Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-11-20
Pulling Hemp,


"You may talk about mad elephants
let loose, or circus tigers on the RAM
page" said a man from Western Mich
gan, "but they are no comparison to o
crowd of angry and excited men
hungering for your death. -Four YEAR,
ago [ came into possession of three OF
four pc es of roperty in Southerr
Indiana and | went down to look them
over. At Jasper 1 concluded to get a
saddle horse. One morning, almost
before anybody in the town was astir,
and while was taking before break.
fast walk, stranger came along
astride of fine animal, and to my
query as to whether he wanted to sell
he returned ready affirmative. II
was a sorrel horse, spotted with white,
and one to be recognized and identi-
fed on sight by any one who had ever
seen him before. The pri, e asked was
1925, and though 1 beat the man down
to 800 he told such 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.
Il 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 band of horsemen, about q
dozen strong, came riding from the
opposite direction at gallop. The
instant we met they surrounded me.
Some had revolvers and some guns,
and was menaced on all sides. was
astcnished, of course, half believing [
had fallen in with a band of robbers.
but they quickly gave me to under
stand 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
that l looked like a horse thief, but
those men were mad and excited, and
they had me out of the saddle in q
minute. OF course protested, telling
them who was and where l could be
identified, but as they hustled me
under tree and began to moose rope
the owner of the nag slapped me across
the face end replied:
"'Shut up! You are the scoundrel,
and denials will be of no avail! We'u
choke the breath out of you in about
half minute'
"They were going to hang an limo
cent man, and you can wager that did
some of the most vigorous kicking OF
my life. While they were noosing me
and running the free end over limb, ]
kept up my chin music, and one of the
crowd became half convinced that was
telling the truth. Re began to argue
that it wouldn't take long to prove OF
disprove my story, but he was too late.
Five or six men walked off with the
rope, and up L went. They let me
hang for few seconds and then low.
cred me, but only to repeat the dose
twice more. By that time they had
cooled off bit, and my friend per.
suaded them that they could just as
we'll finish the hanging at Jasper. ]
had tainted dead away, and when they
poured whisky down my throat and re-
vived me it seemed as il 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
vi Il iloISo iul StdTlttt lof . jasper.
"The chap of whom had purchased
tue animal, and who was, of course, the
real thief, was so elated over the sale
that he forgot himself and remained in
Jasper to get drunk. He was speedily
found in saloon. and he made no pre-
tense of innocence. 1 thought they
would tear him to pieces then and there,
but after heating him to n state of in.
sensibihty he was carried off into the
country couple of miles and left hang
ing beside the highway. I got back $50
of my money, and as it was handed to
me by the leader he said
Stranger, we beg pardon TO,
stretching your neck, but next time
you buy boss in this State be leetle
careful to buy of the real owner. ~
Detroit Free Press.