Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-07
HOW 1T FEELS TO BE HUNG.

Experience OF n Man who Had
Three Opportunities of knowing.
Evansville Courier, May Sl.l
1t is not every day we meet with
a man who can gracefully get up
and truthfully say, "Pve been
hung by the neck three times" and
when one does run across such a
man he usually quickens his sense
Of hearing to an acute degree.
A representative of the Courier
happened to meet Just such a man,
a few days ago, in the person of NJ.
L. Nelson, Of Tennessee, and dur
ing the conversation he related the
experience which is the subject OF
this article. Mr.. Nelson is about
fifty years Of age, but in appear
ance, and probably experience,
much older. He has been in the
city several days, interested in a
bankruptcy suit, which involved
him considerably and may be his
ruin. Notwithstanding these mis-
fortunes, he was in good spirits and
talked lightly Of his losses.
Some few days ago he took offense
at a remark made to him by an Off.
cial on common carrier, and in
relating his grievance, remarked
"T'ye been hung by the neck three
times, and don't scare at trifles.
When asked what he meant, he
said, 81 mean just what | say
and then told his story.
1t was in the spring Of 1866
when the Federal troops were NOV
ing Northward and the Confeder.
ate soldiers were returning home,
and Arkansas was in very unset
tied condition, the safety of neither
life nor property being great, Mr.
Nelson was in the Confederate SER
vice and had como in possession ol
$4,000, which he was anxious to
place in the hands of some neigh
bors III that State for safe keeping,
He exchanged his military garb fOr
civilians clothes, wearing a new
hat, suit and boots, and placed
$45OO in a pocket-book attached to
a belt worn next to the skin, and
5000 and some odd bills in an inside
pocket of the vest. 1t was just at
dusk; he was riding toward his des.
tinatlon when, almost simulta-
neously, three shots were fired, and
zip-zip" went the balls, one tax
ing the skin off the right temple,
another produced a wound in the
shoulder, and the other struck his
horse. The animal reared and
threw his rider over into the dust,
binding him for the moment
Before Nelson could rise he was
surrounded by three men in fantas-
tical garb, such as was wont to be
worn by the kuklux klans, which
masked the entire figure and dis
guised the face. They placed re-
yolvers at his head and bade the
odd rebel" as they called him,
to rise, accompanying it with some
buncombe patriotic remarks. AS it
was just dusk, they took him a lit
Tie way into the woods, where they
made him exchange his new
clothes, boots and hat for some
ragged wardrobe which they carried
with them, at the same time re-
lieying him of his gold watch. Oh
course they searched his pockets
and appropriated the $500 or more
in the vest. They next took his
horse, and, after binding his arms
and placing thin rope about his
neck, led him for about two hours
over a miserable road, muddy and
swampy, not permitting him to
ride.
At length they reached their deS-
tination, and planting him under d
tree fastened the rope about his
IL o,,d tb,o,,, tl,o otbor and ovo,
a branch. "Where's the rest Of
the money!" they asked. "What
money!" inquired Nelson, but he
was jcrked up and felt a choking
sensation, then swimming in the
head which relapsed into a dreamy
unconsciousness; he was hung fol
the first time. Recovering, he
found himself lying on the ground
with symptoms of u sore throat. Al