Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-01-30
A TRIAL IN LONELY GULCH.

The weird light of campfire red
deued the sky Ind made still blacker
the shadows of the rocks which threw
back the rays from thvir massive fronts,
and reflected the light over the forms
of a dozen miners who were gathered
round it.
The well deserved name of Lonely
Gulch was applied to the place. and the
proceedings which occupied the atten.
zion of the men that night seemed in
keeping with its character.
The country had been Overrun with
desperadoes camps had been robbed,
horses stolen, and occasionally a 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, youth, apparently not
more than eighteen years of age, had
been taken in the act of riding away on
q horse belonging to one ofthe company.
Only his youthful appearance saved him
from being shot down at once, Sbut the
men who had captured him brought
him to camp to await the return o: the
whole party, when his fate might be
determined by the general will.
He stood Ieaning against tree to
which he had been tied, with his broad
brimmed hat slouched down, almost
concealing bis features, while he lis
tened to the discussion which was of
so much importance to him.
Some were in favor of giving him
chance on account of his youth, but
they had suffered so much from lawle.s
desperadoes, that others were inclined
to execute him forthwith.
They were pretty evenly divided,
when one who had not yet spoken came
forward. His usual demeanor had
given him the cognomen Of ''Sipgular
Bill" He was stern and reserved,
never speaking of his own affairs, and
never joining in the amusemenls of his
comrades, but sitting quietly, during
I be long evenings in which the others
whiled away the hours in games of
cards, as if broodiDg over some deep
| wrong, which time had failed to efface
| from his memory.
His comrades respected him in spite
of his peculiarities, for he never
wrOnged any man out of dollar, and
had most strict and conscientious re-
gard for the rights of others. AS they
aud square, open and above board, !"
u
he demanded the same OPEN handed
dealing from every other man. 1t will
be readily understood that such a man
had but little charity for evil-doers.
His comrades knew nothing of his
former history, but the truth was that
in his early years he had married q
beautiful woman, whom he had loved
with all the strength of his ardent la.
ture, and while be was as strong, true
and earnest as it Is possible for man
to be, she was weak, frlvoulous, and un-
principled Being unwilling to con-
form to his strict idea of right and
wrong, and perhaps finding an uncon
genial companion In the man who would
not encourage her nwomanly conduct,
she took advantage of his bkef absence
upon business and fed from him, tax :
ing their only child, boy of four years
| For while he had searched for her,
for his heart was bound up in the boy,
out after the lapse of few weeks he
received letter purporting to come from
a physician in distant city. which
stated that the child had died from a
contagious disease, to which he had
been exposed through the mothers
carelessness.
The fathers spirit was completely
broA en-, and cursing not only the woman
who had brought this sorrow and trou-
BILE upon hum, but all others who
trampIed upon the right, he left bis
native State and tried to forget his grief
in the excitement of hunting gold.-
Taking a position where the light shone
] full upon his stern, unyielding features,
he said:
Comrades, L claim that no man has
any right to do wrong. 1t is this evil
doing, this following ones own inclina
ton, regardless of the sacred rights OF
another, tha: blights mems lives and
brings desolation to homes and fire.
sides.
LAS long as wrong is allowed to 20
unpublished, so long will people COM
mi. acts which leave the hearts of their
fellow beings scared and scathed with
wrongs that cannot be wiped out.
"If evil doers were visited with
prompt and certain punishment, wrong
would not flourish aud grow rich at the
expense of those who would scoru .c
trample upon siDgIe right OF theil
lfellow-man. The VoRid iii general is
too willing to overlook crime, and off
paltHy excuses for deeds W hich ought tc
bs visited with swift and awful ven.
geanee. .'i "F ~ d" N'
"Some OF. you offer this boys youth
In palliation of his bIensS You might
as we'll urge the youth of an intan,
viper. He is probably the son of some
villainous father, who has left the Stale
on account of his crimes, and comes
here to prOwl around in search o
wealth which he is too lazy to earn fo
himself / regard it as q case of inner