The Osceola times., 1883-07-07
HANGED AND DIDN'T knew 1T.
A sherin's Story of u Remarkable Western
N. Y. Star.


Execution.
NY Star.
The dismal rain beat against the win
dows of the Court House, and swept in
sheets across the Jail yard. Court was
adjourned for the day, the clerks had
gone home and band of officials gath
cred in the Grand jury room for half
hour to chat. But the flow of converse
ton was less free and jovial than COM
mon. Apparently the depressing aspect
of things without had affected the spirits
of the county magnates The usual
smiling face of the sheriff wore a sad
expression, and the jolly surrogate gazed
mournfully out upon the cheerless, mud
dy street. Upon the benign visage of the
county judge was melancholy look as
If In his official capacity he had sem
fenced himself as private individual to
suffer the extreme penalty of the law.
Tilted back in big chair, the foreman
of the grand jury thoughtfiilly cleaned
his finger nails. A long silence was
broken by the sheriff, who observed, as
sudden gust Of wind dashed the rain
noisily against the glass
What day for hangingw
"Wretched~ replied the surrogate,
carelessly turning the leaves of the penal
code. Il wouldn't be hanged on a day
like this for any consideration"
"a fellow would catch his death of
cold" put in the foreman of the grand
jury. "What put the subject of hanging
into your head, sheriff."
80, was just thinking of poor fel-
low who expiated murder in Iowa ten
years ago, on just such day as this"
"Another of your Western yarns, eh.
sheriff." said the surrogate with yawn,
"Why will a man always draw long
bow when he tells what happened to
him out West?"
"This is gospel TRUTH" retorted the
sheriff quickly, "and it's nothing that
happened to me, or should not be here
to tell it. Moreover, Mr.. Surrogate,
never exaggerate.'
"Oh, no." was the sarcastic rejoinder
"Never mind him" said the foreman
of the grand jury, go on with your
story"
The sheriff seated himself on the
green-covered table and began:
"Well, as / said, this happened ten
years ago way out in Iowa. A fellow
killed his brother-in-law and was SEN
fenced to death. The hanging was pub
lie, the gallows being erected on TIE
open prairie little distance behind the
Jail. was sworn in as special deputy.
Holy Moses, how it did rain on that day.
The water came dawn in chunks with
sufficient force to tear an umbrella into
tatters in fifteen mi lutes"
"Sherif, sheriff" murmured the county
Judge in tone of gentle reproach.
"Oh, it's fact The condemned man
was carried to the place of execution in
an open cart. Another deputy and
rode with him. A hanging was too rare
treat to be missed by people out there,
no matter what the weather was. Shiv-
ering and wet, large crowd stood in the
coarse, saturated grass about the scahold.
We placed our man under the cross
piece and fastened the rope around his
nc Il, I,.n I,
last prayer and letting the trap fall. The
sheriff asked the prisoner if he had any
thing to say. "Yes," said the man. He
made long speech, declaring his inno-
cence, abusing the Judge and all that
kind Of thing. Suddenly he stopped in
the middle of a sentence, All this time
YOU must remember, the rain was falling
in cater lcts. Seeing the doomed man
silent, the sheriff tipped wink to the
clergyman, who, being a Baptist, did not
mind the rain. The reverend gentleman
began to pray. We all bent our heads,
although no one was pious enough to
take his hat off. Just as Brother Hard
shell was winding up his petition, we
heard a cry of astonishment from the
crowd. l looked up, and what do you
think ] saw"
"The prisoner escaping" asked the
"No, sir; he was hanging two feet from
the platform"
What?' cried the sherifl's auditors,
together.
"lt's fact, gentlemen. The rain had
shrunk the rope enough to hang our
man for u.s."
For a moment the silence of the room
was broken only by the ticking of the
clock and the rattle of the raindrops
against the panes, The foreman of the
Grand jury drew long breath and said:
sheriff, a man of your imagination
should write unsolicited testimonials for
patent medicines"
THAT is certainly remarkable story"
said the county judge, "but ] know one
at least equally strange"
That's right, judge, replied the surro-
gate. "Neverlet it be said that any man
in the country can outlie you. Let's hear
Your tale"
"'The scene of my story is also located
in the great West"
"Of course" said the sorrogate.
"You may never have heard of San
Jacinto canon, in Colorado. Its rocky
walls are almost perpendicular and are
800 feet high. The canon is at one point
more than an eighth of mile wide.
Through il runs a beautiful stream, the
water Of which is clear as crystal. The
stream has its source in the canon, and
runs through it for distance of mile
and half. Then it suddenly disappears
in the earth, to break out again at point
thirty miles below
"A small, lazy, dirty tribe of Indians
occupies part of the country along the
canon. They are as low and degraded a
set asI ever saw. Have no firearms, won't
be converted to christianity, and don't