Tick tock...
Tick tock...
In the dark and damp cell, it was smelly and dirty. The thin skirt-like bedding could not be seen from its original white color at all. It exuded a strong musty smell and was stained with large yellow spots.
The only light is the moonlight that shines through the iron window of the high wall. If it is cloudy, there will be no light. The prisoner can only huddle on the quilt in the same position as the chamber pot and shiver.
The monitors guarding the prisoners walked past the prison door with long sticks in their hands, and the tips of the sticks kept hitting the iron railings, making a clanging sound.
This is Ungersal, the largest prison in County Wexford.
It contains not only unconvicted persons awaiting trial, thieves, and robbers, but also a bunch of death row prisoners.
It was extremely cold tonight, and the cold wind kept pouring in through the unsealed windows. The prisoners had to wrap themselves tightly in quilts and curl up like watermelon bugs in an attempt to retain the last trace of warmth.
Until the arrival of a few people broke this desperate silence.
Beside the table, the night watch officer leaned on the kerosene lamp, scanned the contents and signatures of the documents in his hand, raised his hand in salute, personally led several of his subordinates, took the keys to the cell, and accompanied several 'guests' in front of him who obviously should not be here. Enter the area where death row prisoners are held.
Just in case, they even brought revolvers that would only be used in emergencies. They held the long sticks tightly and smashed away the prisoners who were lying on the railings on both sides watching curiously, and opened the way with angry curses.
The prisoners were not afraid of the sticks. Their eyes were fixed on the small white shadow in the crowd. They had not seen such pure white for a long time. It was bright and full of holy aura, as if they could get closer if they got close. Drive away the filth from them.
If someone dares to whistle, the night watch officer will angrily order his men to open the cell, pry open the mouth of the whistler, insert a stick and stir...
Without much effort, you will see blood blooming from the gums that have shrunk due to lack of nutrition, and the rotten teeth that are not very strong will fall out.
There were also the cries of pain from the prisoners.
Yunia followed closely behind Ma Wei, hugging the little bear, and glanced around with her big blue eyes, observing the hungry and thin faces of the prisoners.
"Are you afraid?" Ma Wei asked softly: "This is a sight you must see."
Yunia shook her head: "I just think they are pitiful..."
"There are some people in this world who deserve sympathy, some people who don't deserve sympathy, and some people... who cannot be sympathetic."
"where are they?"
"The absolute majority of them are people who do not deserve sympathy."
If we were to look at the era of more than ten or twenty years ago when bloody codes were rampant and people who stole five shillings or cut down trees in noble territory would be sentenced to death by hanging, many death row prisoners would indeed be worthy of sympathy.
But in 1846, at the urging of Sir Samuel Romilly, a member of the House of Commons, the famous writer Charles Dickens sent four letters to the Daily Mail, the New York Times and other newspapers to completely abolish Capital punishment-themed letters.
Later, the Homicide Act and the Offenses Against the Person Act were promulgated, stipulating that only eight heinous crimes such as murder, treason, and piracy could be sentenced to death.
Since then, the number of death row inmates has decreased significantly, but there are still many.
Cell 18.
A man wearing a ragged prison uniform stood in the center of the cell looking out at the bright moon, dragging a heavy iron ball on his feet. His back was to the cell door, and he did not look back because of the noise behind him.
"Open the door," Mavey said.
"Father, are you sure you want to go in?" The night watch officer glanced at the man and reminded him kindly: "These are murderers. I don't know what they will do. If you have anything to say, just say it through the railing. Yes, there is no need to put yourself at risk."
Risky?
Ma Wei looked at the bat on his shoulder, and then at the text behind him. He still held the goddess's little hand in his hand. He...
I really don’t think the other party can hurt me.
This is not arrogance, but his preparation in advance.
Even if the other party is just an ordinary human being.
"It's okay, I want to talk to him about something, please open the door."
"...good."
The night officer didn't ask any more questions, took out the key and inserted it into the lock of the cell door.
Squeak...
The sound of the door opening behind him finally attracted the attention of the man in prison uniform. He turned around, his hair as messy as a chicken coop, his face covered with stubble, and his black eyes looking at the people who entered the cell.
Ma Wei looked him up and down, "Philip Green?"
"it's me."
After confirming the identity of the other party, Ma Wei nodded and said: "Sir, please give us some private space."
"Call me if you have any questions." The night watch officer closed the cell door, glared at the man in prison uniform threateningly, and retreated far away with several of his men, ready to rush forward.
Sitting on the only stool, Ma Wei picked up Yunia, asked Lai Wen to put the kerosene lamp on the table, and took out a verdict form from his arms:
"Philip Green was arrested on October 5 for the murder of his own brother. After investigation, he was found guilty of murder. The circumstances were atrocious and he was sentenced to death by hanging."
"What do you want to say?" The man in prison uniform stared at him coldly, "Are you my brother's friend and you came here to mock me?"
"I don't know your brother who is a businessman."
Ma Wei shook his head: "Many people only know that your brother is very rich. You killed him to get his property, because according to the limited inheritance rights and primogeniture system in the Inheritance Law, if there is no man in the family, then All property will be transferred to the name of the relevant relative man, and the wife of the deceased only enjoys the right to property dividends and no right to sell, and they even face the dilemma of being kicked out of the house by their husband's brothers."
Write a book
Phillip's eyes were always calm and did not cause the slightest disturbance.
"but..."
Tapping his index finger on the table, Ma Wei said calmly: "If I investigate you in depth, I will find that, Philip Green, you have a seriously ill daughter who needs to be sent to the royal capital for treatment. This requires a lot of money. , as a coal miner, you can't get it out at all, so you can only ask your brother, a businessman, for help."
"Unfortunately, according to your sister-in-law's confession, the brother you had high hopes for did not provide financial assistance, but only gave a few gold pounds in a symbolic way, so you killed him and obtained your brother during the police investigation. He sold his wealth and gave it to the doctors in the royal capital."
"Presumably, your daughter has been treated, so you have nothing to fear now, but if I tell the police about this, the court will definitely re-sentence and force you to return the property to your brother's legacy... Of course, You are now on death row, and the debt problem will naturally fall on your 11-year-old daughter. Including interest, she will not be able to repay the 200 pounds in 30 years."
jingle!
The iron chain suddenly tightened, and Philip, who had red eyes and wanted to rush up and strangle Mavey's neck, tripped over the heavy iron ball on his feet and hit his head on the corner of the table, creating a long and thin wound and bleeding profusely. .
"You're angry."
Looking at Philip, whose eyes were red and wanting to rush up and tear him into pieces, Ma Wei looked calmly: "Although you are trying to save your daughter, killing others to obtain funds still violates the law. You are A prisoner who cannot be sympathized with should be punished, but your daughter who is seriously ill should not pay the price for your reckless and wrong decision. She is innocent."
Four 50 gold pound coupons were placed on the table, and Ma Wei said softly: "The Church of Truth is willing to provide funds to pay off your daughter's debt of 200 gold pounds, and continue to support her education and life until she is 22 years old."
The man in prison uniform looked at the gold pound coupons on the table and took a deep breath: "What do you want?"
"I will buy your life, Mr. Philip."
