Democratic messenger., 1881-03-19
WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLANI

devilish than the KILN.
He was tried for murder, and al
though his friends came to his aid with
money and influence, and although he
had mighty good lawyers, such men as
Fisher Ames and Samuel Dexter, he
was found guilty Of murder and con-
demned to be hung.
This trial and conviction made great
excitement throughout the country, and
made a special sensation in New York n
while. Petitions were signed for his
pardon, and it was even made political
matter of, in the absence of anything
more important to have a political row
about.
But the authorities we're not to be
bulldozed. He had been tried and con-
demned, and they were determined he
should be executed.
The young man who had been Fair
banks rival was particularly prominent
in securin' his conviction, and in in
sistin' on his execution. "If / couldn't
marry her, can at least hang him, he
said.
But one night, one cold, dark night,
Jason Fairbanks jailer mysteriously put
a note III his hand. The note had some
money and some instructions in it. A
few hours later Jason Fairbanks found
his cell door open, and walked out, like
cat, without putin his boots on,
though the stone floor of the jail was
freezin' cold. He found the Jail door
open, too, and out he walked into the
darkness, barefooted, but free:
He then crawled along and crept away
ON his hands and knees, for fear some
one might spy his form, if erect, even in
the darkness and he never stopped to
put on his shoes till he was half mile
from Jail.
Then he ran for his life, and ere
mornin' he was twelve miles or so from
Dedham Jail, on his way to Canada.
There was no extradition treaty then
between Great Britain and this country;
and if a criminal once got from this
country into Canada he was safe.
Fairbanks was free, but far less COM
Portable than if he had been in Jail. It
WIS piercin' cold, but he had no over
coat he was tired, but he dared not
rest; he was hungry, but he was afraid
to stop anywhere to get anythin' to eat,
for fear he might be tracked. His money
did him no good just then, for he want
every dollar of it to hire a boat to take
him across Lake Champlain, when he
should get there, into Canada, and to
keep him alive III Canada till he could
get some more money from the friends
who had planned and arranged his es-
cape. So he trudged on, footsore, hun
CRY, faint, cold, up hill, down hill,
wadin' through ice-cold streams keep
in as far as possible out of sight of hui
man habitation-a shiverin', starvin',
sleepless tramp, with no company but
his conscience and the fear of the GAL
lows. If there is hell for every poor
sinner, Fairbanks got his between Ded-
ham and Lake Champlain.
But he reached the lake Mt last, two
or three days later than he had calcu-
lated on, however, havin' been taken
sick in some bushes one day, and bein'
unable to move out of EN- for over two
days and nights. But he reached the
lake at last, and his heart bounded
within him. He forgot all about his
hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, for
his clothes were torn into rags by this
time by his havin' to tramp through
woods and bushes. He forgot all about
the ehills and fever that had seized up
on him from exposure. He forgot that
the lost ones. He saw only the water
that lay between him and Canada, where
he would be safe. Life, even TO the
hunted-down victim of circumstances,
the guilty murderer, is sweet, and
haven't any doubt in the world that the
first time Jason Fairbanks set eyes on
Lake Champlain he laughed aloud, for
know 1 would have laughed and then
cried for JOY in his place.
But he sobered down in minute, and
looked about him for a man to row him
across the lake. He had plenty of
money to pay for the boat, il is true,
but then he had to avoid excitin' suspi-
cion, and that was hard thing to do in
a man fixed as he was, lool1in' so like a
hunted beast.
He arranged in his mind q story to
tell the first boatman he should meet,
bJlt he didn't have half the trouble he
expected with the boatman. On the
contrary, the first man with boat he
met asked no questions at all, but only
seemed anxious to get hold of the fugi-
tiye's money, which, of course, the
fugitive was only too glad to give him.
II Fairbanks had had time to think.
this conduct on the part of the boatman
would have looked very queer, but of
course he didn't think, but was only too
anxious to get across the lake.
He gave the boatman liberal money
to row him over he stepped on the
boat and stood at its bow with his back
to the boatman; his heart was beatin'
on the double quick he felt repaid for
all his trouble and his tramp; he had
his eyes fixed on the Canada shore, and
he didn't notice the boatman foolin'
with the oars as If he were dilly-dallyin'
with 'em on purpose; nor did he notice
five or six men comm out of the woods
at a signal from the boatman.
He didn't notice anythin' or anybody
in his trance, while lookin' at the Cana
da shore, TIL somebody stepped up to
him and put his hand upon his shoulder.
Thinkin' it was the boatman, he turned
around and saw a Dedham constable,
whom he knew quite well, who told him
he was his prisoner, and then looking
at the other men on the shore, Jason
Fairbanks saw among 'em the man who
had been his rival
His doom was sealed. All his un-
heard of sufferin's had been IN vain :
he was arrested at the very moment he
imagined he was at last safe from arrest.
Ha vy0c takan hack 40 Dadho,, ~, s,c,,