the nearest
horse.
Just as Mary Sue thrust her hands for-
ward determined not to leave the child as
she found it - the startled horses charged
forth leaving the driver behind drunk
against the wall. Mary Sue fell harshly
onto the wagon floor just in time to soften
the fall of dear Beth.
As valiant steeds erupted into motion,
Mary Sue raised her head in time to see
the form of a small child recede into the
distance. As horses pounded westward
with insane frenzy, both sisters contem-
plated the identity of that valiant child
and had naught to do but huddle down
under the tarp and whisper soft prayers
of redemption for the for lost souls they
left behind.