CRUSHED TO DEATH IN A CLOCK

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 402, 24 January 1872, Page 7

CRUSHED TO DEATH IN A CLOCK

The bell-ringer in rh« carhed-al of Wurtzbnrg has perished under very peculiar circumstances. The church po-sep^es a splendid clock, with ponderous and complicated works, while a pe'niiulii'.n of proportionate length ''vibrates to »nd fro w'vh a dull iind monotonous thud. R'fe'nty the clock needed cleaning, and 'the un ;t>r deputed to superintend the work, tht'Jfcgh he ruefully endeavored to be exo'is^-i from the task. It seemed thai he nsV.-sr willingly approached the l>elfrey f-om c.e'rtafit unpleasant associations. About tvvanty ypiirs ago ha killed li'is predecessor in office. accusing him of carrying, on a criminal intrigue with his wife. Wheh 'irought to Trial he escay>e'd the srailovvs owino 1 to k deficiency of leg"d l pr 6 )f. The patrona^H ofoaeofthe canons then nmeurnd him the appointment vacant by t'hfi death of liis victim. Hence, it is said, his supnrstitious dread of in conn^rtiDn vvi'h the. l)elfi'V, which iva's supposed by ininy to be haunted by the g-host of the murdered ringer. On the morning wli^o the clo'jfc was to be cleaned it suddenly stooped-, f'tiii the bHII-rinfrer wa? nowhere to lio 'Jonft'J. A. workman fVom the t«uvn was s^hr fir, and when he ascended the tower he was horrified to find tho pchdnl.n/n ftnd lower work< dripping withbiodd. LTpor: searching" further, the body of tho bHll-rinsr^r was found entangled in flifi works Trifrht'tully mangled and crushed. One supposition is that that hn comrhirtftd S'lif.ide Ivy climbing up the pendulum >md then throwing 1 himself into rh^ iii i-.-.hinftry ot the clock. But. the wonder-loving irn<sip.-< of rhe place, with a ihrotiyhlv Gentian propensity for the horrible, declare that ihft uuilty man upon reach iny tiie gloomy chamber wherein the works revoive.d, wih horror-stricken by tde appiririon of his predecessor sitting- besid» t!»- ir.rpn? f);il:incf« wbe*4 of the clock, and bad then bf»en drawn into the w6rk"s by a spHcim uf horri!)le fascination, similar to thar, ivliiuli the rattlesnake is said t,o biiv« o?»r it-» p'rev. There sat flic sne-.f.re. ruMMin;^ liis "•ory hands in hideous trlee as the victim was slowly drawn in innonjf the cogwheels and ratchets of ihe. rbacbin«'ry. A.n agonising' yell, a crush ot boil"*, ntid iifl was srill ! Such, nccordihj: to the l [t^lia. 1 is the legend of the belfVeV nf Wur zun-.r.