The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-07-06

sation; and this Judge Lynch was an avenger
of blood. The end was what the end of such a
trial generally is; the sentence the awful one
of death and in less than three hours from the
moment on which they first saw the bridegroom
happy and blithe, standing with his bride at
the head of the gay country dance, his body
dangled horrible sight to look upon, from
the branch of the tree that shadowed what all
believed to be his victims grave!
When all was over they found the old father
dead in his chair beside the fireplace, and
found among the women hopeless, gibbering
maniac, whom they would hardly have known
for the rosy-cheeked young bride. =,
They were reyenged, but at what cost The
two men returned to their homes, .saddened
and altered, yet not remorseful, for they had
but avenged their comrade; and this, to them,
seemed common justice. The legal code OF
border life had been adhered to-; but for the
last look at the mad bride they could scarcely
have recognized how awful all this had been.
They lived on together, still speaking often OF
poor Charley, and fancying that in some other
world he might even know how well they had
revenged themselves upon his murderer.
And so five years passed. And one day the
two went together into cofee-room kept by
an old Frenchman in the city of San Francisco,
and, being in low spirits, out of luck, and with
slender purses, were sitting disconsolately over
their meal, when q hand came down on each
shoulder and voice cried:
''Found at last live searched the city for
you. Heaven bless you, dear boysW
1t was Charles Chester, handsome and cheer
full, and Observation-Disclosures Chester,
whose murderer they believed themselves to
have lynched years before. -.
And this was the story he told them, won
dering at their pallid looks and awe-struck
silence the while.
: The money he had with him being in gold,
and heavy for his belt, he placed it in his
saddle-bags, and had completed many miles OF
his Journey, when, near new, but apparently
deserted dwelling, he saw man lying, groan-
ing terribly Dismounting, he assisted him,
and found that he was traveller who had been
set upon by ruffians and robbed and wounded.
He had crawled to this house for assistance,
but found it empty, and now lay dying in the
road. Charles Chester had done his best for
thepoor fellow, but without avail. He died
in his arms Just as the SUN went down and, by
its fading light, he had dug grave on the turf
before the empty house and there buried him.
There was no one within sight, and his fears OF
attack upon himself warned him to hurry on;
but when the last sad rites were over, and he
turned to remount his horse, it was gone. The
animal had escaped in the woods, and, with
night coming on, all search seemed hopeless.
The money in the saddle-bags rendered the
loss maddening one He threaded his way
through the underbrush, calling his steed by
name, until total darkness hid all objects and
at last, striking his head violently against a
tree, he fell to the ground insensiblc. When
he came to he found himself lying in a wagon,
t, 10 boI hoor oOnrouo6 h,y a R1nHiU
German, who could speak no English. In
falling, he had broken his arm, and was very
weak and i'll. Before he was able to commu-
nicate his story to any one, all hope of recov-
ering either horse or money had deserted him.
He was in despair. He could not assist his
parents, to return to his friends would be to
throw himself upon their bounty. This he
would not do; and his struggles had been great
at first, but they were over now. He had done
well by the cold folks" and he had returned
to pay his debts, and resume his friendship
with his old friends.
He was with them he lived. The farmer
had doubtless told the truth. He did not even
know why the turf had grown so green in the
little yard, and he had found the horse at large
in the woods, and knew nothing of the rider
but the thing had been done, and could not be
undone-the dead brought to life, or the ma
MACS mind restored, or the blood washed from
the murderer's hands.
Of course they told their story, and of course
they believed their friendship as warm as ever
but it was not so. They never met each other
again as Of ycre. The two could not forget
the man they had lynched to avenge their
friend, and doubted the propriety of his re-
turning alive and merry to trouble their
consciences, which were quiet enough as long
as he seemed dead. As for Charles Chester, he
cleared the murdered mans memory among
his neighbors, and saw the wild-eyed, white
faced woman, who only shook her head and
moaned, and muttered. when he spoke to her
and then he, too, was content to say goodbye
to those who had done the deed albeit for his
sake.
So the three parted, each going his own way
for thus it seemed easier to forget the deco
done by Judge Lynch and his court on the day
of the BRIDES coming home.
Ex.Politicians and the People Of the South