Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-09-25
ESCAPED THE ROPE.
The Thrilling Appeal Which
Saved q Life.

O3Veu q 14l5s
One hot day in July, 1860,
herdsman was moving his cattle
to n new ranch further north,
near Helena, Texas, and passing
down the hunks Of stream, his
herd beccme mixed with other
cattle that were grazing in the
the valley, and some Of them
failed to be separated. The
next day about noon a band of
about a dozen mounted Texan
rangers overlook the herdsman
and demanded their cattle, which
they said were stolen.
It was before the days of law
and court houses in Texas, and
one had better kill five men than
to steal mule worth So, and
the herdsman know it. He tri-
ed to explain, but they told him
TO cut it short. He offered to
turn over all the cattle not his
own, bat they laughed at his
proposition, and limited that they
usually confiscated the whole
herd, and left the thief hanging
on a tree as q warning to all
others in like cases.
The poor fellow was COM
pletely overcome. They con-
suited apart a few moments, and
then told him IL he had any ex-
plantation to make or business to
do, they would allow him ten
minutes to do so, and defend
himself.
He turned 10 the rough faces
and commenced, "How many
of you have wives?" Two or
three nodded. "How many of
you have children?'' They nod
ded again.
"Then / know who I'm talk
ing to, and you'll hear me-"
And he continued: 81 never
stole any cattle; | have lived in
these parts over three years. /
came from New Hampshire; 1
failed there in the fall of '57,
during the panic; l have slept
out on the ground; ] have no
home here; my family remain
East, for / 60 from place to
place; these clothes / wear arc
rough, and | am a hard-loooking
customer; but this is a hard
country; days seem like months
to me, and months like years;
married men, you know that
but for the letters from home"-
here he pulled out handful of
well-won envelopes and letters
from his wife-"I should get
discouraged. | have paid part
of my debts. Here arc the re-
ceipts," and he unfolded the
letters of acknowledgment. al
expected to sell out and go
home in November. Hero is
the Testament my good old
mother gave me; here is my'lit-
tic girls picture" And he
kissed it tenderly, and continu-
ed: "Now, men, if you have de-
cided to kill me for what I am
innocent OF, send these home,
and send as much as you can
from the cattle when I'm dead.
Can't you send half the value?
my family will need it."
"Hold on, now; stop right
tharl" said a rough ranger.
"Now, 1 say, boys he contin-
ued, 81 say, let him go. Give
us your hand, old boy; that pict-
ure and them letters did the bus
mess. You can go free; but
you're lucky, mind ye."
"We'll do more than that"
said a man with a big heart, in
Texan garb, and carrying the
customary brace OF pistols in his
belt; "let's buy his cattle here,
and let him CO."
They did; and when the mon
ey was paid over, and the man
about to start, he was too weak
to stand. The long strain of
hopes and fears, being away
from home under such trying
circumstances, the sudden de-
iliYerancc from death, had CON-
bincd to render him helpless as
a child. lie sunk to the ground
completely overcome. An hour
later, however, he left OF horse
back for the nearest stage-routc;
and, as they shook hands and
badc him good-by, they looked