St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-10-11
Saved by "a Wiac'S Letters.
commercial Advertiser. !

The following story was told recently
in Denver, (Col.} court: On hot day
in July, 1869, u hcrdsman was moving
his cattle to 4 new ranch fltrthcr north,
near Helena, Texas, and passing down
the banks OF q stream his herd became
mixed with other cattle that were graz
ing in the valley and some OF them
failed to be separated. The next day
about noon a band Of about dozen
mounted Texan hangers overlook the
hcrdsman and demanded their cattle
which they said We're stolen.
cit was before the day OF law and court
houses in Texas, and one had better
kill five men than steal il mule worth
So, and the hcrdsnan knew it. He tired
to explain, but they told him to cut 1t
short. He offered to turn over all the
cattle not his own, but they laughed
ut the propostion, and limited that they
usually coniiscatcd the whole herd ami
left the thief hanging Oh a tree as a
warning 70 others in like cases.
The poor fellow was completely over
come. They consulted apart for Il few
moments, and then told him il he mad
any explanations to make or business
to do they Wteld allow him ten minutes
to do so and defend himself.
lie returned to the rough faces and
commenced: How many OF You have
wives ?" Two or three nodded. How
many of You have children ," They
nodded again. Then know who
am talking to and you'll hear me-" and
he continued >" never stole any cattle.
have lived in these parts over three
wears i came from New Hampshire;
failed in the fall OF 1857, during the
panic | have no home here; my family
remain East, for | go from place It
place these clothes ! wear are rough
and am IL hardlooklng customer, but
this is IL hard country; days seem like
months to me. and months like years
! married men, you know that but tol
! the letters from home (lerc he pullet
cut handful of WcllWorn envelopes
and letters from his Wifc) should gel
discouraged. have paid part Of III,
debts. Here are the receipts, aud he
,ufolded the letters OF acknowledge
! mcnt. Il expected to sell out and g,
home in November. Here is the IeSta
ment my good mother gave me; here /:
my little girls picture and he KISSED
it tendcrly and continued: Now, men
if you have decided to kill me for VIVA
| am innocent of, send these home, ant
Stnu us lnlCll tS you Cdu llolll tilt t"t
tic when | am dead. Can't you scnt
half the value' My family will uee'
it,
Hold on, now !; stop right thar ;
said a rough ranger. 'Now. ! say, boys,
he continued, say, let him go. Civ
us your baud, old boy that picture an'
them letters did the business. ! on Cal
go free, but you're lucky, mind ye.".
"We'll do more than that" said
man with Il big heart in Texan gar
and carrying the customary brace o
pistols in his belt, "let's buy his eattl
, here and let him go"
; They did, aud When the money wa
.Daid over, aud the man about to start
!, he was too weak to stand. The lon
strain of hopes and fears, being ava
from home under such trying circum
stances, the sudden deliverance frof
, death, had combined to render him q
helpless as. a child. He sank 10 tn
ground completely eyervome. An hou
/ later, LuWercr, lie left on horscbac
/ for tie nearest staging route, and, q
they shook hands and babe him good
l bye, they looked the happiest band {
men | ever saw.