The sign found in the labyrinth.
Dead Men is a sign which can be found on a fence in the labyrinth of Silent Hill 2. There are three variants of the sign, dependent on the riddle difficulty level, and it is used as a clue in order to complete the Free the Innocent Man puzzle.
Transcript[]
Easy[]
"He committed an evil crime.
He turned a happy home into a pile of ash.
For that, he should die.
They also committed crimes.
They tried to fraud and trick others.
So their reward too is natural.
Even he cannot be forgiven,
My friend without his left hand.
And so his death bothers me not.
And what of him?
He also is not sinless.
There is only one here who is innocent.
The missing child was nowhere to be found,
And so there was no proof of his guilt.
His death was a tragedy.
That is all I wish to say.
It was neither justice nor retribution."
Normal[]
"Dead men, dead men, swinging in a tree
How many dead men do you see?
Tongue turned blue and face gone grey
Watch them as they twist and sway
The first one killed the butcher man
Then cooked him in the frying pan
Served him to his hungry guests
And gave them seconds on request
The next one with his smile and sweets
Stole poor children off the streets
To men who dressed unsavory
He sold them into slavery
Breaking into home at night
The thief he had a nasty fright
Filled his foolish head with ale
Woke in the morn in the county jail
The artist with his daunting skill
Tried his hand at painting bills
But caught in rain he was undone
When the ink he’d use did start to run
With promises of great return
Taking gold he did not earn
Bundled it up out of sight
Quietly slipped off into night
Three houses into ashes burned
The sheriff with no place to turn
Did spy a stranger in his town
Locked him up and beat him down
Dead men, dead men, swinging in a tree
How many dead men do you see?
Six feet long and six men wide
Round their necks the noose be tied."
Hard[]
"I do not wish to die.
But tomorrow I will climb the thirteen steps.
Please someone – answer me,
Why must I die come the morning?
The man imprisoned beside me believed me.
'Because they're all insane, that's why', he said.
Of course I know his opinion will change nothing.
'Now you know why I struck out at them', he muttered.
The man who was executed yesterday, the one who had
said his job was to sell dreams, said that was not true.
But the man who is to be executed the day after tomorrow for
stealing children shouted back that it was true.
The man who was hung today did not answer.
'They'll kill me either way', he said.
He was caught embezzling public money, so he hasn’t any hope for mercy.
The man who is always quietly smiling to himself said 'I am
happy for I will soon
be with her'.
I do not wish to die.
I long only to return home.
But I know it is not to be.
Though I have done nothing, this crime has been thrust upon me.
Someone save me.
This is not judgement.
They are bloodthirsty and I am their sacrificial lamb!"