Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-06-03
hin. just before the last dia-

- -" =
the soldier who seemed to be the
master Of ceremonies:
.'You internal william and
coward, | want this to be the
last time you let me down. /
want you to finish me now,
without further torture. l
shall die with my secret. l
know from your look you are a
Iow-livered brute and coward,
and I tell you now, | will meet
you in hill before many days,
and, in the presence of the devil
himself, denounce you face to
face! Swing me up again!'' !''s'
And they did, but with no
better successthan before. Limp,
and almost lifeless, the old man
dragged himself to his door and
was assisted to bed.
Meanwhile a faithful slave had
mounted a horse and gone post
haste to the neighboring planters
for assistance. Several of the
late Confederate soldiers had re-
turned home, among them one
who had received many person
al kindnesses at the hands Of
Howell Rose. lie at once gath
cred up six or eight of his friends,
and started toward the scene of
the outlawry, all well armed.
On the failure of the robbers
to extort the secret they mounted
their horses and beat a hasty re-
treat; and as good luck would
have ii, were met on the road by
the rescuring sqnad, led by the
devoted negro. This squad see
ing at a distance the approach of
of the outlaws, took ambush
near the road, and as the latter
approached, they fired, killing
two outright, and badly wound
ing another. The other three
escaped. After taking the woun-
ded scoundrel prisoner, assisting
him to a house near by, and
sending for a physician to dress
the wound, they hurried on to
learn the fate of Howell Rose.
They found him, his neck swoll-
en- from the laceration, and his
eyes almostprotruding from their
sockets. Informing him of the
fate Of the robbers, and that one
of them lay mortally wounded at
a neighbor's house, and the, old
gentleman, though scarcely able
to utter word or lift a hand,
protested that he must go and
see the scoundrel before he died.
81 must go, and SHALL" he de-
clared. SO his friends assisted
him to his carriage, and he was
driven, more dead than alive, to
the bedside of the dying robber.
The interview between the two
exceeded the tales Of romance,
Just as truth is stranger than
fiction.
''I thought i would find it SO"
said Mr.. Rose, in tone of the ut
most scorn. 81 felt that / should
find you here, the ring-leader of
your mrrderous clan ! / shall
believe in the justice of heaven
and the fates. / told You, you
merciless dog, that | would meet
you in ll-ll! You are dying
: now, the doctor tells me; you
little thought your time was 50
near, did you ? p aa1
The wounded man groaned;
| pleaded that he, had been led by
/ wicked companions into the at
tempted robbery, and begged of
: his, late victim to spare him
further reproach. i,.ia 81.
, $50 you beg for mercy, do You:
|, / knew from your looks that you
: were a cowardly dog, and had nc
sand in your craw. While you
: were hanging me did | beg you!
!. No, you cowardly curl would
have seen you in h first ! Sc
5 You are a sneak-thief as well as
: a robber? / told you, under the
tree, / would meet you in hel
[ and confront you in the presence
/ of the devil himself; but since
? see you are such a cowardly cur
: I have changed my mind.
| shall let you go alone, for
: wouldn't want even the devi
himself to see me in company OF
such a sneak as you are"
e At this point, as if in mercy
for the dying wretch, the olC
: gentleman was again assisted Il
i his carriage and driven home
: where he remained in bed 70
a weeks. The man, to whose bed
4 side Howell Rose dragged him
:, self died that night, but he live'
c long enough to say that he hat
4 passed through the entire wa
k and had seen many gallant men
q but that Howell Rose was tn
bravest man he had ever seen.
o Ten or fifteen feet abov'
d ground, on the very oak to whicl
these outlaws had hanged How
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