Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-08-11
GaIes and Skeifbts.
lG o. 10 GO.

tanned brief account Of the lynching Of
man Who may IS well be called Arnold
Watts for safety's sake, At . mining settle
nnent IN TuOlumne county, Cal. The news
had been brought out into civilization by
Stage driver. and the few particulars
gwen, though jumbled and somewhat un-
reasonable. were 50 peculiar that nv
curiosity was aroused to the utmost.
Longer journeys than across the continent
and hack have been made on less important
errsnds than to learn why a man was
hanged by mob: journalists before now
have spent weeks Of prying work in cases
which could yield only two or three
columns OF reading matter; it has been
said great many thousand times that truth
Is stranger than fiction. | make these
statements. bear in mind. merely as
general propositions. They may be APP
piled TO the accompanying narrative or
not, according to the readers fancy. !
would not like to excite anybody's capacity
for belief to an abnormal extent. simply
say that what am going to write Tin my
personal. agnostic opinion.) is rs true as
most scripture.
The deep little gorge was not a Thorough
fare. A party Of prospecting miners hid
found that out in the early days by walk
ing To the end Of the dark recess in the
mountain, and before they turned back the
place was named No Go. But gold was
thereabout, and the stream that tumbled
down from the height provided water for
the delivers pans. Therefore No Go be-
came busting settlement, though 1t did
not change its name 10 something indica-
tive of It's prosperity. a stamp mill was
being built. and machinery was beginning
10 take the place OF mems arms in the
process OF mining. Some of the miners
had deserted their cabins and taken to
boarding Mt the Spread Eagle. house
made Of plancd boards and containing a
painted barroom. Supper was over at the
Spread Eagle, and the mistress. leaning
her back against the bar and her elbows
on II. carelessly faced a crowd of her
boarders and others. A few ofthese rough
residents OF No Go knew that her name
was Agnes Bripklev, but the Brinkley was
hardly ever heard, and the Agnes was. in
common usage, shortened to Ag. She was
not over thirty. and her face was not
hideous. Her blindest friends could claim
nothing further tor her looks. She was
six feet in height. her form was ungainly
and muscular her red hair was cropped
like mans. and her coarse features were
freckled and weather marked. Her heavy
eyebrows were now lifted in surprise, for
the barroom assemblage was not only
larger than usual so early in the evening.
but the men stood in clump, instead of
sprawling over benches, chairs and tables
I'D like TO be told what We mean by
GRIMM and sneakin' round yer like a
pack o. hungry wolves" Ag said. "Ye've
had yer grub, hain't YEP"
ku- I.,t
and the rude words were understood by all
10 be jocose. Herquestion brought a hes
liant spokesman to the front. He went so
far toward taking off his hat "a to push it
to the back Of his head. and said:
Its this way, Ag. The boys has been
thinkin' rs they'd like to give We kind
o. testi-moni-yal, specially sence We had
the bar-room painted. They feels yer
public spirit Wal. it's come to head.
an it's out thar in wagin. We did ex-
pee to bring Jedge Low up fern Pink
eyville to make presentashing speech.
but he's got hung jewry in boss case
and can come. so we'll jes' have it brung
right in. without no more talk"
Some Of the men went out and lifted
big mirror from n wagon in front Of the
house. They had trouble getting it
through the doorway without scraping
gilt of the heavy frame. Ag's face
flushed when she saw it. which might
have been taken as evidence of delight
but her suddenly lowered brows and COM
pressed lips would have warned the COM
pany ofan outbreak. IL they had not been
too busy with the mirror to observe her
They leaned It carefully against the wall
crowding in front of one another to see
themselves Ia Il. and then turned toward
Az. Her black aspect drove the iollity
out of their faces instantly. The last time
any Of them had seen her look like that
was when she broke pitcher and the
Pinkcyville champions head.
''Stan' aside." the spokesman cried.
with brave attempt at hilarity. IAN give
Az view o. herself"
They stifiiy obeycd. cycling the cnraged
woman. She seized bottle of whiskey
by the neck with one hand and flung It
with all her might at the mirror, shatter-
ing both plate and missile. and scattering
the beverage on the wall.
"Thar's my ieelin's fully expressed"
she said. replacing her elbows on the bar.
swelling her broad chest glaring at the
astounded miners "Heven' been insulted
in my own house. makes forcible re-
mark. The frames left, an We kin tote it
right out, or I'll crunch it,"
"why. Ag-," the spokesman be-
gan.
III never made no claim ez I wasn't
homely rs a hedgehog" she interrupted.
and her short. bristling hair seemed to be
rising like quilts on the ugly beast men,
toned. "An' l knowd'd was rougher n
the toughest Of We. Very well. Ye
might o. s'picioned as wouldn't take no
such joke. A glass for me to look tn I!
Why, cuss We. why didn't We have me
photographed, an done with itp'
II sw'ar we didn't mean nothin' on
level. Ag-all the boys IL sw'ar we
didn't"
The spokesman looked around for con-
firmation and support. and saw that those
in the rear were breaking quietly for the
door. It was plain that Ag was in fury.
and would not long control herself Bot
ties and glasses were within her reach. and
. long knife and revolver were known
to hang under the bar. A close observer
of her character had describedher As ..hell
on impulse" In her present condition.
she was extra-hazardous. The retreat be-
came . stampede when she threw out her
arms toward the weapons. and she was
LEFT alone.