The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-04-26

in stature as the sheriff, very stoutly
built, and had a sulky, don't. care a.
cuss sort OF look on his stolid face
He was quite complacently chewing q
bit of wheat straw. He nodded IA
miliarly to all hands, spoke to two or
three in the party, and asked me for a
chew of tobacco, informing me at the
same time that he was "dry as meet
ing house." | carry two kinds-on
for myself, and the other for tobacco
beggars, but thinking it a shame to
send man into eternity with a wad
Of niggerhead in his mouth, 1 pulled
out my choice honeydew and handed
it over. That was the last saw of it.
Tolley deposited an enormous quid in
his cheek, and coolly handed the plug
to the little pot-bellied dirt eater, and
it went from one to another as long as
it lasted. Lord George, to think that a
man with one foot in the grave should
be capable of an act of ingratitude and
downright robbery.
The Sheriff now read document to
Tolley, informing him that he was to
be hung by the neck, &C., wiading up
with the addition: .... -
"And now, Tolley, you're adurned
pretty looking skunk, amt you? I'll
teach you, durn you, to set a gentle
mans house aGre, and be guilty OF ar
son. Come along here !" and he took
the rope from the deputy's hand and
led Tolley who followed like y lamb
to the slaughter, into the inclosure.
Old Bob whispered to me, Frank
give the poor devil a drink" But the
fate of my honey .dewstecled my heart
against the appeal.
Arrived at the fatal pole, the Sheriff
ordered the doomed man to "set down
thar" which he did. The end of the
rope was then tied around the peeled
sapling on the ground
"Now, Tolley, git upl" and Tolley
with apparently stolid Indifference,
slowly rose to his feet. The Sheriff
then put one end of the sapling into
the fork of the upright, and pulling
out his watch handed it to Bill Sim.
mons, saying, snow; depity, you time
i'm while hold i'm up"
Judge of my horror, George, when l
saw this old devil thus coolly prepare
to choke the wretch to death, with 40
more compunction than if drowning a
blind puppy. l begged Uncle Bob to
interfere, but he declined doing so.
Gall ready! Now, Bill Simmons,
you time i'm edzackley; mind you, mary
mint more nor less"
With this he mounted o low stump,
and with herculean effort raised the
small end of the sapling at arms
length over his head. The tension OF
the rope just raised Tolley to his tip.
toes, and didn't seem to inconvenience
him much, but the Sheriff-you should
have seen him. At the end of about
the second minute he was livid, abso-
lutcly purple in the face.
"Bill Simmer 81 he gasped, chow
longs Q bin hangin'-ain't time
up2"
Two minits."
"Durn i'll" painted the Sheriff.
Here ventured to remark, "Mr
Sheriff, the law says that the criminal
must be hanged by the neck until he
is dead, no matter how long it takes. u
This barbarous suggestion met with
a proper rebuke.
"Cuss you, Frank j Who the
- asked for your burned lip?
know what the law says. 1t says arter
gentlemans been hanging a certain
time-and | think five minits is the
t;mo-he's got right to live if he kin
stan it, and | think he ortor."
Tolley was still dancing on his toes
and his face was fast becoming as pur.
pie as that of the Sheriff.
Times upl" shouted the deputy
and the Sheriff flung tho pole from
him with vim that Jerked the pend.
ent FOLEY sprawling upon the ground
He picked himself up, and the Sheriff
united the clothes-line from his neck
then examining Tolley's hat over his
eyes, he thus. addressed him:
"Now, Eph. Tolley, you've 'scaped
hanging by kibble of the law; but if
you know what's good for you, you'll
leave this county mighty suddint,
saying which he applied to Tolley
a poSteriori, q tremendous thwack oi
his No. II pegged boot, calculating
with each kick, "durn you, scoot
scoot! I'll teach you to commit arson
and set mans house afirel and cf
ketch you in these dlggns again, III
shoot you, you cusscd scalliwag!"-
With one final kick and "scoot!' he
turned Tolley loose, and invited the
whole party to flicker"
We did SO, and l instantly recog
nized the bottle. Old Bob, regardles:
of the ties of consanguinity, had stoler
it from my saddle bags and presented
il to the Sheriff as a rewaLd for his
humanity and faithful discharge o.
duty.
PRUDENCE CAKE.-Take one quart
broken crusts of bread, with just
enough milk to cover them, let then
stand till soft beat till perfectly smooth