The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-01-03
HOW JOE WEAKENED.

a great fleod of sunshine at noonday.
sixty strong and sturdy men were dig
glng into the base of the black topped
mountain in search of silver.
We were not in luck, and, though each
man was gloomy and discouraged there
was no excuse fol murder. We had band
ed together to share alike, and it fortune
smiled on one, all would receive bene-
fits.
One night, when the days toll of fifty-
seven men yielded an estimate of only Sc,
the miners cursed and swore, and felt
like striking each other, We were short
OF provisions, new tools were needed, and
the men turned in for the night with
determination to strike for some other
locality if the next days work should ex-
hibit like barren results.
At midnight there was great outcry.
It was not an Indian attack, as each miner
anticipated when he rushed out, but hor-
rible murder had been committed, and
the murderer captured by one of the SEN
tinels. A miner named Joseph Swain,
but hardly known in camp by any other
name than "Joe," occupied tent in com
pany with an old man named Arnold.
The two were on good terms, but while
Arnold had about $500 in gold coin ac-
qulred IN other speculations, Swain hadn t
dollar outside the common fund. The
gold was buried in the earth under the
bed in which the two slept, and Swain
could not get at it at night without arous.
ing his companion. Had he secured it
during the day and made off he would
have been overhauled very quickly, and
his punishment nothing less than hanging.
1t could be no more if he added murder
to the robbery, and that night. when we
all felt so bitterly towards luck, and when
partners felt so much like striking each
other, Joe Swain murdered the man who
had done the most for him. He was get
ting away with the gold when halted and
though he made sharp fight for liberty
he was tied, hand and foot within five
minutes after the first alarm.
Arnold was dead, stabbed in three or
four places, and the gold was found in
Joe's belt. There was no show for the
murderer. He could not even plead
impulse or heat of passion. Indeed he
was not the one to seek to avoid conse-
quences. He made a statement to the
effect that he had deliberately. mur-
dered and robbed the good old man, and
added:
"Now, boys, there's no use in a great
fuss over this matter. Put guard over
me, and the rest Of you go back to your
sleep. You'll hang me, OF course, and
when morning comes shall have re-
quest to make. I shan't trv to get away,
and I'm not going to play the baby when
the last hour comes.
Joe Swain was known among US as a
game man. He had fought Mexicans,
trailed Indians and killed three or four
white ruffians who had made themselves
a terror to certain localities. Armed
with his bowie-knife, he would have
been match for any four of us, and it
was owing to his presence more than that
of any one else that our village was not
troubled with the roughs and gamblers
who attached themselves to other camps
like leeches.
Murder was crime that could not be
palliated in a mining camp. Had it
been anything else,a majority of the men
would have been in favor of letting Joe
Jump the diggings and 20 unpunished.
But when they looked in on the white
faced and blood stained corpse of the
good old man who had been like father
to all OF them, each heart hardened
against the murderer, and each man said
to the other:
"Joe Swain must hang for this !"::
There was no need OF trial. When
he was brought out after breakfast he
said: , IT,
Boys, I don't want any fuss over this
thing. I killed the old man, and it is
your duty to swing me up to limb. l
knew what I was up to-, and knew Id
have to stretch a rope if I couldn't get
away. / don't deserve kind word and
l shant look for any sympathy. The re-
quest I want to make is that you won t
hang me till sunset. Ijknow it's~-bati to
have one Of these affairs hanging around
camp afl! day, but yet it won't make
no crest difference to you as long as you're
working for almost nothing. 81 Now, then,
all in favor Of waiting till sunset to hang
me, say aye" *', : :
'sAye'" shouted every man around
him.
--"Those opposed will say nor
Not a voice WAS heard.
:"t'The ayes have it, and I am to be hung
at sundown," " continued Joe. II want to
write half 9 dozen letters, sleep for two
or three hours and ! hope you won't crowd
in on me. Select your tree, get your
rope ready, and when the time comes I'll
be on hand" :y:,5>s.'..
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