"'Then you know each other,' said I to my friend the second friar, and I
sought to bring them together, but my friend, after eyeing the former
from head to foot, denied all knowledge of him. The first friar then
somewhat confusedly stammered an excuse, saying that he had spoken
without thinking, but that he had intended to say St. Mary's, another
Capuchin convent, six miles further off. Then my friend the second friar
said that he knew all the friars at St. Mary's, but still denied that he
knew this one. "The former began to mumble that he had only lately arrived, and began
to turn the conversation. My friend whispered to me that he didn't
believe he was a friar at all, but someone in disguise. After my friend
had left, the former friar called for more beer (I never saw a friar
drink so much beer as this one), and being curious to discover who the
man was I tried to draw him out. At first he answered cautiously, but
after drinking deeper he became less cautious and more confidential, but
his utterance was now thick and unintelligible. He drew his chair closer
to mine, and seemed about to let me into some secret, when some other
customers of mine at the next table began to talk about the murder. "I noticed that the would-be friar started, and instead of continuing
his conversation with me, got up suddenly and muttered some excuse for
taking his departure. He paid me hurriedly by lying down a Reichsgulden,
saying that whatever change there might be I might keep for myself. He
had hardly left my house when certain of the guard who had been on the
track of the murderer stopped to question him, and finding he could give
no satisfactory account of himself, took him into custody." Other witnesses were then examined in their turn, among which were
certain members of the family of the murdered count, and a certain
Fraulein von Berlichingen, his affianced bride, all of whom recognised
the body to be that of the missing Graf von Waffenburg. The silken purse
with silver beads picked up by the first witness was also recognised by
Fraulein von Berlichingen as having been knitted by herself and
presented by her to her lover. The remains of the murdered count were decently interred. The melancholy
event caused no small commotion in the neighbourhood. The funeral was
followed by a large crowd of relatives and intimate friends, among which
were our two heroes Fritz and Ludwig. The grief of Fraulein von
Berlichingen was too great to allow her to appear at the funeral. She
was inconsolable, and shortly afterwards entered a convent. But to return to the trial. The prisoner was now conducted into court. He was a man somewhat passed
middle-age, though his frame was square built and powerful, and his
hair, beard, and eyebrows were of a deep black, yet an observer might
have noticed that whenever a ray of sunlight entered the court and shone
full in the face of the prisoner that his hair and beard turned to a
glowing purple, demonstrating beyond a doubt the presence of dye. Those
who chanced to be stationed near the prisoner declared afterwards that
the hairs of his head towards the roots were of a bright red, and many
were they who recognised, in spite of this disguise, the person of
Franz Wenzel, the executioner. The prisoner, however, when examined, gave his name as Adolf Schmidt,
and denied stoutly that he was Franz Wenzel, or to having ever had
dealings with such a person. He denied having stolen a bottle of hair dye for the purpose of
disguising himself, and maintained that he was an honest citizen who had
donned a holy garb for penitence, which had been imposed upon him by his
father confessor. The prisoner was then asked if such were the case, why he had tried to
deceive the host of the Bear Inn and the Capuchin friar when they asked
him whence he came. To this the prisoner replied that he loved not to
gratify the idle curiosity of others respecting his private affairs. Ludwig Engstein then asked the prisoner how he came in possession of the
friar's amice, for which he responded that it had been lent him some
time ago by his father confessor, who had obtained it from some Capuchin
friar of his acquaintance. When asked for particulars concerning his father confessor, he replied
vaguely and confusedly, and when begged to be more explicit, he refused,
saying he had private reasons for not divulging the affairs of his
friends. Other witnesses were then called for, who stated that they had been
robbed of money and various sorts of ware more than once within the
last three years, about half a (German) mile from the house of the
Scharfrichter by a man who wore a mask, and who corresponded in height
and width of person to the prisoner. Among these latter was a Jew
pedlar, who three years ago had been robbed of a large sum and various
articles of clothing, among which he declared was the identical friar's
amice held up in court, and which he perfectly remembered to have
patched himself. This and such like evidence naturally went very much against the
prisoner; neither will it be wondered at that his disguise was easily
seen through, and his person recognised as that of Franz Wenzel, the
executioner. He was consequently found guilty of wilful murder and
finally condemned to be beheaded. The day of the execution was fixed,
and the prisoner conducted to the condemned cell. We have mentioned before in an early part of this story that the
profession of the headsman was hereditary, that the law forced the son
of an executioner to follow in the steps of his father. The unhappy wretch then, according to this law, was doomed to lose his
life at the hands of his own son. Much speculation, however, among the
inhabitants of ----dorf had arisen as to whether the law would actually
enforce so rigorous a decree, and whether the son of the Scharfrichter
would rebel against it if it did, or bow submissively to so harsh and
unfeeling an order. Some there were who thought that an exception ought to be made in this
case, and a new Henker selected, as it was hard for the son to suffer
for the crimes of the father; but even if the law were disposed to be
lenient, who was the new aspirant to be? Who would like to come forward
to offer his services? The office of the Scharfrichter was in such bad odour that it would be
difficult to find a man in the whole village who could be persuaded to
undertake the task, even by the offer of a large reward. However, after much speculation and gossip, the inhabitants came to the
conclusion that everything might be done with money, and that someone
would be certainly found to accept the bribe. Others began to spread throughout the village that the man had already
been found, and ventured to point out such or such a citizen as the new
practitioner. Meanwhile the law had remained passive and had not
troubled itself to make an exception in the case, and the burgomaster
who had the superintendence of such affairs was far too phlegmatic and
indifferent even to give the matter a thought.