Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-09-18
An Execu ton on the Plains.
BY AN OLD CONTRIBUTOR

In the spring OF 1897 started for Cal
ifornia with high hopes-hopes that have
never, alasl been realized. Of that por-
ton of our journey from home until we
arrived at Kansas, on the Missouri river,
will not speak. On arriving at Kansas,
We found large crowd waiting to get
everything in readiness to start for this
land of gold, and, among the rest, a large
train from the southern portron of Mis-
souri,, to which we attached ourselves;
aud on the 10th of May left that place.
1t was not until we got into the Territory
that we learned the true character of
those to whom we had voluntarily at
tached ourselves. They were of the usual
"Pike" stamp-regular Western men
who had been accustomed to hardships
all their lives. The portion of our trip to
Fort Laramie passed off very pleasantly.
After we left that place, however, we had
frequent quarreis and fights, but nothing
of a serious nature until one day, the 9Th
of June, our captain, Mr.. NJ, had stopped
behind in the morning, and about noon
came riding up to his own wagon,
and spoke to the driver, Mr.. T., rather
harshly, about driving so hard, when the
latter became irritated, and struck him
with his whip. NJ. jumped off his horse
and made toward the driver, when a
brother interfered, and some harsh Ian
guage was exchanged between the two,
and NJ. turned to 60 away; but as he did
so, T. struck him with a large knife in
the breast M. staggered, and as he fell
T. caught him by the hair, jerked his
head back, and drew his butcher knife
across his neck, nearly severing his head
from the body, and poor M. fell without
a groan.
The whole affair took place so quickly
that we had no time to interfere. I. I'M
mediately turned on his heels and walked
slowly away None thought of attempt
ing to follow him; we were all engaged
with poor NJ, who never spoke after he
fell to the ground, and in ten minutes
he was dead. We dug a grave beside
the road and buried HIM, and nothing
marks his last resting place save rude
board with this inscription: "Here lies
the body of George M, born in Missouri
murdered by Alfred T., on the 9th day
of June, 1852"
While we were digging the grave, a
horse train came along, and on being in
formed of the facts of the case, started
some men in pursuit of the fugitive. The
burial ceremony being over, we resumed
our journey, and after travelling about
six miles, overlook the horse train, who
had caught T., and had encamped on the
banks of small stream in the Black
Hills. There were, when we got there,
about two hundred wagons encamped,
waiting to hear the finale of the tragedy.
A large tent was pitched, and in
this was the court to sit and decide
whether T. was innocent or guilty. A
judge was elected by the assemblage, and
the accused accepted the election. An
attorney was appointed for the prosecu-
ton, and the accused selected one to de-
fend HIM. Two hundred jurors were
then summoned, and out of that number
twelve were selected.
The witnesses for the prosecution were
then called, and testified to the facts as
have stated them, when the judge asked
the defendant if he had any witnesses.
"No, he had none; didn't know that he
wanted any," His attorney insisted on
introducing evidence, however, as to char
acter, etc., which was admitted. After the
witness for the defence had got through,
the judge asked the attorney for the
prosecution if he had anything to say.
SAID he hadn't, whereupon the defendants
counsel arose and addressed the jury
in speech of half an hours length. The
judge said he knew that 1t was custom
airy to charge the jury as to law in the
premises; but on this occasion he would
decline, and would only say to them to
be guided by their sense of right, and do
nothing without mature deliberation.
The jury then retired, or rather
the court and spectators retired,
and left the jury in the tent.
Q in about half an hour the sheriff in
formed the Judge that the jury had
agreed. Upon the assembling of the
court, the judge asked the foreman if
they had agreed upon verdict; the re-
ply was that they had. The defendant
was then ordered to stand up, and the
judge inquired of the foreman the YER
dict of the jury. A breathless silence
here reigned in the tent. The foreman
replied that "the jury had found Alfred
T. guilty of murder in the first degree"
A low murmur here ran through the
crowd, whether of satisfaction or dis
appointment we could not tell.
The judge turned to the defend
ant and asked him if he had any good
reasons to urge why the verdict of the
jury should not be carried into effect.
The young mamie was about % years
old-arose, and, with hooking smile
on his lips, said he had; and then, turn
ing to the, spectators, remarked: "Well,
boys, you have carried the joke about far
enough" and with coarse, loud laugh,
resumed his seat. The judge rebuked
him for his unseemly mirth, and then in
as brief a manner as possible passed SEN
tence On him, to-wit: "That he should be
hung by the neck until he was dead, ''and
concluded by exhorting him to prepare to
meet his God.
The Judge then rose and addressed the
crowd, saying that the carrying out OF
the sentence renamed entirely with them,
and concluded by putting the question
GAS many of you as are in favor of car
rying out the verdict of the jury and the
sentence of the court, say aye" AS if by
one common impulse, every voice shout
ed "Aye" The negative was then put,
and not one single voice was heard.
Twas not till then that the culprit's
stubborn confidence was shaken.
Court was then adjourned. and the
prisaner remained in the tent under a
strict guard During that short hour,
which to the guard appeared lifetime,