Omaha daily bee., 1883-12-17

20 be acting; to he playing a part. A con
sultation took place with Marshal McFar
land and big Sam Phillips, the constable
in which the suspicious circumstance
against Griffith were freely talked over
The result of this proceeding was a visi
to the place where the suspected witnes
boarded and lodged, a house almost direct
ly opposite to the county treasurer
office. Five minutes in Grinith's room
brought to light evidence Of the mos
damning and conclusive character. Re
meath his bed were found clothes LITERAL,
saturated with blood, whilo in the closet
was discovered money to q considerable,
amount, likewise bloodstained. Return
ing to where tho committee was holding
its session, Griffith was at once arrested
and charged with the crime. On being
confronted with the evidence of his guilt
he deliberately admitted, without excite.
ment or alarm, that he had brutally
murdered Joseph Hcslep for his money.
As If to make assurance doubly sure, the
inhumon wretch voluntarily went before
The vigilante jury again, and confessed to
all the particulars of the revolving deed.
In less than half an hour the verdict of
NS'bli was IlpllplllCCu. bIlIllIn WIS SELF
fenced to be hanged at sunrise next morn
ing.
"How the ncws spread is not known,
althoNgh every man, woman and child in
Sonora seemed to be up all that eventful
night. BE this as it,may, the town was
alive with people from all parts of the
county before daylight. Just rs the first
rays of the sun were g~linting the eastern
hill-tops the prisoner was removed to the
place of execution, n big tree with con-
venient overhanging branches, on the
stage road to jamestown. Never but
once did he weaken. In going to the tree
in question they had to pass the sconc of
the murder, near which was a big pile of
lumber. At this point some one in the
crowd cried ont; Burn him! let us burn
him.! Immediately the terrible cry was
re-echoed from a hundred Threats, and a
rush made for Griffith. Then his nerves
failed him and he begged to bo saved
from the fury of the mob. After an effort
order was restoredand the crowd proceed
ed to the place originally selected for the
last act OF the tragedy. Upon arriving
at the spot a ~longropo wasfound dangling
from u limb of the tree in question, ono
end OF which was speedily fastened around
the neck of the condemned man, and the
other seized hold OF by the strong Lands
of fifty OF a hundred stalv art miners. At
a given signal the guilty wretch was
jerked into the air, and drawn up till his
head almost touched the lower branches.
In a few minutes the hanging was ovor
and the crowd returned to town. Heslep's
murder had been avenged.
Pike Smith," continued old Tom,
HASA way of turning up whenever and
whereverthere is an excitement ora pros
pect of a big FUSE. Why, even the China
men couldn't have q row among them
selves without his taking q hand in it.
You remember that affair at Rock River
Ranch, below Chinese Camp, in Tuolumne,
where five or six hundred of the
heather pitched their tents for II grand
battle. Like many moro of the boys, l
went down to see the fun, and Pm
burned ii Pixies ugly mug warn't the
first white face / saw after arriving on
the ground. There he was, big as life,
and busy as usual, running from tent to
tent among the pig-tailed warriors, as if
he intended to boss the whole job. He
was not the only white man who took a
hand, however. Both sides had secured
some Mexican men to assist in getting
ready for the fray, and paid heavy sums
for their services,
81 toll you, boys, it was a strange sight
to see the hostile bands of Cinnamon
marching and concentrating, with ban
ners flying and gongs beating loud enough
to aroute the country for miles around.
For months they had been making their
preparations, and when the eventful day
arrived, over a thousand outside barba-
rians,' as the Johns called US, were
amused spectators of the scene Every
once in a while a party of braves would
march forth, plant their yellow standard
in the earth, aud then beat a defiant chal-
lenge to the enemy, shouting and gestu-
lating in the most riotous and furious
manner. Then, in answer to the chal-
lenge, after rushing in and out of their
tents like a lot of bees around a hive,
making the most horrible noises and
threateS ing gestures, tanother squad
would make dash toward the standard,
old muskets and pepper-boxes, and then
lSticab N III uiboiuois JnDuoihbB a.
every jump, providing the other side
didn't run first. 1t was seldom that any
body got hurt in these dreadful charges,
and 80 the day wore on with alternating
success and defeat.
"One of the Monaghan partisans un-
dertook to play the hero and was more
unfortunate than most of his brethren.
| BY dint of purchase and much patient
labor this daring warrior had constructed
and prepared for himself n complete suit
of armor, made of tin cans of every size
and description, which covered him from
head to foot. Thus protected, and evid-
emily under the belief that he was bullet
proof, the celestial knight boldly advanc-
ed alone into the centre of the arena,
planted the hostile battle-iag, andshouted
his note of defiance. For a few minutes
the opposing army regarded this mail
clad soldier with curiosity, not unmixed
with awe. Then Pike, the rocker man,
was seen to busy himself among them and
a dozen or two marched out to give battle
to the mysterious stranger.
"Not until they got to close quarters
was a shot fired. Up to this moment the
tin-clad Chinaman viewed the approach
of the enemy with absolute indifference.
Bang! bang went the firearms, and down
went the celestial champion bowling with
pain. His friends made a rusk to his de-
fence and carried of the body ia triumph;
| but the assailants seized the standard and
bore II to their camp with shouts o.
| victory.