Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-09-18
breaking cannot damage me. lam aw-

=
fully pushed for money"
You have simply to weaken rop
and allow Harold to descend to til
ground" interrupted Lawrence, ''an
FIVE hundred dollars will be your re
ward-fve hundred dollars paid 20
promptly when all is over"
I'm do it. Here's my hand; I sol
emily promise to do what you wish,
said the sheriff. u,
Very well,' said Lawrence.
Where will the gallows be erected
do you know yet r" e.t. 5,a,s -,
Near the northeast corner of tn
court-yard-same place where Dun
kirk was hung fifteen years ago. w
will put it Up there this time, butsome
what nearer the fence, so as to obstruc
the view from the roof of that vacan
house of McArdle's. That's the onl,
chance for sight"
Just so, mused Charley. well
| must be going-I have an engage
ment." And directing the landlord t,
replenish the sheriff's glass, he wen
out. .-. ~. ...,n..rs
When Harold Vincent was enlight
ened by Charley as to what was to b,
attempted in his behalf, he was thun
derstruek.
Your plan will fail at the last,
fear, be said. mournfully. Brighten
ing up after little, however, he con,
tinued, "but l do wrong to discourage
you, my brave friend. Depend upor
it, that at the critical moment shall
not be slow to act. For the sake o.
those near and dear to me, rather thar
for my own, hope the plan may sue.
ceed." Earf
The two dread weeks intervening be
tween the day ON which the doomed
man had received his sentence and the
time appointed for his execution
passed rapidlyaway. The morning oI
the 18th dawned clear and bright, bul
on the hearts of hundreds in the peace.
ful town of L. lay dark clouds Of
sorrow at Harold Vinceut's dreadful
situation. The soon-to-be executed
sentence of death was the subject OF
conversation at every breakfast table
and sad-faced people gathered in knots
on the streets to discuss the awful
scene about to transpire. 5nE
Aside from the newspaper men oi
the place. the town officials and q
specially appointed police force, few
were admitted within the courtyard
inclosure. At half-past ten Harold
Vincent was led to the scaffold.
He ascended the steps briskly and
took his place on the trap, where bis
arms were pinioned and his collar un-
buttone6 and thrown back to facilitate
the cruel work of the moose that
daDgled above him. The minister
made a touching prayer, babe the
doomed man farewell, and stepped
back. Had he anything to say?-
nothing, except that he was innocent.
The Sheriff nervously affixed the moose
and drew the awful cap over the shape
ly head of the condemned. Then
there was a rafting of bolts, a sup
pressed exclamation of horror, and
Harold Vincent shot like bullet out
Of sight in the earth beneath the scat
fold.
The crowd stood transfxed with
Not a word was uttered
for more than a minute-everybody,
excepting the sheriff, who had tainted,
stood watching the mysterious hole in
the ground, not nrger than a man )
body, through which Vincent had dis.
Then, suddenly, there was
a clamor of voices and great activity
among the police.
Bring shovels-the prisoner has
fallen into cave-he must be dug
out!" -.....f
Shovels were brought and vigorous
ly used, and the workmen soon found
q newly-opened subteranean passage
which they TREMENDOUSLY followed for
quite distance, and emerged into the
cellar of "McArdle's vacant house. "
There they found lamp burning. and
scattered on the ground, a black cap.'
some pieces of rope, among which was
a hangmans moose and a couple OF
shovels. But they didn't find the
prisoner-no, the gallows had been
cheated of its victim. r.. ~
Search was made for Vincent, but
without success. As there was no re-
ward offered for his recapture, and the
feeling being on his side, there
was but little danger of his being re-
turned to confinement.
A month passed away and a dying
man confessed to have been the mur-
derer Of Pollock. And then Harold
Vincent returned and the names of the
authors of the escape were divulged,
and Charley Lawrence and Jack HOl-
by we're the lions of the hour. Short
ly after there was double Wedding,
and Harold married gentle Mary Hoi-
by, and Charley Lawrence became
blessed in the matrimonial possession
of Nellie Vincent. Jack Hobby. oi
course, was present, aud said to Har
old after the knot was tied: Hope
you won't regret the step, old fellow
remember there's no tunneling a man
out of matr:monyi"
The sheriff was also present, and
laughinly asked Charley Lawrence il
he hadn't better bribe the minister to
weaken the matrimonial knott The
affair passed off happily; and may the
parties live long to tell their children,
and maybe their children's children
how they cheated the gallows."
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