The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-08-23
An Escape in the West.
BY THE " UNKNOWN"
About three or four years ago-more or

ADOut tufec OF IOuT years d1O-tUDrc
less-I was practicing law in Illinois, on Il
pretty large circuit. | was called on one
day in my office III the town Of c., by a
pretty WOMAN, who, not without tears, told
I me that her husband had been arrested for
horse stealing. She wished to retain me on
the defence. | asked her why she didn't 90
10 Judge B, an able Senator Of the l.
), whose office was in the same town. Told
her that ! was young hand at the bar, &c
She mourniuiy said that he asked a re-
tanning fee beyond her means and, besides
did not want to touch the case, for her huS
band was suspected of belonging 10 an cx-
tonsive band of horse-ihcves and counter
! ieiterS, whose head quarters were IN Moore )
Prairie.
asked her to tell me the truth about the
matter, and i It WIS true that he did belong
TO such gang.
"Ah, sir" said she, "a better man AT
heart than my George. never lived but he
/ liked cards and drinks, and | fear they've
made Him do what he never would have done
/ il he had not drank I'm afraid that it can
/ be proved that he had the horse, but he
didn't steal it, another did and passed it 20
him ~
/ didn't Ike fhe case. knew that there
was great dislike 10 the gan. located where
she named, aud feared II risk the case before
the Iry. She seemed to observe my inten
ton 10 refuse the casc, and burst into tears.
never could sc a WOMAN weep without
+ feeling ike a weak fool myself Hit hadn't
been TOR eyes frightened with "Icarly
t-arS, tJl"st the poet that made 'crI come
IL fashion by praisimS 'cmJ Id have neYcr
. been caught m the .dssO Of u.L,!imuLy. AaI
nay wou.d-be Client was pretty. The hand
acrchcf that hid her streaming eyes didn't
. TIER red, ripe lips, and ter SNOWY bosom rose
! amd tI Ike i wh!ic ggli ia a gale of wind
at sea. ! agreed 10 taLc ,hc cast; she gave
me all the particulars.
The gang, Of which he was not q member.
had persuaded lin 10 take the hors. Hr
know the horse Was sto.ru, aud Ike iooi,
arkno" edge II wac. lac was arrested
Worse >t..-..ai trimmed the horse, tai
and maEc 10 al-cr lis appearance, and the
prosecution co4lL prove lt.
I The trial came on. | worked hard to get
JlTy oi ignorant men, who had more heart
taan brains, who, II they cuu du't fathom
iIc a-Ith u argument, or follow the aba-
rynth.nc maz-s Vi iAs law, could Zee. for a
young i-..y" n = bad s-gspc wlJ Lad :
weeping, lrC,;y vile, nearly broke. heated
aad quite distracted. Knowing the use 81
" fleet | told Lyr 70 dress IN deep r,.ouGu-
iHG, auI t. bring Ler .i.;lo chcrL5 Of a boy,
cus.y haired ana oaly l.rcc year, old into
l.G-,. and II st as near her husband 49, the
oEiccrs Hcull lot her. tried That game
. once an murder case, and weeping wit
ana sis,eT n%4e i jury render verdict
against la"-, evidence aIL the IsI Is chargc,
and saved f. iJs.- ;LSt ought II have been
i-uag - Ia i-t as H4a&n.
I4c prose, uLIgu opened very, very bitter
L., and lHFt'Suci against tie thieves and
couutcIfg.trEs " 10 had made the .aUI az
horror 70 st-aDE.Is ana ;s9,Y-,als, and had
robbed every l-I-ier "a tae sgg.,:. @! t..c.g
lae>t EOiscs. IL introduced w;.u,-.ts ai.c.
proved =. ..NL -.D.c than ! ,-,@g.t ...v
would
The time came .or I..e 10 I, i-. for 's,e-- 49,
c.r.-~. H''n,--.-! hal mont EHt VS.
determined 80 max oac ct!u't--ou hoping
- to .-tcrrs; the juds and jury a. to cure
q usivc.aa.. recommendation 90 gUU-TnIryiia
c.c:aeHsy and ii isht sentence. - painted
tajs r,cfu;e. ! young nan entering Ialr
l.c, welded 10 &u aHgr!, d, ant IL. n person.
