Morris tribune., 1886-10-06
Pulling Hemp.

From the Detroit Free Press.
"You may talk about mad elephants
let loose, circus tigers on the rampage, u
said a man from western Michigan the
other day, "but they are no compari-
son to crowd of angry and excited
men hungering for your DEATH"
"Four years ago Icame into posses
sion of three Or four pieces of proper
ty in southern Indiana, and went to
look them over. At Jasper conclud-
ed to get saddle horse. One morn
ing, almost before anybody in the
town was astir, and while was taking a
before breakfast walk, q stranger came
along astride of fine animal and to
my query as to whether he wanted to
sell he returned a ready affirmative.
1t was 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 $125, and though beat
the man down to 500 he told such a
straight story that l could have no
suspicious of him. He claimed to be a
resident of Vincennes, and to ha "a
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 l turned
to the left, and had gone about
three miles when a band of horsemen,
about 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. l was astonished, ni
course, half believing l had fallen in
with 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
l looked like horse thief, but those
men were mad and excited, and they
had me out of the saddle in minute.
OF course l protested, telling them
who was and where l could be iden-
titled, but as they hustled me under
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 willsbe of no avail! Well
choke the breath out of you in about
half minute!"
"They were going to hang an inno-
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 over
limb kept up my chin music, and
one of the crowd became half convinc-
ed that was telling the truth. He
began to argue that it wouldn't take
long to prove or disprove my story,
walked off with the rope and I went
up. They let me hang for few Sec
onds, and then lowered ME, but only
to repeat the dose twice more. By that
time they had cooled off a bit, and my
friend persuaded them that they could
just as we'll finish the hanging at
Jasper. l had tainted dead away,
and when they poured whisky down
my throat and revived me it seemed
as if my neck was two feet long There
was deal of growing over the job
not being finished then and there, but
they finally put me on q horse and
started for Jasper.
"The chap of whom l had purchas-
ed the animal, and who was of course,
the real thief, was so elated over the
sale that he forgot himself and re-
manned in Jasper to get drunk. He
was speedily found in a saloon, and
he made no pretense of innocence. 4
thought they would tear him to pr sces
then and there, but, after beatin him
to a state of insensibility, he W IS car
ried off into the country % couple of
miles and left hanging beside, the high
way. got back $50 OF Lny money,
and as it was handed to me by the
leader he said:
Stranger, we beg pardon for stretch.
ing your neck, but the next time you
buy boss in this, state be q leetle
careful to buy OF the real owner"