Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-09-06

and, had not my time been limited to
two short hours, your dying breath
should have acknowledged it ere an
|other day. / shall now live for but
Ioue thing --rsye,ys, Go where you
may, my eye shall be upon yor, and
so shure as there is a God above, my
satisfaction shall in less than one year
be complete and dreadful -,
JACOB WALswoRTH.
The next tina I saw Roe was on the
occasion and at the time mentioned
| in the beginning Of this little sketch.
He was then a French monte dealer,
and carried on his operations as such
in a disreputable den on the corner
of Front and ] streets, in Sacramento
City. On the morning of the day
Of his death, be had drank pretty
freely, and, being very irritable when
under the influence of liquor, he or
dered from his table miner who had
made remarks toa by-stander as tothe
hoesty of the game. The miner re-
fused, and a rough-and-tumble street
fight in front Of the house was the
consequence. A teamster attempted
to separate them, when Roe pulled a
revolver from his belt and shot him,
cousing wound which proved fatal
two DAYS after. Roe was arrested
and lodged in the station house. -
Thimble riggers and Freuch monte
dealers were then getting in bad odor.
and as soon as the circumstances OF
the murderous attempt became known,
or rather, as soon as it became noised
about the streets, that such a deed
had been perpetrated by gambler
upon AN honest, hard-working man.
a crowd commence gathering in front
Of he station house, which, in half
an bour swcl!ed to the number Of
some 200 persons up to this time
but little excitement ii1,a. been nam mani
tested by the assembjage, [ Lays no
reason to believe that the thought
of lynching him had been entertained
or even suggested by a single indvid-
ud present; they had collected from
motives of criosity; desire to 1earn
the particulars and nothing more.
Atthis moment the startling cry of
Hang him! hang the murderer! burst
from single throatin the crowd, but
the tone in which it vas uttered was
so loud, firm and decisive, that all
eyes were instantly turned upon the
speaker, who was man Of perhapse
forty years of age, with stout, we'll
formed person, and long, heavy
beard, which covered his face to his
very eyes. He was a stranger to
those present, but his intelligent
looking face, and the garb of a miner,
in which he was clothed, entitled him
to some respect, and, as be slowly
mounted an empty merchandise box,
not word escaped from the crowd.
He removed his hat, and turning,
pointed to the prison and addressed
tho gathering:
sIn that prison., he said, fs muir
derer, thief and gambler. He has
murdered peaceable citizen before
your eyes, and is now waiting for his
money to buy his release, and to stalk
forth again in your midst with the
blood Of his victim upon his hands!
There is no such thing as law in Caii-
fornia for The punishment Of such
villains, except it be administered di-
recay by the people. I say, bring
him out and hang him as high as Ha-
man. Who says Yes to ie?'
/ The miner descended from his ros-
trum. but not until he had fred the
train His words had the desired
effect, and hundred voices took up
the savage shout, and Hang him!
hang him! resounded through the
assemblage, was rapidly increasing in
numbers as we'll as violence until the
streets adjoing the prison was densely
crowed. Shouts of vengence, and
defiance of Law, now went up from
every quarter, striking terror to the
4 heart Of the iron culprit as he hesrd
his sentence pronunced by the excited
mob without. The whole police force
of the city was stationed around the
door Of. the prison, and the Mayor
vainly resorted to alternate threats
and promises to disperse the crowd
/ The only answer weregroans and hiss
les, mingled with cries Of sbreak the
door down. Bring ropeF Hang
the murderer
i The miner Who had ignited The
flame, satisfied with bis work, nov
= s