The Lincoln County herald., 1868-12-10
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In the ysse lso1 tAs ishsbisaAh living
10 . district bordering % Black River, 10
the Northern part Of Illinois, we're much
tnessssd BY the dsprsds.ioos Of . band
Of horse thieves Who iaisssed that por-
tios Of shs eouasry. Every sxsrtioa had
been usas y discover the men engaged
IL the ssfarisss business, but hitherto 10
vain, ssd valuable animals we're stolen
aud lost 70 their svners, Ia defiance Of the
utmost vigilasse ssd oass.
Durisg sseA Z state Of affairs The eiti
ssss rssi1isg 10 the region Of the thieves
became thoroughly excited, and we're
Wound - to such : pitch Of Indignation,
lhass BODY Of men were formed, styled
Ranesrp. whose explicit duty was 70 ex.
punse The district Of oil suspicious char.
setss, asa sadesvor 70 pat stop to their
dsprsdaHsss.
Shortly after this basd eouueoesd op.
erasieus, word was cosveysd to the leader
Of The Rasgsrs that . valuable horse
which had bssu stolen the previous night,
could thea be found on the prtmises Of .
man >susd Burt, locked up 10 the stable.
Although Bort heretofore had been
looked anon - an honest man, and an
upright citizen, yet the Captain deemed
II his duty to at least examine his farm,
and lssru the truth OF falsity Of the re-
Accordingly he summoned some half
dosea Of his Rangers 10 meet at spot
mot far from Burt's house and before
morning sst out for the same place him.
self. Daylight Was scarcely discefnablo
in tho east, and the haxy light Of coming
dawn had not yet penetrated the bottom
where the suspected man resided, rs the
Rangers, charged with the fearful mission
Of life or death, silently approached and
surrounded the dwelling. Leaving three
Of the band to guard the entrance. the
Captain opened the door, and found the
missing horse, as had tesn stated, safely
stalled inside. :. :.
Not lingering doubt now remained Of
Burt's guilt, and with stern determine.
ton to make an example Of him that
would deter others from like transac-
tiou, the Rangers returned to the house.
In the meantime, Burt had risen, and
upon coming 70 the door, WAS scised BY
the Rangers. On demanding the reason
he was informed BY them that stolen an
imal was found il bis stable, and that be
was considered thief Muttering some.
thing about "he knew il would come to
this At last" he quietly submitsed to
whatever his captors had 10 store for him
A short consultation was held, and Il
was resolved to hang the criminal upon Z
large elm tree that had grown In front ol
his own house, II being thought that
such an act would strike terror and dis.
may into the ranks Of tht horse thieves.
Burt had asked half an hour to prepare
for his death, and the sun had risen in
all ito golden majesty, ere the fatal mo-
mont had arrived which would launch
him into eternity. In vain had his hoary
headed father and mother pleaded for biz
life, with trembling tongues -knesling IL
suppliant mood to bis apparently Derci.
less csptors. In vaio had the wife Of biz
bosom kuelt 10 tears Of agony, and en-.
treated them 40 husbands to spare his life.
But each Ranger had suffered more OF
less in person, and they deemed the ex.
ample necessary to deter Others, and it
seemed % though Burt must die.
The dreadful preparations wore com.
pleted the half hour had sxpired-aud
the criminal WAS arranged under the limb
of stout elm, over which the rope was
thrown, one end being uoosed around the
prisoners neck, aud the other end held
BY three Of the Rangers.
Then cane Q moment Of dreadful 81.
lsucs, that awful stiffness which preludes
the launching Of fellow .hcing into etcr.
nity-whils The three strong men held
the ropes end, casing axcdly upon the
Captain for tho signal. II Was given BY
the raising Of the right arm and already
the nosss was tightening around the
doomed mans neck, when the wife Of
Burt issued forth from the house ho' o'ding
On infant little more than year old, In
her arms.
Rushing forward, she fell on her knees
IN frost Of the Captain, and raising the
child with arms outstretched, toward him,
che exclaimed in tones that would have
pierced heart Of steel:
"If you will not spare him for the sake
Of his gray.hsired sire, or the wife Of his
boron, tpare him, In the name Of God
for the sake Of his infant boy"
Another dead silence rsigned like q
pail over the spot; then, ~ though in'
spired BY Heaven, the child stretched ou'
= 81 -
sls,nsd in voice heard BY al, the sin
gle word:
"Papa"
And then, % though despairing ol
success, huddled into its mother bosom
and burnt into . sobbiug cry.
Il was more than the Rangers could
stand, and after short consultation, th'
rope was taken fism the criminals neck
snd the band loft the spot and Burt be
came . reformed man through the DOW