The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-08-13

help feeling some misgiVings; but, put
ting on bold face, he passed this dread
ed character without any sign of recog
milton being shown. His baggage wa'
found where it had been left He put NJ
his tent and sat down to rest before pro
ceeding farther. taaY 9fa .6
I "Now, " said he, /" / will begin agar
as a new conner in this district, under 1
new name, and under better auspices, j
hope. I am well rid of my prosecutor
and if / take little care there will bt
no danger of my recognition. 43l
He had scarcely finished this hopeful
soliloquy, when men were heard ap
preaching without, and he caught The
sound of a, voice too well known to him
Presently Hooker looked in and, with {
malicious grin, invited him to step out
side. Crawley complied with seeming
indifference, and found Diggles and sew
eral others awaiting him.
"We know what you've been up to-
whoever you are, I growled their leader
and spokesman, looking at Crawley's
hands, from which, in his haste, he had
neglected to wash some marks of blood
"We know the whole story. One man
robs another, as every one knows, 'ano
disappears with the plumber, early
some fine morning. Then this man
that's been robbed goes off up stream in
the direction the first man was supposed
to have taken, and he meets man mum.
Der three coming up out of the bushes
where we find blood-stains and hal
caught in the rushes. We put this anC
that together and conclude that there's
been murder for money, and the body
sunk III the river; then we come after
this third fellow and find his hands
bloody, and we find watch-chain we've
seen before, just hanging down il
sight. Here he .clutched at the chair
which our bewildered friend had moi
thought it necessary to conceal, or fol
some reason had omitted to do SO, ane
would have pulled out the watch, but
he shook him off, exclaiming with an as.
sumption of boldness: nam "a. Haf8,ias
"Your words are entirely unintelli.
gible to me I know nothing of this rob.
berry you speak Of" g8 ~.
"Now that's no co." said Hooker
''youd better; give, up my, property
without any fuss, if you don't want K
be strung up on that tree over there, fol
n murderer and robber both. " 3siii
This was terrible to the wretched
Crawley. Was he to be hunted down
by that demon? What could he do!
lie looked around at the dark faces
which surrounded him, to seeif he could
gain any hope from them. They all
eyed him fercely with what he thought
was a bloodthirsty look-no, not all
what was it that made Diggles seem sc
i'll at ease, as though he were playing a
forced part, and but half playing it at
that. But Crawley had noted before
this peculiar manner of Diggles, and
could get no encouragement from it now.
He could only disclaim all knowledge Of
the missing gold, and look on with
gloomy forebodings while diligent
search was prosecuted under the direc-
ton of Hooker. At the end of that
fruitless operation, a rope was produced
and he was led, almost fainting with ter
ror, to the tree which had been desig-
mated as suitable for his execution, and
his fate was sealed by Hooker in these
words, who recited them in the manner
of a Judges sentence, manifesting acruel
delight the while: ta9.i ta5r
"You are hereby adjudged guilty Of
murder in the first degree, as well as OF
an act of atrocious robbery, and SEN
fenced to be hanged by the neck at the
expiration Of one-half hour. Z
The unfortunate victim knew that
Hooker, without troubling himself to
use his reason on the probabilities of
the case, was SO enraged by the loss OF
his gold that he would, in his mad pas
sion, wreak his terrible vengeance upon
him to the full, using the charge of muir
der as an excuse for such extreme meas
ure, which charge would readily insure
for him the support of his companions,
who were less interested In the robbery
than in the disappearance of the first
supposed culprit.
The news of these proceedings had
spread, and there was now quite a
crowd collected around the fatal tree.
Some thought that Of course the accused
would confess the deed and denote the
hiding place of the booty before the
half hour should be up but all were
eager, partly, no doubt, merely for the
sake of diversion, to see him executed
on the more serious charge of murder.
From the pitiless determination ex-
pressed in the looks of all it seemed
likely, indeed, that he would actually be
put to death for numbering himself for
suicide. In fact te
The thirty minutes of grace were rap
idly passing. Crawley's senses were
benumbed and bewildered, SO quickly
had events followed upon one another,
dragged to the tree and sentenced to
execution. He tried several times to ex-
plain matters and to prove his inno-
cence, but in his present agitated condi-
ton he could offer no explanation
which they would believe.
The time had passed, and, amid impa.
tient cries of, sUp with the murderer, .
ssString up the villain" the rope was
adjusted, and Hooker, grasping it with
firm hand, called Diggles, who was
lurking among the crowd, to aid He
advanced slowly with an uncertain,
almost-faltering gait, and with eyes cast
On the ground.
ssCome, man, be lively" sang out
Hooker thought you'd be glad to
help me give this rascal his deserts
1t was not, however, with much ap-
pearance OF enjoying his duty that Dig
giles at last laid hold of the rope, but
he seemed to nerve himself to the task,
one which we would think him eminent
~ qualified by nature to perform. The