Possessing every virtue, ,very gentle a,I iu-
b. attribute Iemgtag.ou was before aud
a.. aroGui nm lie kept t'.v,r"---f.y-t~
...r. were M.uy--it Uas not l.,r i,u. h iu-
gg..e into talir bu,.uCss--taey were well
dressed. made large b.,tS, and pad pranVt-
iy. III an Uuguarled h0Ir. when lac Was
insaue with the liquor they had ItEed G;ou
him, he had Leva'cd ;.Um tae path :.ect.-
tIic. He WaS HJi a!llScii at the tine. 1hc
demon of alcohJ. reIgneL IA ~ brain Au4
it Was his fast IL nee. Mercy lead ior al
ofiyr chance - save Airn nom Iuin. Nor
G.d il require that his sweet wle should 70
,Oan snrrowiuE To the grave aHd that the
shadow Of disgrace, or the lIuut Of fc,uu
father, should tai across the sunny pathway
Of that sweet child. Oh, how earnestly aid
L.. Z E. .
hand did tie sauIc-the judge fdccttcd and
ruLbed his eyc>-the iusy looked melting.
r. could have closed he would have been
ce1red, but the prosecution had the close,
and threw lie OF tie ii.e had kinLed.
Eu' the, did not put it quite out.
The Judge cha!S,d according to law and
evidence, but eIjI,Htly leaned oH tie I'd. OF
mercy. The jury found : verdict Of guilty
but unanimous Y commended the prisoner to
the cigmency oi tie court. Nv ,licnt was
sentenced 10 the saort,St imprisonment the
court "a> cwuoWyicl to give, and both jury
and court signed 4 petition to the Governor
fJr an unconditional pardon, which has >i5fcc
/ been granted, but not before the following
{ incident occurred:
Some three months after this, | received
an account for collection from wholesale
: house in New York. The parties to collect
( from were = hard ones" but they had pro-
( perty, and before they had an idea of the
/ trap laid, had the property, which they
were about TO assign before they " broke.
under attachment Finding that ! was a
/ neck ahead, ana bound to win, they caved
/ and paid over three thousand seven hundred
/ and NINETY four dollars and eighteen cents,
{ (pcr memorandum book u current money.
/ They lived in Shawnectown, about twenty
| five or thirty miles southeast of Moores
I Prairie Ireceivcd the funds Just after bank
I opening but other business detained me
I III after Gnner. | then started for c.,
/ intending to go as far as the village OF Mount
/ Vernon that night.
/ | had got along at fair pace about ten or
/ twelve miles, when noticed double team
! ofSp!endid horses coming up behind, attached
/ to a light wagon, in which were seated four
men, evidently of the high strung order
I They swept past me as if to show how easily
i they could 10 it, then shortened in, and al
/ lowed me to COME up. They hailed me, and
asked me to wet, or in other words to di
! ninish the contents Of jug Of old rye they
! had aboard, bu, excused myself on the plea
/ that | had plenty. They asked how far was
! going; ] told them as far as Mount Vernon,
/ if my horse did not tire. They mentioned
a pleasant tavern ten or twelve miles ahead
as nice stopping place, aud then drove on.
did not like the looks # these fellows
or their actions. But | was bound to go
! ahead. had a brace Of revolverS, a nice
/ knife, and my money was not in valse in
nv suikey, but in belt around my body
drove slow IN hopes that they would go
! on and should sec them no more. Ii was
nearly dark when saw a tavern ahead At
the same time | saw that their wagon stood
before the door. | would have passed on
but my horse needed rest. lhauled up and