The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-12-13
Shooting O Thief.

No man can perhaps appreciate the
horrors that haunt the man who has
without sufficient reason shed human
blood, but the miserable wretch who
does it. Not long ago we heard man
making inquiry whether lie would be
protected by law in shooting thief in
the act of stealing from him. He was
properly advised that it would bo mur.
der, and moreover that it was shocking
to contemplate such thing.
1t called up in our mind an experi.
ence once related to us by citizsH oi
Overton county in this State, with whom
we were we'll acquainted. He had been
missing meat from his smoke house.
Time after time he had noticed that
some unknown thief was carrying it off.
II provoked him very much, and nursing
his temper from one discovery till the
next, be became very angry. At last he
concluded it was intolera5le, and resolv.
cd to kill the thief. He had trusty
rifle and understood we'll how TO use it.
He kept it loaded and convenient for
grasping. 4 close watch was kept for
the rogue. One bright moonshiny night
he thought he heard noise about the
smok ehouse and seiziDg his rifle cropt
Atealthily to place where he could SEQ.
There stood his man by the side of a
crack through which he had been steal
ing bacon. lie saw his white shirt bos.
ON and resolved TO do deadly work.
Evidently ho was not discovered In
the heat Of his passion he did not falter
in the terrible resolution he had formed.
With care and deliberation the instru.
mcnt Of death was leveled at his heart.
Crack ! flash and down tumbled the
hated thief. The work vas done. He
was dead. Then the thought came home
to him like thunderbolt, 81 am a mur.
deTer:" How his heart sank in MIN as
he saw his victim in the pale moonlight
stretched in death-hurled without one
moments notice into eternity. What
had he done, and what must he do
How Insignificant his losses appeared to
him then. With futtering heart and
faltcripg step ne walked into his room
again, and sitting down before the fire
buried his face in his hands. What
should he do? He told his wife the
terrible result Of his shot, and they con.
suited what course 10 pursue. It would
not do to have 1t known. Should he
bury him somewhere and never mention
it? How could he carry such q secret
Overwhelmed with the enormity ol
his crime he sat in bewiIderment. Al
last he determined to 60 and see who il
was. No doubt it was an acquaintance
Who vas there in the neigh6orhood he
did not know2 He rose 10 his agony
and went to the spot. AS he approached
near his victim what was his joy to find
that after all It was only large dog. +!
had white breast, and had reared up
against the wall trying to draw meat
through the crack as it had done before.
The shot was so fatal il died without q
whine. Tho old man, at the conclusion
of his story, with much feeling, remark.
ed that men who talk about killing q
fellow creature for theft did not know
what he was doing. "Why, SIR" be
continued in substance, eff man were
to steal everything have on earth,
would not shed his blood to STOP him
You cannot imagine how felt as real.
ization of what | thought I had done
flashed over me-" '.s4