Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1875-09-04
THIRTY-THIRD YEAR.

/ II nave SOL peculiar request " lildht ~
| you. have always been friend 70 you
aud if you comply with what ] am abOu
10 ask, / will be still greater one.
wish you TO fix the cord with which yoI
hang Harold Vincent so that he shal
/ break il when the trap falls
''Nhy Charley, are you Crazy!" SAID
! the official. do you wish to prOlonG
I your friends sufIerings; Why do you
! wish the rope 10 breakE Do you contem
! plate a rescueE"
''It will not prolong his suffering" re
| piled Lawrence, coOlly. 1.-The rope mus
/ be weakened so much by some means thai
a very trihing resistance will break it
| Allow Harold Vincent to fall to tho
| ground once, and then you can select Z
/ perfect rope and hang your victim efiec-
/ tually. | promise you that there will De
no attempt made at a rescue in the court
yard. There is no disturbance meditated
whatever. Ny request is q singular one,
but l viii explain my motive after the
execution takes place. Your compliance
can in no way damage yOu-rOpes fre-
quently break, You know. Promise me
faithfully that you will do what l have
asked yons and y0u sllallFeceiye tive. hun
drcd dollars on the evening OF the day Of
execution
The sheriff wayered. ''The request you
make is a singular one, 4" he said; "but a.
you say, the fact Of the ropes breaking
cannot damage me. / am awfully push
ed for money"
"YOu have simply to weaken a rope
| and allow Harold to descend to the
ground" interrupted Lawrence, "and
five hundred dollars will be your reward
five hundred dollars paid you promptly
when all is over
"I'll do it. Here's my hard; I solemn
ly promise 10 do what you WISH" said
the sheriff.
every well, ," said Lawrence. ''Whcre
will the gallOws be erected do you know
yet?"
fNear the northeast corner of the court
yaTd-same place where DunkiTk was
hung fifteen years ago. We will put il
up there this time, but somewhat nearer
the fence, so as to obstruct the view from
the roof of that vacant house of Near
dies. That's the only chance for a sight.
"Just so, unused Charley. "Well,
must be goiI 81 have an engagement"
And directing the landlord to replenish
the sheriff's glass, he went out.
When Harold Vincent was enlightened
by Charley as TO what was to be attempt
ed in his behalf, he was thunderstruck.
"Your plan will fail at the last, fear,
he said, mournfully. Frightening up af-
ter a little, however, he continued, "but
do wrong to discourage you, my brave
ical moment | shall not be slow to act
For the sake of those near and dear to me,
rather than for my own, hope the plan
may succeed
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 rapid
ly away. The morning of the 25th dawn
ed clear and bright, but on the hearts of
hundreds in the peaceful town of l.
lay dark clouds of sorrow at Harold Vim
cents dreadful situation. The soon be
executed sentence of death was the sub
ject of conversation at every breakfast
table, and sad-faced people gathered in
knots on the streets to discuss the awful
scene about To transpire.
Aside from the newspaper men of the
place, the town officials and a specially
appointed police force, few were admitted
within the ourt-yard inclOsue. At half
past ten Harold Vincent was led to the
scaffold.
He assembled the steps briskly and took
his place on the trap, where his arms
were piniOned and his collar unbuttoned
and thrown back TO facilitate the cruel
work Of the moose that dangled above
him. The minister made touching pray
ey, babe the doomed man farewell, and
stepped back. Had ne anything 10 say 2
nothing, except that he was innocent.
The sheriff nervously affixed the moose
and drew the awful cap over the shapely
head of the condemned. Then there was
a rattling of bolts, Il suppressed cXclama-
tiOn of horror, and Harold Vincent shot
like a bullet ont of sight in the earth be-
meath the scaffOid.
The crowd stood transfiXed with amaze
ment. Not word was uttered for more
than a minute-everybOdy, excepting the
sheriff, who had tainted, stood watching
the mysterious hole in the ground, not
larger than a mans body, through which
Vincent had disappeared. Then, sudden
ly, there was a clamOr of voices and great
activity among the police.
Bring shOvels-the prisoner has fallen
into a cave-he must be dug out!'
Shevels were brought and vigorously
used, and the workmen soon found a
newly-opened subteranean passage which
they tremulously followed for quite a
distance, and emerged into the cellar of
"McArdle's vacant house. There they
found lamp burning, and scattered on
the gronnd, "black cap,'' some pieces
of rope, among which was a hangman's
moose and a couple of shovels. But they
didn't find the priSoner-no, the gallows
had been cheated of its victim.
Search was made for Vincent, but with
out success. As there was no reward Of
fered for his recapture, and the popular
feeling being on his side, there was but
little danger of his being returned to con-
fncment.
\ month passed away and dying man
confessed to have been the murderer Of
Pollock. And then Harold Vincent re-
turned and the names of the authors of
the escape were divulged. and Charley
Lawrence and Jack Hobby were the lions
of the hour. Shortly after there was a
double wedding, and Harold married gem
tie Mary Hobby, and Charley Lawrence
became blessed in the matrimonial posses
sion of Nellie Vincent. Jack Hobby, of
course, was present, and said to Harold
after the knot was tied: "Hope you won't
regret the step, old fellow; remember
there's no tunmeling a man out Of matri-
mOuy! >"
The sheriff was also present, and laugh
ingly asked Charley Lawrence he hadn't I
better bribc the minister to weaken the
matrimonial kuOt The affair passed of
happily; and may the parties live long to
tell their children, and maybe their chill
dren's children, how they ''cheated the
gallows,"