The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-08
BLAKE'S WIDOW.
An Incident of the First Judicial Trial il
San Saba.

An Incident of the First Judicial Trial in
San Saba.
boston Courier
Jcm Blake had been shot dead In his own
doorway by Antonio Gueldo, and the trial
wns to come of directly.
The extraordinary interest In the affair was
less due to the murder and its peculiar chr
cumatanrea than u the fact that this was the
frat case tIiedsRt San Saba In any more for
NAL court that the time honOred institution
OF Judge Lynch. Jem had been quiet man
and good neighbour. with hand always
ready Ia help any one who was out oil luck.
60 public sentiment ran pretty high agaiDat
Antonio. LII tho general incinatlun had boan
fuIiowt d-as, 10 u that time 1t always had
the laat-named gentleman would have found
very scaut opportunity to make any remarks
In bis own behalf,
However, things were advancing at San
Saba as well IA elsewhere, and 1t wouldn't
do To hang Antonio without regular trial.
no matter how agreeable such a proceeding
might be to the people at large
SO ran the opinion expressed by Judge Pit
blade, whose Ideas on such subjects were
ueually accepted without comment.
Nevrrthelesa. there was more than one
dissenter lii the present instance. to whom II
wMH by no means clear that there could be
amy senae Or profit Ia thus beating about the
bush.
"Ef Antonio's goln' ter be hung, why don't
we hang bimp"
This WAS the pertinent query Of Jake Smith.
the leader OF tue oppO ing faction. and his
view III the question wAs put IN 40 clear a
light that the judge had great difficulty IN
i,npressinH people with his conviction. He
said that things had gone on In al irregular
way long enough, aud here was chance TO
start the law Ia properly. and give It n fair
show. Besides, II didn't make any Kind OF
difference; A, tonic had shot Janl. hadn't hr2
Well, then. what was the nse oi talking All
the jury would have to do now was IL return
their verdict OF guilty In the first degree. and
there you were all comfortable.
Ii WAS just the same thing In the end-ex-
II telleyer,' said the Judge, who felt the
wcjHht iii his title, albeit tho same was alto
rethar ono of courtesy; " tell yer there's
nothin' like dom u thing regular: partiker-
latly when yer know just how It's comm
out
So the iudge's argument. supported by his
influence, and Increasing bias At San Saba In
favor oil more vtvil1aM views, settled the
matter, and II was decided that Antonio
Gueldo should be tried before he was hanged
"A there WAS no place specially arral ged
for such ceremonies, Judge Pttblado hosplta-
bly, offered the Use Of his shed.
Here u rough table aud chair were placed
for the Judge, tho other necessary furniture.
Intended to represent the dock, the stand etc.
being eked out with boxes from Silas Bag
uett's grocery store.
Jake Smith looked on at these preparations
for tune with frowninR discomfort. ana then
stroiled down the road, turning into the lane
that led to Blake's.
When HI reached he door of the shanty he
leaned against the jamb and poked hts naked
head inside. tanning himself In All embar
rasaed way with hi. greasy fragment OF u hat.
He had come there with the intention OF say
lug something, but thesiKht within nude him
forget 1t,
Blake's widow ant there "a she had sat
pretty much all the time since the murder,
staring straight bfare her. with her chin III
her palm, The sunlight struck through the
foliage of the red oak trees that grew before
the door, and checkered with ilekerinx bright
nees the floor and the cradle where Jem y
baby was sleeping
Thereit was. just "a It had been three days
ago; (coald II he only three daysn just AZ 1t
had been When she went out that morning to
look after the drying clothes, and left him
standing In the door by the cradle, thow fond
he was III the baby y just as II w.s when she
heard the O. ack OF the pistol. and ran In VIII h
All awful SENSE " sutfocntin4 fright; Just the
same aA she had found hin lying upon the
cradle. daholtng its white linen with his
blood. and the baby playing with his hair.
plant any one had heard her make; then
she was quiet and helpful through itali. when
the men came ana lifted him UP; when they
laid him out upon the rough bed In the other
room; when they carried him to his grave,
she following with the baby In her arms.
Jake Smith was trying to find the link
missing In his thoughts: he shifted with per
plexity--or sonethinK-aDd Blakes widow
looked up without speaking. Jake nodded
pleasantly four Vi live tlnies.
"Pooty chipprr2" asked he.
Biake's widow smiled sadly. bent over the
sleeping child and smoothed the clothes With
tender touch.
They're ag"in' ter try him In court, v
Jake went on, IAN dnn't believe
TRY whn-Antonto she turned toward
the hurly figure ID the door with a flash VI
Interest In her black eyes.
Yes. The judge Ia maxim a court out-ot
his shed. l hope i'll turn out all right, but
1t seems like 1ivu' that Mexican devil q
chance he ouRhtnt ter have"
HE cant R-t clear, can he?" she asked
rocking the cradle gently and patting the
coverlet.
81 don't see how, hut he's got some kind OF
q law cuss To speak for him, fellow that
stopped here n day or two ago on his way to
Galveston, and IL makes me kind o ner-
vous.'
Biake's widow did not appear to notice the
last reMark, for Tie child, disturbed by the
talking, had awakened and sat up In his
cradle with q wondering look.
"Pooty, Amt he I. said Jake. regarding the
small figure with interest Looks just like
ahem you. Poor little be STAN