Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-12-16

4
door. and again came the shivering
crash, and the mass drew back with a
roar and plunged forward again bear
ing him with it. and as the oak-tree
ram crashed and tore through the
| heavy door he was sucked in b. the
| frenZied shouting surge and borne Az
| the stairway among the iron cells that
rang with shrieks. The halls in
breath were choked with sweating,
steaming, snow-whitened men, shout
ing, surging. gesticuiating. and dimiy
| lit up by lanterns. In moment two
stalwart fellows with siedge hammers
| were shifting an iron door. brin ging a
crash with every bow and peal of
shrieks from the cells and roar from
the surging men that filled the hall
stairway, and blackened the street
The big sheriff came crowding into tnt
hall with revolver in hand, but he was
hurled aside and his revolver wrenched
from his grasp.
Just as the door crashed from its
hinges and hung by the lock John
Earring reached it. His hat was off
and his shirt collar torn away. and at
the top of his voice he was implorinr
them to desist. In the time of heart
beat he had his arms about one of tie
men struggling with him. Don /, for
God Almighty sake. Alb. don't take
his blood upon your soul"' he was
shouting. The painting man had his
eyes turned over his shoulder: ..YoE
told Us, kid. what kind of a cuss he is,
and now he's got to prove it. You
won't hev to tell Us agin,'' and With
the words. which We're scarcely distin-
guishable III the noise, the iron door
was wrenched back. and. breaking
loose from the lock. hurled them
against the wall. and there, fattened
against the grating III the larthest
corner Of the cell with eyes starting
from his head. and as white as if lifted
from coffin. stood Fowler. frozen with
terror in an instant Il dozen power
ful hands jerked him. quivering and
begging, forward. and the roaring mass
poured down the stairway into the
Seeth;ng street. out into the cold night
among the storming elements and still
stormIer men. The biz sheriff and
John Earring strOve in vain to take the
prisoner from them. and Joel Whitney
and Julius Popp. coming putting and
sweating into the misty. shouting,
struggling mass, tried to @rapple with
the men who had hold of Fowler. but
they were swept aside ike weeds. and
Joel fell upon his back in a snow-tilled
gutter with julius across him with his
feet paving the air. and they We're run
over by the trampling crowd and their
faces crushed full of dirt and snow.
When Joel recovered his feet he
thought it very stormy night indeed,
and Julius. unable to express his in
dignation in language. iumped up and
ia \
For ten minutes the fire bells had been
ringing wildly, and from every quarter
of the town men came painting into he
square and melted into the great. shout
ing. shifting, misty mass that flooded
two sides of it. and poured away with
the prisoner toward the mill. The mo-
ment the center of the pack broke into
the square. Fowler was lifted bodily
into the sled and four men held the
struggling, begging man down. and
one of them had him by the throat to
still his awful cries.
0. it was cruel beyond all language,
Salvo Popp, begging for the prisoner.
and dashed about in that vortex of
passion, will never forget The glimmer-
ing. sweating, snow bleared flood OF
angry faces that pressed and shifted
onward. John Earliug sprang upon
the sled rs it started. and getting hold
of the man : arm tore his hand away
from the prisoners throat. begging in
the name of manhood, OF God. of mer-
cy, that they would be less cruel with
the prisoner. There he lay undr the
painting men. ghast'y, and with his
eyes prOtruding. and
prayed to John Earring to save him.
ii N not tit to die.' he cried. % | N
not fit to die. Save me, save me, save
me- But the long, misty, shifting.
human river poured over the bridge
and up the slope, and at the crest,
where Maun's blood had wet the grass
when baimier days We're there. he
white shrieking wretch was dragged
from the s.ed and y rope thrown over
his head. john Earring. in Il passion
OF horror at the deed which was TO be
done. got in front Of him and the two,
hegglng and pleading, and clutched to-
gether. were swept under tree and
torn apart, and John Earring. blind
and sick. turned away and staggered
toward the town. hearing Fowler
shrieking under the tree: ''John Ear
ling. SCI I,.Ht Nnacy! see Iryl Snacr!
see Icyk .SHderf'