American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-03-27

garment being partly Orln whole 1orme
| of buckskin, and a brace of formldabl
looking revolvers of the Colt patterl
ornamented his belt. He called TO
| order and said:
| al app'int Doc Woods, Length,
johnson and Arkansaw rs officers o. TIN
court. 1t III be their duty to preserv,
order, an if the kids foun' guilty to ex
ecute the sentence o. the court. Thu
rest o. the crowd III act as the jury, an
| l want every one o. you to buckle dowr
an take in every word o. the witnesses
| music an give the lad every chance yol
| kin-fur durn me if l don't kinder like
his looks. Let yer verdic' be just 'un
| accOrdin' to the facts an evidence"
The officers designated took theil
post at the side of the prisoner, and the
mass jury silently gathered around the
seat of Justice.
"Nobby Dyer!'
The person addressed, flashily at
tired young man, wearing a grand dis
play of preast-pin and watch-chain,
stepped to the front. Said the Judge
.' Nobby, do you sw'ar that yen give
us square story on this killin' business,
an ladle out nuthin' but solid facts, SO
help you God?'
"Yes, Jedge."
Turn Ter loose, then!'
Well, gents, I'm the day gin Singer
at the Ell Dorado; guess you all know
that, though, fur I've he'd business deal
ms with all o. you. Wat, the deceased,
come into the saloon this mornin', i
should Judge about Z o'clock-'twas
just after I'd mixed your first cocktail,
Jedge; about Z, wasn't itp's
"Jist about that time; go ahead"
"Well, as l said, Wat come in an
begin to gin up purity lively. I seen he
was takin' or more'n usual, so /
cramped on his whisky Il little, an
didn't putt more than about half the
usual amount into each cocktail. He
KEEP a hittin' at the juice, though, till
he begin to feel purity comfortably hap
py, an then he turned to an begin to
chaff the boys kind o. good-natured,
you know. Wat was alters full o. fun
when he had a good dose o. the fluid up
his nose, and never knowed him to
pull gun or act a darned bit ugly with
any body. He war settin' with his back
towards the door when the kid, thar,
come in an leaned kind o. careless-like
agin the pool table. Wat began to let
loose game about some gal tibet got
sweet on him afore he left the States,
when I noticed the kid turn sort o. pale
an grit his teeth! was jist about to
tackle the lad an. ask him wat racket
he was on WREN Billy Harvey called fur
a toddy. Jist as l turned roun' toward
the sugar-drawer heerd the gun go off,
an looking roun', seed that it war
this kid that had turned 'er loose. 1
set the toddy up to Billy, an when L
seed that Wat had got his medicine
dead sure, hoped over the bar an
tux the, pop away from the kid an
asked him what'n thunder he wanted to
raise a row in the house furP He didn't
say any thin 'cept somethin' about the
villain, meanin' the deceased, de-
servin' all he'd got, an L couldn't get
no more out o. him. That's all know,
gents, 'cept thatthe shot were daisy!
I've seed my share o. SIGH rackets, but
1 never seed a man git it neater than
Wat didi''
Did the kid deny the shootin'?''
No, ledge; he jist the same as ac-
it,
You are sure that Hanson Harry
fired the shot that cpoaked George Wat
son?''
=" Perfectly sure, Jedge.''
That's all, then.,,'
A number of witnesses were called,
and all corroborated the barkeeper's
story. When the evidence was all heard
the Judge turned to the accused and
said:
Harry, hev ye any witnesses fur yer
81 have none, sir, but the Almighty!"
"Well, don't suppose He'd pay any
'tention to a supeny from this court.
Ye've heard the evidence, 'an We mus
hot 1vfxy cf, svhf Tha
punishment fur permiscuous shootin' in
these mountains lays in the end o. that
air rope. You air a stranger to every
one hyar; but its purity ginerally put
up by the boys that we air a brother o.
the gal Wat war a chinnin' about wen
We slung him his medicine. In some
parts tibet mout be edged in by fly law
,harps as a extcnoatin' circumstance,
but l can't advise We to hook hope
)nto it hyar. You hev so far refused to
open yer mouth regardin' the matter,
but I'd advise We to put in a word afore
he case goes to the jury. If you want
ter testify in yer own behalf now's yer
lime to sing yer song! Hev we any
hing to perduceP'
Harry stepped forward and faced the
stern looking crowd. With clear and
fearless eye he glanced over the assem-
1ly moment, and then began to speak
N q voice in which not tremOr could |
De detected: -.
IS Gentlemen, stand before you as a
convicted murderer, for can read my
late in your cold, determined faces. L
nave read enough, about how such cases
IRE disposed of in this wild country to
know that in a few moments will hang
from a limb of one of those |
,rees! l was fully conscious of this |
when / fired the shot that blottcd a
from the face of the earth!
Before you carry your sentence into eX-
,cution will tell my story, and then |
when am dead some of you may per-
maps feel little sympathy for Harry,
Is you call me. Do not for moment |
,hink that talk to consume time and |
lelay the execution, for truthfully as
,ure you that 1 do not fear the death |
which awaits me.
" In one of tho most beautiful cities |
IN the State of Ohio lived wealthy, |
noffensive old man named Forester. |
That man, now in his grave, was my
beloved father! He had daughter,
Edna, upon whom he dotted, and she |
was, indeed, the light and comfort of
his old age. People called her amiable
and beautiful, and, as might be expect
ed, there were numerous suitors for her
hand and the fortune which awaited her
upon her fathers death. Among these |
suitors was young man named Fred |
Marston, the son of a wealthy merchant |
OF the same city, and upon him Edna
bestowed the purest love of her inno-
cent heart. The young man was some
what wild and a little Inclined to dissi-
nation haf foil