The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-11-11

l
+ rounded.
, THE FORTY MEN
Sat on their horses like statues. and eae
man with shotgun in his hand th
: hammer raised, finger on trigger, read,
Tor work. In the house was O famil
} named McMurtry, an old man and som
, small children. The only other inmate
We're Reilly Campbell and his brothe
Bud. The leader of the mob called out
to the McMurtrys to leave the house
which they instantly did, standing out il
the woods shiyering and waiting fo
what horror they hardly knew. Pre-
parations were instantly made by ths
two men in the hease for q fight TO tht
death. Quarter was neither asked no,
gwen. The mob opened fire and the
CamPbells answered them. Then the
firing came fierce and fast. Balls ratified
against the walls of the old log cabin
like hail. The two men opened little
port holes and answered as best they
could. groan and muttered curse
came from the outside, and y little group
hurried man off in their arms. It was
Hlce Johnson, a we'll to-do respect
able farmer. He had ball through his
breast, and bled to death ont on the road
with the pistol-balls flying over his head
| singing his requiem. Then q groan
came from within, and Reilly Cam pbell
fell In a pool of blood at his brothers
feet-a corpse. But Bud stood TO his
guns. doggedly firing away into the
night whenever he saw the flash of an
enemys gun. How long this wild war
fare might have lasted no man knows.
But Butts ammunition gave out. and his
shots became less frequent. The mob
closed In on him. Thirty-nine to one
surely 1t was madness TO resist longer.
Bud did resist, however, and barricading
doors and windows, he stood ready with
dubbed gun in his hand to defend his
life to the last. Suddenly he began to
smell smoke about him. There was
smoke around him, and it seemed issuing
from everywhere. There was an omin-
ous crackle in the air, the sound of fire
eating away at dried wood. Then he
knew the horror of his fate. The mob
had fired the cabin. Thirty-nine men
stood ranged around, just outside. with
ievelled guns, waiting for him. Death
by fire within, death by bullet without.
which would he choose? The smoke be.
came denser; he could hardly grope
around the room. The blaze was leaning
up around him like mad wolf. The
roof was mass of fire. Then the door
was burst open, and out of the fire and
the binding smoke thst man could not
breathe and live. out of this.
VERY MOUTH OF HE'LL.
Staggered man with singed clothes and
grimy face and bleared ewes. clinginp to
the end of gun. Twenty pistols were
leveled at him, bat he fell before the |
hands that were so anxious to pull the |
triggers could move. A dozen men |
gathered about him, bound him hand |
and foot, and, dazed and half dead as he |
was. dragged him down into the woods. |
A rope was quickly brought, and as the /
smoke OF the burning cabin Aoated |
through the trees it touched and moved |
the dangling body of Bud Campbell.
night or SO later, some men return
ing from visit to neighbor's, thought
they heard mans voice pleading with
some one for mercy. They were not
positive. but thought the one addressed
was called "Mary." The next day the
llfeless body of Crockett Jenkins was
found swinging from the limb of great
pax at the top of tall hill. The moral
proof that Mary Sullivan committed the
crime, assisted by her mother and sister,
seems to be conclusive; butthere was no
positive proof. And SO when Mary and
her mother and sister we're arrested.
nothing could be done to them. They
we're all discharged, and when Mary
vent back home she found death g. head
aotices glaring at her, warning her to
cave the neighborhood. All the rest of
ler friends were either dead or wounded
u had left. Bud Campbell was dead;
BELLY Campbell was dead; Crockett
Jenkins was dead; her brother Tom had
gone away to recover from his wound.
which had begun to trouble him again:
Ter mother and sister had fed; she was
n outcast and alone. But in spite of all
his the woman's indomitable courage
lever failed her. She went off to make |
arrangements about selling some cows.
'rlmed and oiled her pistols, and then |
Vrote defiant notes to her enemies On
he 18th of September she rode over to
armer Hubbell's and asked for lodging
or the night. She had her little three.
ear old child with her. About ten
'clock
A VOICE CALLED
Ter to the door. Her usual prudence
eens to have deserted her. She did
ot even take her pistol. which for five
ears had never left her hand day or
light. She reached the door, opened it
nd peered out The night was dark
nd windy. Heavy, rainy clouds hid ,
and she failed to see the five ,
len with pistols in their hands, stand-
ag within a few feet of her. She
pened the door and stepped out. Three
brong pairs of arms reached out from
ae darkness, and in an instant she was
'hirled away out to the public road.
he knew what fate lay in store for her. =
ut uttered neither threats nor entreaty. :
he said never word, but walked along
uietly with her captors. They bound !
er arms and feet, and, tossing her over :
horse as though she were meal sack. +
ley joined the mob which was waiting )
,r them on the road. They rode on till J
larry recognized with thrill of horror
lat they we're approaching the place .
here Jenkins was hanged. They halted !;
nder the very tree, and the leader. :
lakiDg rope from behind it, solemnly =
lstened the moose about the womanis i
eek. She never finched. They took .
er off the horse, dragged her to the foot !
the tree, threw the rore over the same :
m from which Crockett Jenkins had s
an gled q week before, and drew the :
oman up. A convulsive, horrible shud- :
or raa through her frame, but she {
loke never word. The wind :
oaned dismally through the branches :,
the wood, whispering to the trees as IL :
ent that woman's body, cold and stiff :
/ death, was swinging from the tallest :.
ranch of the old oak tree.-TI ouisv;lIa /.