Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-04-13

driven that Fellow away ana ne 8 2 Two
FOUNDER. The sneaking old tramp! III
Shy stone at him if he comes any
closer,'
g. You'll do nothing of the sort, Bill
Pardee, said Charlie. The man look:
hungry, poor fellow!'
go | believe he's escaped from the
lookup persisted Bill. If he come:
down, III tell him to 20 back to jail
where he belongs, see if l DON'T
"The man was slowly and unsteadily
making his way towards them. He
watched the boys with strangely eager,
imploring glance. A few feet from
them he stopped, twirling his hat in his
hand.
"'Been a-fshing, boys" he said.
'Can | come DOWN.
Before tell you what they said, l
must 60 back little.
80 Fifteen years before, dead man
WIS found in the woods, mile from this
creek. He was 4 son of one of the
neighboring farmers. There was bull
let-hole through his heart, but his watch
and money were untouched. The OBJ
ject of the murderer had been revenge,
not plumber.
"Suspicion fell on companion Of the
victim, with whom he had had a quarrel
They had been seen on the road togeth-
er week before, and the murdered man
was never seen alive again. This friend
was arrested and tried. The circum-
stantial evidence was strong against
him. He was found guilty, and SEN
fenced to Imprisonment for life. Fiji
teen years of his confinement had pass
ed when he received pardon, and was
released.
son the morning and just at the hour
when our boys went to clear the barn,
he came out of the prison gates, and
stood looking up and down the busy
streets, as though he were half blinded.
"The gate-keeper followed him kind
ly. Where are We goin', Seventy-sev-
emp he asked, calling the man by his
prison number; for he never had heard
his name.
al don't know
"sGot no kin?'
"The man did not answer. He sat
down on the curbstone, his eyes blink
ing, his mouth twitching nervously. He
looked wistfully at the gate, as if he
would ask to be taken in again. In that
fifteen years his cell had grown to be a
home to him. He had no other home.
The keeper turned to go in.
"sDon't leave me, Jackson he said,
feebly putting out his hand.
jackson stood beside MIN. Take
a cigar he said, in token of their new
equality
"'I have never smoked
"'Where are We goin', anyhow
Seventy-seven stared vacantly up
and down the street. When he had
zone in at that gate, he was young
md handsome man. He had been
awyer in fair practice, with mother
who made an idol OF him, and hosts of
"Now he was bent and white haired.
There was not a man whom he could
all friend, or house where he had
light to shelter, in all the world.
"'Id like to go back he said, with
miserable smile.
Cant do that, my boy. You were
n for
"Murder,'
"'Yesr
al was innocent, muttered Seventy ,
even. And then, suddenly, as if the Z
zee air and sun accused him afresh of
is crime, he rose and stretched out his
rms. n
"'Before God, | was innocentI' he !,
ned.
"'Yes, CT course, of course said i
ackson. 'You all say so. But be- :
eve you, Seventy-seven. Got no kin?'
my mother died eight years ago. t
" brother lives in the old homestead. 5
don't know whether to 90 to him, or v
what would you do?' turning in his b
tier solitude TO Jackson as friend. b
80 Got the money to go?"
"' Yes, the prison society gave me b
ese clothes, and money to pay my
ay home Ruf-s