The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-10-03
TIE TWO GRAVES.
& Tale of Passion and Frontier
Justice.
No. Ill.
BY GASKELL.
concluded !

When Carson saw she terrible and
fatal effects OF his shot, he made no
attempt to escape, but dismounting
from his horse he let it 90 where it
would and sat himself down by the
side OF the body Of his victim. Ali
excitement and passion seemed to
have Left him, and quiet as E ,tAtus
he sat gazing upon his early friend.
Dacres lay upon his back, bis pale
face looking up to tho blue canopy OF
heaven above, bat life and animation
had fed. A slight irown contracted
bis brow, caused partly by the aDgered
feelings he had felt and partly by the
pains of dissolution. So quickly had
the fatal messenger performed its
deadly work, that not even a word
escaped him as be fell.
What the feelings of his murderer
were may be imagined, but never
described. He was orushed, power.
less and passionless. In that awful
moment OF aAony and guilt, the
generous fselggs and degires OF his
early life came over him, and how
gladly would be have undone the
work OF his hands. But Il n was now
impossible. We have it in our power
to rob the human casket OF its jewel,
life. but once taken, We never can re-
place it. An action once performed
once marked upon the liie-page of
our history, is inefscaole. We may
blot and blur the page, but still the
dark shade lie there and should teach
us the proper value OF wisdom and
carefulness Of action in the future.
How long Carson sat by the read.
side, he never knew. When be came
to himself he was ia the hands of
those formerly his friends, q prisoner.
The frightened horses Of DacTea had
oveTtaken these in advance snd
knowing something unusual had hap
pened to the driver, the company was
stopped and a party started back to
ascertain what it was. They had
heard the report OF the pistol, but
that alone could have cansed them
80 unessinees, though coupled as it
vas, WITH the frightened horses and
tAe absence OF their driver, caused
many surmis,s to arise. To cay the
party that arrived at the scene Of the
murder we're surprised and startled
would inadequately express their feel
ings. They we're shocked and horri.
fed st the terrible deed.
There is always something awful in
murder. Indeed there are few who
willingly come in contact with the
body Of one who has died violent
death.
The compsDy did not go any far
ther that Gay. Being in the vicinity
of wood and wafer, the wagons were
corraled and the animals were turned
out 20 graza. The people were ex-
cited and anxious. Looks were oitsn
cast towards tent, at little distance
away, beside which two men with
loaded rifles were walking. In that
tent was John Carson, mentally and
physically crushed and powerless
They might haze spared themselves
the trouble of guarding him. He
made no cficrt to escspe-he had no
thought, nor any desire to do 80.
HIS unfortunate victim lay in MS
wagon and the last sad Offices were
being performed for him. But on the
plains it is seldom any coffin encloses
tbs forms or roe ueEt-Uut scan,
ceremony is performed as the body is
consigned to its parent dust. 10 the
ocean no tombstone marks the place
where the dead LEON the plains,
though the hand OF affection may
plant 6 rude board at the head and
mark some letters upon it, few
short years OF Summers suns and
winters storms, cI1mble it into dust
and the sepulchre there. is as undia-
tinguishsbls IN the latter SO in TIE
former place.
There wss great doubt and per
piexity in the minds OF the emigrants.
a daring, bloodthirsty, brutal crime
had been committed, yet the law and
its officers we're too remote to reach
and punish the perpetrator. 1t
rested with them to see Justice ad-
ministered to the delinquent. But it
was not without many and serious
misgivings that they came to q final
decision. 1t is a terrible thing TO take
q human life, even though that life
may have been forfeited to the out
ragged laws of our country. No
generous. warm hearted man desires
to sit upon q jury which has to con-
sign human being 10 death. This
is the case even when all is legal and
in accordance with the Law of the
land; how much more is it so when
they have taken the law into their
Own hands? But there is a higher
and nob!er principle in human ne
ture than mere inclination. 1t Is
that of 4 sense of duty and honor-s
feeling so powerful IN many minds
that sll other feelings and circum-
stances must bend to it. Il Is that
| priaciPls which defends the right
Sbich protects the EeaE and dsfense'
/ isss. aid which avenges lhs inuocsA'
and Furnishes toe guilty.
These considerations had been prc'
ipeIly weighed and estimated by toe