The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-10-02
The Panishment of an Unnatural Son.

" y
Nebraska. and the very first case that
came to me Was one to delight Q law
ver's heard. An aged woman named
Mary sharon had decided all her props
erty to her son William. on tnc unoet.
standing that he was TO euppoft nes
aud do so-and-so during the rest q nef
life. After year Or two ne became
anxious to get rid OF her. being vigor.
ously encouraged by his vile. sno
matters were made 90 hot for tho olo
lady that she could no longer stay 10
the house. Indeed, she was turned
out of IL. and but for the charity OF
neirhbors would have died of hunger
aud exposure. While she had Q copy
Of tho agreement drown In legal form
and GOOD evidence In suit, none 10
the flye or six lawyers In town would
take her case because OF fear OF the
son. William had given out that ne
would kill any lawyer who meddled
with the case, and he had the record
of being desperate, revengef0l man.
When the mother came to mo she
frankly warned me that must look
out for Bill, but when I had looked
into the case I determined to become
her counsel, Bill or no Bill. Ny first
move was to send for the son, to see II
he desired to carry out his agreement.
He came into my Office In . swagger-
Ing, defiant way, having q revolver
buckled to him and three drinks OF
whiskey behiud his vest buttons. He
cursed the mother, me, the law, aud
all else, aud wound up with:
CHOW, then, you 60 ahead. The
minute you make trouble for me, I'll
make q corpse Of you"
"And now you look here" l an
swered, as brought six-shooter to
cover his head. "I'm In this case to
the bitter end, and whenever you feel
like shooting don't walt for me to be.
gin."
Bill was boaster and q cowcrd. He
turned white as flour, and became AS
humble as q lamb. He went out of
the bfiice like q cur, but knew tho
feeling raging In his heart, and real
ized that he would bring about my
death II he could do It with safety 10
himself, I had the proper papers
served and the suit opened. Bill made
his threats and boasts, but kept clear
Of me. 1 expected he would fill up
some day aud come into town for q
shooting screpe but he had another
plan to work on. We had sure case,
as his friends informed me, but he was
determined to bluster It out.
My office was over q store, and
reached by outside stairs. There was
a front and = back room, and the lat
ter, I being q bachelor, was used for
10Y bedroom. It was the fashion to
leave all doors open during the day,
and when I left my Office on any er-
rand, or to 60 to court, 1t was not
locked. When 1t became known
around that had taken Mrs. Sharon's
case, and bluffed her SON Bill, had
plenty of small business to look after,
and was much OF the time In the jus
tices' Courts.
One day, just before the big suit was
to come to trial, I went into court on
an ordinary suit, and was detained
three or four hours. The Office was
left open, as usual. As I returned to
It. three or four citizens accompanied
me, and as we reached the foot OF the
stairs we heard q terrible yell from the
rooms above. Next moment Bill
Sharon came rushing down the marrow
stairs hatless, eyes starting from thei
sockets, and such q look Of terror OF
his face as I never saw before or since
He rushed past US, shrieking and yell
ing, and 1t was only when he was clea
of us that we made out the horribl
truth. Two great rattlesnakes wer
hanging to him-one by the rlgh
wrist, and the other by the right LEI
They squirmed and twisted and flaI
ped as he ran, and his screams an
exclamations brought out the whol
, town. He ran about a block, and the
fay down In the street and rolled ovt
and over, and the snakes let go hill
and were killed as they crawled ava!
! Bill had been bitten in three place
: The only antidote suggested was whi
: key, and good two quarts we
!. poured down him without the sligh
est relief. It did not In the least stl
' pefy him nor quiet his excited cond
Z tion; and In an hour he was dead-h
bloated.. body and purple face pr
8 senting a horrible sight. 1t did II
= take much headwork to discover ho
}, It all came about. Bill wanted reven
f on me, and his plan was to leave 4
" rattIesnakes In my bedroom. He b
a taken them there in box after seei
@. that the coast was clear, and n
rs dumped them out on the floor. Il
as box was there to prove 1t. In his ha
80 to be gone he had been careless, q
is as the serpents were loosed they turn
er on him and fastened their fangs In
es flesh. It was retributiop, but none
d, us could help but pity his horrible ia