Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-08-16
A Broken Heart.

A hundred men were digging gold,
and they had named the place Joe
Whites Dream"
Singular name, but they were sing
ular men, brawny, rough, grizzled,
and some OF them wicked. They
were men from the East, digging.
delving, in sort OF q mad frenzy, for
the golden wealth of California.
On this day all work had ceased. The
men formed in a circle on the grass.
and in the centre was Jack Bullet.
His hands were tied behind him;
there was one bloodstain on his face.
and from his wolflsh eyes he sent
murderous glances from one face to
another, and at last called out:
Il wish I had knitted some OF vel"
Mono OF the men replied. Some
were pale, others nervous, and none
seemed to relish the business on
hand, which was the hanging Of Jack
Bullet.
By-and-by a meek and humble
looking man, named Elder Graves
by the boys. entered the circle. and
standing with one hand on the pris-
oner's shoulder, he began:
Jack Bullet, this Is solemn warn
ing to all. Here Is the rope-there Is
the limb--and we are gathered to
hang you. You came to Joe Whites
Dream weeks ago, poor, hungry and
i'll. We fed and nursed you until you
were well enough to work; a full
claim was staked out for you. How
have you repaid us, Jack Bullet?
You have stolen dust from the men.
brought discord and jealousies among
us, melted rows, and riots; last night
you were detected when about to
murder your partner and steal his
few hundred dollars. We try to be
white in this camp, and to use all
men right, but we cannot turn you
loose to prey upon some other party.
The men are going to hang you
LET them hang; i can't die but
once" sulkily replied the prisoner.
Jack Bullet said the Elder, II
am praying man, and ] want to
pray with you before you swing. I'm
sorry for you. You are strong man,
and you are to die like dogl Maybe
you have a mother in the East, or
you may have a wife and children.
God help theml"
The Elder sank down upon his
knees before the prisoner. and prayed
such prayer as the rocks have
never echoed again. Before he had
half finished there were big tears in
the eyes of half the men, and big
Sam went over to Curly Jim and
whispered:
Now that's what call religum-
the old bang up religum. SIGH as we
used to git away back In New Hamp-
shirel"
When the prayer had ended a new
spirit camel to the men. They scanned
Jack Bullets face and saw it had
softened, and as Elder Graves step.
ped aside the president of the camp
cut Jacks rope and said:
@We don't want your blood, though
you sought ours You are free to go
Jack Bullet, but don't you ever enter
Joe Whites Dream again."
The reprieved man moved away
without word, nor did he look back
as long as he was in view. When he
had disappeared from sight the
miners returned to their work, each
one so busy with his thoughts that
few words were spoken.
That day two weeks, a man came
up from Cardboard City and re-
ported that Jack Bullet had been
eaten by grizzly. Every man in
the camp felt glad that his town had
escaped the disgrace Of a hanging,
and In the afternoon we saw Elder
Graves shoulder spade and turn
down into the valley. 1t was beau
tiful spot, always full Of the mellow
est sunshine and prettiest flowers.
When all the boys had knocked of
work that day they all descended to
the place for what no one knew, but