Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-01-30

"YOu all remember our comrade who
was shot and killed by one of these
desperate characters few days ago.
The murderer probably began to prac-
tice these things in his youth, and if be
had been caught and promptly executed
at the commission of his first crime, our
friend might have been living to day.
The speech decided the fate of the
prisoner, and he was sentenced to be
hung on the following morning, and
given over to "Singular Bill" for safe
keeping until time for his execution
He was taken into rude cabin and
allowed to sit down. A blazing fire of
pine knots lighted the building and
the boy glanced at the cord which cut
deep into the flesh of bis swollen wrists.
Yes, they're painful, no doubt" "
said the jailer; ''sin always brings pain
the way of the transgressor is hard, and
the only way to evade the penalty is not
to transgress I'm sorry to witness
your pain. but if my own hoy had lived
to be horse thief, should say, let him
suffer the penalty; aye, the full penalty.
What did you come here for, any how ?''
II want to find my father" was the
brief reply.
"PrecioEs little use be would have
been to you if you had If he had been
the right kind of man you wouldn't
have been here"
II don't know. I haven't seen him
since I was four years cid. Mother
used to say that be was cross old brute,
but I never believed it, He was the
only person in all this world who was
always kind to me [ can remember
yet how he look ed when I used to hide
behind the rose bushes when saw him
coming, and wait until he said /:
where's papa's boy p before he ran to
meet him But he went away one day
and mother took me and ran away.
She never seemed to think anything of
him, but 1 could hardly live. without
him. used to cry to go to him and
she whipped me, and hard life I've
led ever since She wasn't like him
She smOthered me with caresses at one
time and vented her wrath upon me
the next. I always wanted him She
said be had gone to Denver, and when
l was fifteen years of age l ran away,
hired out TO some drovers and crossed
the plains. But didn't find him. I
went to every party of miners that I
could hea of. Sometimes I work ed
my way with freighting parties, some
times I followed trains on foot /
found man who said he knew him
and that he had gone to the Black Hills,
and I came here heard there Yves a
party of miners over in Rattlesnake
Gulch, but my feet were so sore that
couldn't walk any farther, and / found
the horse grazing down there by the
stream and / thought would ride him,
and if my father was there be would
help me through, and if I didn't find
| i'm, T hot Of
Hang me, if you want to; it wont be
any worse than what have borne"
The miner pushed the hat back from
the tanned forehead aud gazed intently
into the prisoners face a moment then
dropped upon his knees beside him.
"Are your wrists very painful, boy ?"
he asked, huskily, as his knife descend
ed, cutting the thongs away and leav-
ing the prisoner free.
"There, let me bathe your poor,
swollen hands, and bruised and blistered
feet!" and the tears rolled down the
sunburned cheeks and fell upon the
bleeding wrists SO recently freed from
cruel bonds. 1--WE always longed for
justice, and now if the boys will take
me out and hang me, I'll feel as If I'd
had it.''
"Are you father ?" asked the boy,
winding his arms around the miners
neck and pressing his cheek against the
bearded face
"I'm your father" returned the man,
clasping the boy to his bosom and sob
bing convulsively. "I'd have found
you long ago if she hadn't bribed doc
tor to write me of your death"
The next morning, when the men
came for their prisoner they found him
sleeping peacefully, with his head
upon his jailer's breast and his wrists
and feet bandaged with strips torn from
one of the miners shirts. The father
had not slept, and when he saw the
rope and the astonished faces of the
group, and the full significance of their
coming flashed across his mind, he said
with strong effort at self control /:
"BOys, 1 move for a new trial. II
hadn't known you would treat me with
more kindness than deserve, daylight
wouldn't have found me here, but /
preferred to trust to your generosity
rather than leave you with the matter
unexplained. 1t is thirteen years since
[ left my boy, expecting to see him
again after the lapse of few short days,
but for all these years l have thought
him dead. l have been bitterly wroDged
and it broke my heart, soured my ma
ture and made me hard and stern to-
ward trangressOrs. Look" he said,
carefully unwindiDg the bandages.
"Look at the bruised and blistered feet
that have tramped from Illinois to Den
yer, and from thence to these regions in
search of the father whose face ne had
not seen since the day bade him good
bye. after carrying him down to the
gate upon my shoulders. and then get
your rifles and shoot the brute that
wanted you to hang him just for bor-
rowing horse to ride over to another
gulch, after his feet were so tired and
worn and bruised that he couldn't walk
any farther. If you feel like hanging
somebody I deserve it more than he
does. and that rope mustn't be put
around any neck but mine. Tell your
own story, boy
And the youthful culprit told his
wanderings, his hardships, privations
and disappointments in search of his
father, and asked to live, if only for q
little while, now that he had found him
you'll die of old age before we harm
a hair of your head" said the judge
drawing his sleeve across his eyes and
walking away. followed by the others,
leaving the father and son alone.
"Are your wrists painful yet ?' asked
the miner, at length, lifting one of the
bandaged hands tenderly,
"I've no complaint to make of ahy-
thing now, since can look upon youl
face" replied the boy, and the fathel
bathed the bruised feet again and ther
prepared their break fast.
} From that hour his nature seemed tt
change. A happy light shone in his
eyes and a touching tenderness came
over his features whenever he met tht
loving gaze of the boy, who had en-
dured so much to find him. They were
never known to be apart during theil
stay in the mines, and in a few weeks
the father took the wealth which ht
had already accumulated and which ht
} said was worth something to him now
and went back to his native STATE, tina
his son might enjoy the advantagea o
cultivation and refinement and evel
since that night in Lonsiy Gulch thu
miner is disposed to deal leniently with
!, youthful oIsenders, offering the some
} whas Obscure apology "He's some