San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1877-11-17
He Didn't Know 1t Was Loaded.

"Look out!" exclaimed the young
man, scarcely able to control his laugh
ter. Sim going to shoot!"
He pulled the trigger and the harm
less pistol went off. The girl fell, and
there was good deal of blood in her
vicinity. He rushed to her side, his
eyes wild with apprehension. 81 didn't
mean tot" he said apologetically.
"Upon my soul, didn't know it was
loaded!"
81 can not believe til" she gasped.
"It's heavens own truth" he said
with great earnetness.
~ can not help it," she said feebly;
adding with unmistakable truth, "No
matter. l shall die just the same"
The, jury in the case was one ofthe
stupid ones known all over our beloved
country. The pistol was harmless
one. 1t could not possibly have loaded
itself. The young man says he didn't
load it. Nobody could tell who loaded
it. 1t was only known that several per-
sons had, killed their alleged sweethearts
under precisely the same circumstances,
with the important exception that the
loading of the weapon with all the at
tending circumstances were known to
the jury. 1t was shown beyond ques-
vtion, however, that the pistol had been
loaded and that the young man had
fired it off, previously expressing a
determination to do so.' 1t was enough
for the stupid jury, and likewise for the
Judge. The latter, indeed, seemed to
enjoy the proceedings. ,..s.
"We shall inflict on you a slight
pleasantly" he said, with broad grin.
."The sentence of the Court is that you
be hanged by the neck until you are
dead. But don't be alarmed. tits on
ly joke" 49,,
The Sheriff was equally happy. He
read the necessary documents to the
youth, as the latter stood with his neck
decorated in the usual fashion, pausing
to laugh, and at times nearly splitting
his sides with suppressed mirth. "We
shall do you up in prime order," he
said pleasantly. "We shall give you a
something to enjoy to your dying day.
There are no breakages to this" and
he shook the rope merrily. "There are
no way stations ON this route, my son.
You will go through like creased light
ming, not even pausing for refresh
ments. You will, perhaps, see some OF
your friends on your arrival. Please
say good word for me, will you? Tell
them, if they have any thing in my line
that needs transaeting, that Pm the
man for them. Let me adjust this con-
veyance."
His hands shook so with laughter that
he could hardly fix the rope properly ;
but finally the left ear of the amusing
person was properly adorned.
"See here!" whimpered the doomed
youth. "You act as if you were in earn
est. You wouldn't kill an. innocent
man, would you? II think this is car
rying the joke too far"
"By no MEANS" said the happy
Sheriff, winking with irresistible humor.
"Not for any thing in this world, my
son. Can you not place confidence in
me? This is joke. Are you afraid OF
this scaffold and that little cordP Fool
ish boy! they are perfectly harmless. "
He winked at person in the back
ground who was chuckling silently to
himself, his face wreathed with smiles.
The latter responded in lively manner,
"Up she goes!" and the practical joker
shot in the air like rocket and came
down like stick.
beautiful, beautiful" exclaimed the
Sheriff and the bystanders, and a great
roar oflaughter followed, even the at
tending clergyman putting his head m
der his arm, in evident fear that other
wise he would laugh himself to death.
The body was taken down after a
while and a physician, after slight ex-
animation, pronounced the young man
.dead-his neck had been broken.
"Whati" said the Sheriff with a
start. "Dead?" He examined the
rope attentively, and quickly added,
with loook of profound establishment,
"I see how it is. Alas! it must have
been loaded .m-Rochester Chronicle.
An effort is being made to introduce