The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-08-17
A Trialin Lonely Gulch.
ARTHUR's MAGAZINE.

the rays from their massive fronts
and reflected the light over tn,
forms of a dozen miners who were
gathered around it.
The well-deserved name of Lonely
Gulch was applied to the place, anC
the proceedings which occupied tht
attention of the men that nigh
seemed in keeping with its character
The country had been overruI
with desperadoes. camps had beer
robbed, horses stolen, and occasion
ally man murdered, until the law
abiding portion of the population
had determined to execute summary
vengeance upon every marauder who
should fall into their hands.
That day, a youth, apparently not
more than eighteen years of age, haG
been taken IN the act of riding away
on horse belonging to one Of the
company. Only his youthful ap
pearance saved him from being shot
down at once, but the men who had
captured him brought him to camp
to await the return Of the whole
party, when his fate might be de
termined by the general viii,
He stood leaning against tree
to which he had been tied, with his
broad -brimmed hat slouched down,
almostconcealing his features, while
he listened to the discussion which
was Of so much Importance to him.
They were pretty evenly divided,
when one who had not yet spoken
came forward. His usual demeahor
had given him the cognomen of
singular Bill" He was stern and
reserved, never speaking Of his own
affairs, and never joining in the
amusements of his comrades, but
sitting quietly, during the long even
ing5 in which the others whiled
away the hours in games of cards,
as if broOding over some deep wrong,
which time had failed to efface from
his memory.
His companions respected him in
spite of his peCuliarities, for he
never wronged any man out of a
dollar, and had a most strict and
conscientious regard for the rights
Of others, AS they expressed it, all
his dealings we're ''fair' and square,
open and above board" but this he
claimed was only right, and he de
manded the same Open-handed deal
ing from every other man. 1t will
be readily understood that such Il
man had but little charity for evil
dOers.
His comrades knew nothing of
his former history, but the truth
of it was, that in his early gears lie
had married a beautiful woman
whom he had loved with all the
strength of his ardent nature, and
while he was as strong, true and
earnest as it is possible for a man to
be, she was weak, frivolous and un-
principled. Being unwilling to con
form to his strict idea of right and
wrong, and perhaps finding an un-
congenial companion in the man
who would not encourage her un-
womaniy conduct, she took adVapt-
age of his brief absence upon bust
ness and fled from him, taking their
only child, boy of four years.
For 3 while he had searched for
her, for his heart was bound up in
the boy, but after the lapse OF a few
weeks he received q letter purport-
ing to come from a physician in a
distant city, which stated that the
child had died from a contagious
disease, to which he had been ex-
posed through the mothers care
lessness.
The fathers spirit was completely
broken, and, cursing not only the
woman who had brought this sor
row and trouble upon him, but all
others who trampled upon the right,
he left his native state and tried to
forget his grief il the excitement Of
hunting gold. Taking a position
where the light shone full upon his
stern, unyielding features, he said
Comrades, 1 claim that no man
has any right to do wrong. 1t is
this evil doing, this following ones
own inclination, regardless Of the
sacred rights of another, that blights
mems lives and brings desolation to
homes and firesides.
"As long as wrong is allowed to
90 unpunished, so long will people
commit acts which leave the hearts
of their fellow beings scared and
scathed with wrongs that cannot be
wiped out
sIf evil-doers were visited with
prompt and certain punishment
| they would not flourish and grow
rich at the expense of those who
would scorn TO trample upon a single
right of their fellow men. The
world in general is too willing tC
overlook crime and offer paltry eX
cuses for deeds which ought to be
visited with swift and awful ven
gcance.
''Some of you offer this boys
youth in paliation of his otfense
You might as well urge the you'll
of an infant viper. He is probably
the son of some villainous father
who has left the states on accoun
of his crimes, and comes here tC
prowl around in search of wealtl
which he is too lazy to earn for him
self. l regard it as a case of in
! herited dishonesty; of natural pro
pensities cropping out early; and i
he is allowed to escape this time, ht
will probably grow crafty with year
and develop into a desperate wh'
may take the life of some Of us as
reward of the mistaken charity tha
! spares him.
You all remember our conrad
who was shot and killed by one o
these desperate characters a fe0
days ago. The murderer probabl.
began to practice these things i
his youth, and if he had been caugh
and promptly executed at the CON
mission of his first crime, our frien
might have been living to-day"
This speech decided the fate c
, the prisoner, and he was sentence
to be hung on the following morn
ing, and given over to "Singula
Il Bilr' for safe-keeping until time fC
his execution.
He was taken into a rude cabI
: and allowed to sit down. \ bla.
, inc fire of pine knots lighted til
building, and the boy glanced {