The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-06-15
A Frontier INQUEST,

All dSIUttleu SLlllIleSS ndu SeIClGQ upon
the camp. There was that solemn stir
in the air which renders the silence be-
fore storm so oppressive, yet the day
was fair. Upon the. e.mountain slope one
stood deluged with the effulgence of the
sun as if face to face with the orient.
But the great mogul of Hosanna Gulch
lay dead, shot down in an affrav with
one Jim Stokes. Not that such things
were rare at the gulch. w-down folks
might kill each other with impunity, but
when the right to live of so useful and
honored member of society Us Ras
Stinson was infringed. the prominence
of the party made it necessary that
prompt and dignified measures be taken
to preserve law and order.
A trrrsty messenger had brought from
over the mountain celebrated physi-
clan to conduct the autopsy, not that
any doubt existed as to the manner of
the august saloon n-keeper's death, for the
fatal shot had been witnessed by score
or more of Hosanna's s first citizens, and
the prisoner had already been tried ac-
cording to Judge Lynch and condemned
to die at sunset, but they felt that the
Importance of the case and the previous
standing of the parties demanded the
formalities of an inquest.
The prisoner stood unbound before
the unshorn jury, who kept their reYol.
vers leyeled at him ready to fire if he
stirred, while the rude instrument in the
skillful hand of the famous practitioner
cut and slashed right and left in tracing
the complicated course of the ball.
When at last it was displayed imbedded
in an entirely different place from where
any had supposed it was they crowded
about the demonstration eagerly and
watched his manipulations with intense
interest, and when the bullet was ex-
tracted and passed among them for their
inspection their excitement knew no
bounds,
Il swow! don't see how Slim Jim
ever planted that thar thar! exclaimed
one.
'.Durn my buttons eff dur answered
the foreman, with both hands in his
trousers pockets.
"He never could dun it," vouch-
safed Bud Jones, the prisoners boon
companion. turning the bullet over and
over contemplatively and eyeing 1T curl
ouSly, seized with asudden and irresiSti-
BILE desire 10 possess that identical bull
let, although why he should want to
keep such souvenir he could not have
told, unless perhaps from natural pro-
pensity to appropriate any and every
thing he got his hand upon. No, sir;
he never could. sea L.
Couldn't. eh? could do it myself
and plug him every time in the self
same spot Here's my rifle on it, and
pile O. dust to boot. The chap as says
| can't is an ALFRED liar," called out
lank individual among the bystanders
known rs Nosey, from the undue promv
inence of that member and its procliYity
to intrusiveness. Unpopular at all
times, his brag and Interference on this
important occasion caused great COM
motion, and wild cries of ..Doner' ''rm
$50 der I!' from jury and bystanders.
During this confusion Slim Jim took ad-
vantage of the momentary distraction
to stink away, and once behind the cliff
sped like a deer up the mountain, and
to one attentive eye below he seemed to
disappear right into the setting sun.
II take him, and eff yer miss yerfight
me with the same Weeping, that's all,"
was the courageous challenge of Bud
Jones, who was lahnring faithfully and
persistently to direct and hold their at
tention from the direction taken by his
fugitive friend.
Bud saw the corpse set up properly
and the distance paced off satisfactorily
to those who had witnessed the tragedy,
and Nosey prepared to give an eXhibi-
ton of his boasted skill.
The first shot went plump to the mark,
at which the excited crowd gathered
about the strange target, with vehement
expressions of wonder and commenda-
ton, all too much pre-occupied to notice
Bud slip away with the coveted bullet.
Four shots out of five had landed salts
factorily before Slim Jim's absence
dawned upon them; then the prisoner 8
attorney, who had sat silent and appar-
emily hopeless, arose and pronounced
the proceedings irregular. ''The pris' 'ner
not only amt here, but he amt wanted
here nohow. Cause Slim Jim never
made them wounds. This Weeping has
been identified as the only tool found
upon the pris' ner, and eff you can show
one piece of lead in that ere corpse ash
fit this ere Weeping, to wit, then render
guilty as aforesaid"
This argument was conclusive with
the jury, who. after futile attempt to
implicate Nosey in the crime, gave yer~
dict standing: death from material
causes; said cause bein' five bullet
wounds, any one on 'em materially fatal,
but the fatalist one in the hands OF
divers and sundries parties unknown to
the jury"