The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-04-09
BLAKE's WIDOW.


Jem Blake had been shot dead iu his
own doorway by Antonio Gusldo, and
the trial was to come s6 directly.
The extraordinary interest in the af.
fer was less due To the msrdsr and TT
peculiar circumstances. than 70 the fact
that this was the first case tried at San
Saba in any moro formal court than the
tims-honofed institution Of Judge
Lynch. Jein had been . quiet man
and good neighbor. with . hand sl-
ways ready TO help any oos who waa
out Of luck; % public sentiment ran
pretty high sgaipst- Antonio. flths
general inclination haA been, followed
AS. up 10 that time, il always had
the last pamed gentleman would have
found very scsst OpPosfunitg 10 make
any remarks in his own bsAalf. - -
However. tbings wsrs ID dvsneinS l0t
San Saba ~ we'll q sIsev here, and il
wouldn't do ts hang Antoeio wasAoet .
regular trail no oattsr how nsgupahle
such . proceeding might b 70 sAs peo-
pie st large. w.dt m
SO ran the eoptaion expressed by
Judge P,tbslds. wAsse IDEAS on sucls
subjects were usualfy scceptsd without
com meSt. hafecs EeH @
Nevertheless, there was more than
one dissenter in the pressnt ihst1sce. !. TO
whom It was BY no means clear that
there could bs asy sense or profit in
thus beating about the bush.
'Ef Antonio's goin' ter be hang. why
10 -- don't ~ basg hin % f'1ts' if'i
This was the pertinent query of Jake
Smith, the leader Of the opposing fac
tiou, and hi. view OF the question put
it IN % GEAR light tha. the Judge
had great difficulty iu impressing peo.
pie with his convictions. He said that
things hsd gono on in ~ irregular way
loog enough. and hers xas . chance to
star, the law In properly. and givs. it .
fair show Besides, it didn't make any
kind Of difference; Antonio hal shvt
Jem Hadn't he? Well. then. ~h t
was the use Of talking: All the jury
would have to do now was to return
their verdict Of guilty of murder in
the hrst degree. and there you were all
Comfortable ee ia -
1, was just tbs sa.s,e thirg il fLs e.,d
- exactly.
Il tell YER said the Judge. who felt
the weight of his title. albeit the same
was altogether ons Of courtesy: i tell
yer there's nothin' like doin' Q thing
reglar. pertikerlally when yer know
how it comm out a. 4
So the Judges sfgnnen, :. ssppsrted
by his influence, aud increasing bias at
Sau Saba in favor Of more civilized
views. decided the matter. and it was
settled that Antonio should be tried be.
fore he was hanged
A. there was NO place specially ar
ranged for such ceremonies, Judge Pit
baldo Hospitality offered the use Of his
shed. s. IS
Here rongh table aud chair wefe
plsced for the JudGs. the othse nsc4-
sary furniture. iateq1ed I'd fopre< ht
the doeh. the stand, etc. hsle Odd
eut With boxes from Silas Bkggstss b
grocery store.
Jake Sm.th looked on ct these prep
arations for time with frowning dis
content. aud then strollsd down the
road, turning into the lane that led to
Blake'a - &
Wben be reached ths door Il the
shanty be leaned SeAinsts HE jamb and
poksd bis naked head inside, tanning
himself IN an embarrassed way with his
greasy fragment of . hat. He had cons
there with the intention Of saying
something. but the sight within nade
Bl.ks's widow satpthers. - shs hsd
sat pretty much all the time since the
murder. staring straight before her,
wish her chin "a her pal& 1kssdhs
| light struck thsouah. the faliAss Of the
red oak trees shas grew bsfosS tbs do6s
and checkersd With Aickering bright.
ness the floor and the cradls WHARF
Jcso's baby was sleeping.
There II wss. juse . It '6sa been
three days ago; tcosld II b. .oaly three
dsys:) just ~ Is he'd been uhsn she
wsAt out that nOIaie0 - look ailer ths
drying clotehs. and left him sanding ID
the door by The cradle (ksW foed be
| was Of the babyl) Just - it wAs when
she heard: the crack Of the pistol and
| rsa in with su sWlnt sen61 81 nys1at-
| log fright, juGt the same q - ehad
found HAL lSisg upon ths crSdgs. dsb.
bling its white liasn with his blood. and
the baby playing with his hair. She
screamed onoe. the 6rst asd lsst con-:
p!sins any uos had heeed m m6ksi
then shs was quiet and kelpful through
T. IL all; when the men eame and lined
him ap; when they laid hin eut On the
rough bed in ths oShsr soez: ukea they
carried him 10 The grave, she f01lOWjse
With the baby ia her ANN.
Jake Smith was trying 10 fad the
link missing in his-thsugbtG hssstfbe
with psrplexity-oe sonsthing-and
Blaks's widow looked - Without
speaking. Jake nodded plsasantly
f5ur or i've timsG
| s,os. ,possy sAisIs'' sse:S :Sa "a ,NaiI
ovss the sleeping child aud smoothed
.rhey'ss agpiD' tes ~ hin T. coprts
Jaks wsot %. ind 4 deot bs3eyf-.
! TRY wb0-Adko&,of OhA t1rted
toward the .bsrty q {uls d thS dor wit1
. Assh Of ipterest = Aag hleck eyss. r.
.Yss. TAe tnAGe kdekio Xceds'
cut Of his sbod. / hops it will torn
cut III right - B 6stls1 HIT MA
thss Mexicsn devil . chance 10 eqgel
not to>haye.' = :
/ He caat gst olsas. en- hs 2 she NIX
ID, rocking shs cradle gently snd pat
| as.~ th~ nnonelnk -