The Dawson journal., 1883-09-27

me up again!
And they did-but with no bet
ter success than before. Linn
and almost hfeless, the old maj
dragged himself to his door ant
was assisted to his bed.
Meanwhile faithful slave hat
mounted a horse and had gon,
post-haste to the neighborin.
planters near by to warn them t
come to his masters assistance
Several Of the late Confederate
soldiers had returned home
among them one who had received
many personal kindnesses at the
hands of Howell Rose. He al
once gathered up six or eight OF
his friends and started toward the
scene of outlawry, and well arm
Ell.
On the failure of the robbers to
extort the secret they mounted
their horses and beat hasty re-
treat; and, as good luck would
have, were met on the public
road by the rescuing squad, led
by the devoted negro. This squad,
seeing at distance the approach
OF the outlaws, took ambush near
the road, and as the latter ap-
preached, they fred upon them
killing two outright, and badly
wounding another. The other
three escaped. After taking the
wounded scoundrel prisoner, as
slsting him to a horse near by, and
sending for physian to dress his
wound, they hurried on to learn
the fate of Howell Rose. They
found him, his neck swollen from
the laceration, and his eyes al
most protruding from their sock
cts. Informing him of the fate
OF the robbers, and that one of
them lay mortally wounded at a
neighbor's house, the old gentle
man, though scarcely able to ut
ter a word or Lift a hand, protest
ed that he must go and see the
scoundrel before he died.
81 must go, and SHALL" he de-
clared. So his friends assisted
him to his carriage, and he was
driven, more dead than alive, to
the bedside of the dying robber.
The interview between the two
exceeded the tales of romance Just
as truth is stranger than fiction.
Il thought l should find it so"
said Mr.. Rose, in a tone of the
scorn. 81 felt that |
should find you here, the ringlead-
er of your murderous clan! | still
believe in the jus tee of heaven
and the fates. l told you, you
merciless dog, thatSI would soon
meet you in h-ll! You are dying
now, the doctor tells me; you little
thought that your time was so near
at hand, did you?"
The wounded man groaned,
pleaded that he had been lead by
his associates into the attempted
robbery, and begged of his late
victim to spare him further re-
proach.
$50 you beg for mercy, do you?
| knew from your looks you we're
a cowardly dog, and had no sand
in your crawl While you were
hanging me did [ beg you to stop,
you cowardly curl would have
seen you in h-ll first! So you are
a sneak thief as well as a robber,
hey? I told you under that tree, |
would meet you in h-ll, and con-
front you in the presence Of the
devil himself; since / see you are
such a cowardly cur, [ have
changed my mind. l shall let
you go to h-ll alone; for [ would
not want even the devil himself to
see me in the company of such a
cowardly sneak as you are"
At this point, as if in mercy for
the dying wretch, the old gentle
man was again assisted to his car
riage and driven home, where he
remained in bed for weeks. The
ringleader, to whose side Howell
Rose had dragged himself, died
that night; but he lived long
enough to say that he had passed
through the entire war and had
seen many gallant men, but that
Howell Rose was the bravest man
on earth.
Ten or fifteen feet above ground
on the very oak to limb of which
these outlaws had hanged Howell
Rose, was a large knot hole. In
this knot hole he had secreted be-
tween $4,000 and 10000 in gold
and silver. If the robbers had
only know it. But they didn't, sc
he lived to enjoy a large proper.
ton Of it himself, not forgetting tc
make a present of $4,000 to the
brave young fellow who led thc
rescuing party.
a Literary Man Went West.
The limestone water OF Ohio dis