Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1877-10-25

brother and him had started one after

1
noon to take lsok at the country, I
but he got tired, and not feeling very |.
well had turned back. while bis
brother went on, intendin', when
night come to stop at the nearest
cabin. After that he never seen his
brother alive, but he fully identified
the pocket-book and the body. The
had three thousand dol
lars IN it. :, .s.
My lawyer cross-exasained the Wit
ness very sharp snd mixed him gp .
good deal. In fsct, be contradictef |
himself so muchsthat more'n one of
the jury began to look doubtful
ssAll at once the truth began to
fash on to me. ..,s.as ta
ssThat's the man that done It'll"
says !, springing up, snd pintin' Of
the witness. 81 know now why the
dying man didn't want nothing said.
The officers forced me back into
my seat and the witaess took out his
pocket, handkerchief and begun weep
ing violently. He could stend any
thing, he said, sobbin' soonse'n bein
chsrged with his brosher's usnrder. i
This scene powerfully affested the
very jurymen thst had Just atore be-
gun to show signs Of doubt; and they
too, took out their handkerchiefs and
wiped their eyes and blovsd their
noses and then shook their heads.
The young lawyer made . good
speech for me, but 'twant NO use-
| When q murdered mans money and
body's both found on the prisoner,
it's easy to see he don't stand much
chance. ... 81. ...-. ..... .rsr,..
The jury brung me in guilty, and
the Judge pronounced the sentence.
GAS I'd got to be hung, I'd been
glad to have it over; but the judge
gave me couple of months to pre-
pare for death, and he hoped I'd i'm
prove the time in repental Of my great
offense. ........-....
Them sixty days passed mighty te'
dious. Every one of them was spua
out with q sufferin'. Hold your hand
in the fire mint and guess you'll
|, think il was full hour.
!, To add to it all, Parson Piges KEEP
teazin' of me to confess. He said HI
lcouldn't offer me no hope unless
/, did. / told him my hopes wasn't il
him; that put my trust in ono tha
!, didn't want no lying confessions.
felt sorry afterwards for he was
. good man, and ] have no doubt h
j.. meant right.
- Then came my last night. II
been long wishin' that all was over
. but that night, somehow, the horro
: of the situation came before me NOR
Idistinct than ever before. I'd bee
e listening during the day to the csr
r renters putting up the gallows, ant
my measure had been took for m.
coffin. ~. .5.. .s...,s ...... ,E......e
e When night came throwed mysel
q ON my bed and thought over my pas
e life. / begged to be forgiven for a
the sins / had actually committed an
e tried to pray that he. too, might b
n forgiven, for whose crime l was abou
Ito suffer. This was up hill work, bu
/ trust / done it sincerely. But, oh
the bitter agony of the thought that
e wss to die shameful death, and a
q them that had loved me could neve
Il again hear my name without blush
e Wore out with anguish, 1 fell aslee
at Inst, and dreamed of the happ
days of childhood, and Of my dea
mother, having sort OF confuse
notion that for some reason, / fel
glad that she had died years ago.
r slept till they awoke me in th
o morning. The sheriff, his assistants
and Mr. Piget WAS there. at
n The sheriff read the death warrant
u Then Mr.. Piget he prayed very fel
vent, and my heart said ''amen!"-
y for he didn't speak no more Of m
= great crime, but only asked the Hea'
h emily Father to have mercy on me.
= The sheriff then took the rope fro'
his pocket. I started back at Il
>, sight. Much as / had thought ov'
VI all that was to come, found l WI
not prepared for the horrid reality.
ssHold on, Mr.. Sheriff." says N
lawyer, rushing in holding up a p
per. "I'ye been riding night al
y day for three days, and thank God
am in time" ase. .ff...a a.
nc The sheriff took the paper and re:
K it, .'All right, Mr.. Mopson"' says
T. --"you're free man; this is a Fl
he pardon, from the Gov'ner!" z
II won't try TO describe my feeling
e. It's enough to say the truth had col
a out. The murdered mans broth
OF who'd got the pocket-book a
y. money, after my conviction got mi
~ =. tally stabbed in a row over gam
aN table, and afore his death confess
zap that he'd shot his brother while
lh' temptin' to rob him, but the lat
'ep had escaped after receiving his de-
l wound. This Of course, explain
Gu. the fact of both the pocket-book
the body bein' found on my premi
to issMy son." said an indulgent
ed Ter to the only representative OF b
ged self, ssyou should always think th
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