Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-04-02
From the Crescent.
The Hanging OF Eph. Tolley

Everybody in Mobile and New Orleans
knows old Col Bob - so well that
when relate the following little story his
identity will be sufficiently apparent /;
therefore, | shall not expose myself to
his wrath by exposing his pagan name in
connection herewith. His hopeful
nephew, Frank, is better known here than
the old man, and when he shall have at
tanned his venerable relatives years and
experience, will add TO the family love OF
drolery and mischief a mind well educa-
ted by study and foreign travel. He sell
dom meets me without "spinninga yarn
in his peculiar style, and the other day
gave me an account of an execution
in - county, Miss, to which the sheriff
had given him special invite, IN the
following style, verbally:
Come over and see me strangulate
that burned cuss, Eph. Tolley, for arson
and settin' old man Odnm house atire
-durn him.
I'll give the story in Frank words, as
nearly as possible:
The appointed day came, and as we
had about fifteen miles to ride, and the
execution was to take place at a. m, 1t
was necessary to start early, and, ac-
cordinely, Uncle Bob directed Jerry to
wake us before day. 1t seemed to me
that we had hardly turned in when | was
awakened by Jerry's voice calling out
"Mars Robert Mars Robert It's most
fore day." go to -! was Uncle
Bob 5 benevolent response, and indorsed
it. Another short nap was shortly broken
/.
day, Mars Robert, now, for truel' A loud
snort from old Bob was Jerrys only
answer, and for an hour we were not
again interrupted, when he bawled out
a third time ..-..,..iffa,.4 y
"Clean daybreak Hi Mars Rob play
de debble gettin up fore day.
The secret of Jerry wakefulness was
explained by the fact that his own little
mule, Stump Sucker" was standing
ready by Uncle Bob horse and my own.
He was bound to be in at the death We
took a light breakfast, and as Spartan
burg Court House was not place to
look for dinner, we deposited in our sad
dle-bags a couple of bottles of whiskey; L
think Jerry had one, too These and a
plug of tobacco constituted our lunch
When we arrived at Spartanburg we
found about dozen planters and over
seers looking about, some of them occa-
sionally anxiously inquiring of the Sher-
iff "what time was he gwine TO hang
Tolleyg l should like to show you
the sheriff of - county George, Re
is the durndest, ugliest, funniest litGle
cuss you ever saw. He stands about five
feet in his shoes, and is about as broad
as he is long, and his mug would frighten
the sayagest catamount IN all creation.
Busting about, big with the importance
of his position, he waddled up to Uncle
Bob and pompously offered his hand.
Colonel, I'm burned glad you We
cum. These cusses here aint GIN me no
peace since sun up, akin ne when l was
gwine to begin. It's none Of their
burned bizness; I'd invited you TO see
the hangin', for 1 knew you liked sport,
and wasn't gwine to begin till you arriv
ef / had to put of the execution.
Mounting the steps Of the courthouse
he then sung out in tremendous voice
20, yesl o, yesl ., yesl I'm now
gwine TO purceed to carry out the SEN
tence of the law on Eph. Tolley, which
has 10 be hung for arson ant sestin OF
a mans house afirel Whar's Bill Sim
mons, my depty p L. IL
Hes over at Jim Beard piayin
scven-up with Lan;y Corrigan, and a
beatin' Of him like skies answered a
little pot-bellied, yellow-faeed specimen
of a dirt-eater, BE wants me 70 take
his place.
"a You take his place Tou take,
Indignantly interrupted the sheriff
" dura you, you'd look a heap better q
takin' Eph. Tolleys place. Call Bill
Simmons