The Opelousas courier., 1886-12-25
Pulling HemO.


-fou may talk about mad elephants
let loose, or circus tigers IN the RAM
page" said a man from Western Michi-
gan, shut they are no comparison to a
crowd of angry and excited men
hungering for your death. -Four years
sgo I came into possession OF three or
Jour pieces of property in Southern
Indiana, and [ went down to look them
over. At Jasper I concluded to get a
saddle horse. One morning, almost
before anybody in the town was astir,
and while [ was taking a before-break-
fast walk, a stranger came along
sstride of a 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 identi-
fed on sight by any n who had ever
seen him before. The prize asked was
S125, and though [ beat the man down
TO 800 he told such a straight story
that I could have no suspicious of him.
He claimed to be a resident of Vim
cennes, and to have purchased the
horse in New Albany.
II 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 gallop. The
instant we met they surrounded me.
Some had revolvers and some guns,
pd I was menaced on all sides. Twas
astonished, of course, half believing [
had fallen in with a band of robbers,
out they quickly gave me to under
stond 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
surrounded me. 1t didn't strike me
hat I looked like a horse thief, but
those men we're mad and excited, and
they had me out Of the saddle in q
minute. OF course I protested, telling
Them who I was and where | could be
identified, but as they hustled me
ander a tree and began to moose a rope
The owner of the nag slapped me across
The face end replied:
"'Shut up! You are the scoundrel.
md denials will be of nc avail Well
,hoke the breath out of you in about
aalf a minute!'
"They were going to hang an limo
,ent man, and you can wager that / did
tome of the most vigorous kicking Of
ny life. While they were noosing me
ind running the free end over a limb, I
Kept up my chin music, and Of the
crowd became half convinced that I was
ceiling the truth. He began to argue
hat it wouldn't take long to prove or
ilsprove my story, but he was too late.
Five or six men walked off with the
'ope, and up I went. They let me
,ang for a few seconds and then low
red me, but only to repeat the dose
vice more. By that time they had
cooled off o bit, and my friend per-
uaded Chem that they could just as
veil finish the hanging at Jasper. I
lad tainted dead away, and when they
poured whisky down my throat and re-
ived me it seemed as if my neck was
wo feet long. There WIS a deal of
growing over the jobnot being finished
hen and there, but they finally put me
IN a horse and started for Jasper.
"The chap of whom I had purchased
he animal, and who was, of course, the
'eal thief, was SO elated ver the sale
hat he forgot himself and remained in
Jasper to get drunk. He was speedily
ound in a saloon, and he made no pre-
ense of innocence. / thought they
would tear him topieces then and there,
nut after beating him to a state of in
ensibillty he was carried off into the
ountry a couple Of miles and left hang.
ng beside the highway. I got back $3.50
# my money, and as it was handed to
ne by the leader he said:
"~tStranger, we beg pardon fol
tretching your neck, but next time
OF buy a boss in this State be a leetle
! arefuI to buy of the real owner.'"-
Detroit Free Press~~Prop
hJuB.