The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-10-15
Pulling Hemp,
Detroit Free Press.


! From the Detroit Free Press.
You may talk about mad elephants
let loose, circus tigers on the rampage, "
said a man from western Michigan the
other day, "but they are no compari,
son to a crowd OF angry and excited
men ~hungering for your death"
-Four years ago Icame into posses
sion of three or four pieces OF proper
" in southern Indiana, and l went to
look them over. At JasperI conclud.
ed TO get a saddle horse. One morn,
ing, almost before anybody in the
town was astir, and while | was taking q
before-breakfast walk, a stranger came
along astride OF a fine animal and to
my Query as to whether he wanted to
sell ne returned a ready affirmative.
1t vas a sorrel horse, spotted with
white, and one to be recognized and
identified on sight by any one who
had ever seen HIM before. The price
asked was S125, and though | beat
the man down to 800 he told such a
straight story that | could have no
suspicious of him. He claimed to be a
resident of Vincennes, and to have
purchased the horse in New Albany.
[ was congratulated by the villagers
On my purchase, and soon after break
fast set off for the south. After pro-
ceeding about ten miles | turned
to the left, and had gone about
three miles when a band OF horsemen,
about a dozen strong, came riding
from the opposite direction at a gal,
lop. The instant we met they sur
rounded me. Some had revolvers
and some guns, and | was menaced
on all sides. / was astonished, oil
course, half believing / had fallen in
with a band of robbers, but they
quickly gave me to understand to the
contrary. The horse under me had
been stolen the previous night, or at
an early hour in the morning, and the
owner was among those who sur.
rounded me. 1t didn't strike me that
| looked like a horse thief, but those
men were mad and excited, and they
had me out of the saddle in a minute.
Of course / protested, telling them
who | was and where / could be iden-
titled, but as they hustled me under a
tree and began to moose a rope the
owner OF the nag slapped me across
the face and replied:
"Shut up! You are the scoundrel
and denials will be OF no avail! Well
choke the breath out of you in about
q half q minute!!"
"'They were going to hang an limo,
cent man, and you can wager that ]
did some of the most vigorous kick
ing OF my life. While they were noos
ing me and running the free end ovel
a limb / kept up my chin music, anc
one of the crowd became half convinc
ed that ! was telling the truth. III,
began to argue that it wouldn't tax,
long to prove or disprove my story
| but he was too late. FIVE or six mer
walked off with the rope and I went
up. They let me hang for Q. few sec
onds, and then lowered me, but only
to repeat thedose twice more. BY tina
time they had cooled off bit, andm,
friend persuaded them that they coulC
Just as we'll finish the hanging al
Jasper. / had tainted dead away
and when they poured whisky dowl
my throat and revived me it seemet
as if my neck was two feet long. Their
was a deal Of growing over the iol
not being finished then and there, bu
they finally put me on a horse ant
started for Jasper.
"The chap of whom had purchas
ed the animal, and who was OF course
the real thief, was so elated over tn
sale that he forgot himself and n
manned in Jasper to get drunk. III
was speedily found in q saloon, an
he made no pretense of innocence.
thought they would tear him to piece
then and there, but, after beating hir
to q state of insensibility, he was cal
ried of into the country q couple {
miles and left hanging beside the higf
way. ! got back 500 OF my money
and as it was handed to me by tn
leader he said:
Stranger, we beg pardonfor stretch
ing your neck, but the next time yo
buy a boss in this state be o leetl
careful to buy Of the real owner"