New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-20

means." continued Old John. ''fee: you
know. want you to marry that gal"
Even as he made this demand it seemed
to him absurd presumption. and bis voice
sank and quivered doubtfully over the last
syllables. Never before, to his knowledge,
had man Of his class laid such an ny une,-
ton upon y man Of the class OF Frederick
Mayfield.
4 spose you know why yon orghter
marry her." he continued. with gasp; -
spose you know it."
~ suppose understand you." answered
the youth, with - frank haughtlness
which showed great pride and great
wal. will you doi:"
mo"
Both men raised their pistols einritane'
ously. bu, Luce prevented them from hrlhs,
she broke away from Harris Jetfris. flung
herself upon her lover. and covered nun
with her body. lyon shsn't go to make
him marry me-. che screamed. ''He
needn't marry me-.
Her cousin jelked her violently from her
hold. and dragged her, struggling. to some
distance.
"Tha.'s right-take her away" said the
hard. resolute, pugnacious boy, for whom
she iad sacrificed her happiness. and would
have sacrificed h.r life. He looked as
stern!v ana imperiousiy in the faces OF the
four threatening men who stood around him
as a Roman patrician might have stood at
brawlirs pleblans, or Polish noble at in
eoient seyfs.. land you. the rest OF you. be
off," he went on, gathering anger. Another
word Of this bullying. and III tend some OF
YOU to -. Those that miss III follow
up. Ill hunt you out of the country. LII
teach YOU to insult and threaten . gentle.
man."
So prodisious at tina: Date was the terror.
ism OF Old planting families in the South,
and SO greatly were even tie wel!.to-dO
farmers under their influence. that the three
Jetfcises Gualed before these threats. Looked
doubt!ully. into each others shrinking races.
and slouched slowly away. John Raddlc
alone stood his ground. His wrong was far
deeper than theirs. and what was more. he
was no: with whisky. Yes. whisky was the
predominant spirit in this. as in mos: South.
ern tragedies. Withou: j: he could not
have nervcd himse.: 20 raise deadly
weapon against tie son 4. wealthy and
Influential. planter.
There were more angry words: another
demand. and another refusal: than two
detcnations in rapid succession. John
Raddie. with ball in his thigh, the shot of
a dropping pistol, saw Frederick Mayteld
tall forward on his face. There was
chastity group in the moonlight: corpse
wetting the dark turf with its blood: a girl
rolling and shrieking beside it; tour men,
white and staring.
"He's done for whispered Scott Jeffrie.
''Git up and git. uncle. Find your boss and
travel tor the swamp"
As John Raddle and his relatives tisap.
peared, Mr.. Seymour came upon the scene.
lie had been awakened by the altercation:
had looked Oat Of the window At the mo-
ment when the three Jetrises were retiring
No. ~ ho1 rov,i Il Loo
possible, and arrived TOO late. All that he
could DO for his pupil was to carry his body
into the house.
Next day there was prodigious excite.
ment in the district. AS fret public opinion
was somewha: divided as to the guilt Of
John Raddle. many persons sympathizing
with him when they learned the provOcatiOn
under which he had acted. But when the
Judge OF the Circuit Court. old Squire Som.
lofty and wealthy citizens, took the ground
that murder was murder. the cOmmanaltv
asseuted to the proposition. and agreed that
the fugitive must be brought to trial. His
low origin. his generally evil life. and rs.
pecially his crime OF selling whisky TO
negroes. also worked to his prejudice. Per.
haps. too. his pecuniary success was now an
injury to him. for envy abOunds in back.
woodish regions, and is good hater.
The feeling agains: the homicide was
heightened by the exertions of Colonel
MaytelG, who. on receiving news O: his
sons death. hurried pos. haste to Somer.
vile. attended by several martial co1nec.
tions. as Highland chief OF the Olden time
travelled with his duihnwassal. The Colonel
was man Of forty.tive, swarthy. small.
1.-THE and graceful: planter OF unusual
wealth. q leading politician in the State and
a thorough aristocrat IN feeling: bu:
smoothly condescendins with the masses:
persuasive. fascinating and eloquent. Full
Of grief, but full Of yindlctiveness. he was
determined that John Raddle should die.
and he labored for that end very much as
he would have labored for an election to
Congress. 1t must be admitted. suppose.
that verdicts in South Carolina did not at
that period follow strictly in :he footsteps
Ut law. To secure favorable result in
court it was often necessary TO SECURE
favorable public opinion.
NV son did perfectly right" declared
Colonel Mayteld to Colonel Thornton, as to
other hgh.toned personages. ''Ue did just
what would have advised him to do. and
lust what you would have advised him to
do. Marry the daughter Of Cracker.-of
the keeper Of q cross roads grocery: lmpOs.
sibl.: It was most insolen. demand. and
urged with illegal. insulting violence. What
will our class come to it such demands can
Do Luduc vi Al. ne uoy uAb pcAlCSAly
as l might have known he would. .As fine
a boy-as gentlemanly boy"-here the
Colonel's voice Iuivered a Iittle-"yes, sir.
as noble and honorable boy as your own"
Thornton grasped his hand in silence and
Mrs. Thornton burst into tears. The sor.
rows OF the degraded Raddles were crowded
out Of sight by the sorrows Of this fine gen.
tleman-their associate and equal.
To commoner spirits the colonel in.
situated tina: the whole adventure had
been matrimonial! plot OF the Raddles;
with the hope OF thereby deluding or bully.
ing rich youth into marriage. and that,
finding their game fruitless, they had muir.
dered him in coarse anger or mere savagery.
I'm glad met with you. colonel" said
more than one convinced farmer. IL never
got at the full rights of the case afore now"
1t is picture Of justice in its simpler and
more popular stages: One is reminded Of
Lucius Quintius imploring the Quirites in
favor OF his son C:cso; Of Virglnius de.
claiming with Eobs in the Forum, in prepa.
ration tor the trial of Appius Claudius: of
accused Athenians exhibiting their tears
and their mourning garments to their
judges.
Old Zeke Jeffris and his two grandsons
were committed to Jail. but the actual homi.
eide remained hid in unknown Businesses.
There were scores of yumors: ne b al escaped
to Texas; he had been seen in the neigh.
borhood; he was going to give himself up:
he had joined gang OF horse thieves. |
There is little doub: that he was fed by his
negroes, or by some of his Cracker ad. |
herents. In former days the criminal at |
the South was rarely considered an Outcast |
by those two classes, the poor whites and |
the slaves. They were an all pervading
barbarism. surrounding every courthouse |
with backwoods.