Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-04-19
,1..ilnnt of the Rio Grande.

Ias F,.tled kin and tanned, leathery
IN W. us at in his low chair and look
~, ;rry with haggard eyes. His
$751; Wv sg hair rose straight from his
i'h' f.ont. and fell jagged and tangl-
1'D dnsty coat collar behind. There
s'l l' ',~ons tgitching in his tobacco.
q 5 5iins and shifty aspect in the way
.a er,d his long neck and turned hur'
~ 20 confer with his counsel. be was
ia'! ~ five hundred pairs of eyes.
% I'D TO shrink and shriyel under
5''''-r,irv. HIS face said that he was
a'l ian nan. a man of deeds against the
'-lD its officers: of lax regard for the
, '-I others; of The intense selfish
~ nrominent a part in the makeup
81 M criminal. He was a common
.oo of the lower order of mind,
w o,5er of society, which, by The gay,
,.usd-when he mentioned II at all
D.,gsto and in utter contempt.
n,s hand grasped with nervous hold
=. ..ot,eriup beard on his chin, and his
~, lin was slightly swollen and SCARED
IN discolored teeth which he had
VA against it at various periods of
t,Ial Over by the rusty unused
~. in the corner a group of young law
800. hair thrown back to expose their
r.lsods. feet tucked comfortably on
..., chairs, shirt collars awry and
I,~mped, eyes tired and sleepy, laughing
n is,ting in a whisper.
| 1bs iudge, old and hard with many win
!, many weary miles of arid desert cir
Il. many nights with the boys, closed
4 ewes AND, by force of long praetice,
.,,i every word, while his thoughts were
| 4opsaud miles away. The blue flies
I,rmed against the dim windows and the
| - one and all, seemed intending sui
n, pale, tired woman, with an old
| ,bopnet set crookedly on her aching
Ia and a snuff stick in her mouth, held
rckllng baby and gazed steadily and
heartily at the prisoner.
There we're other women, too, presum-
N, relatives, all weary, all interested,
dipping snuff. A hum arose from
H. s1ecist0rs, who watched with tagging
III the legal tragedy before them. The
Eusof brass band hoated into the room
|,.il ,he cries of hawkers on the streets
-er it was court week and the town was
|el Of people. Outside the san rioted on
h, white sand and unpaved walks and the
vr,s Of the houses. There was strength
|ra hone and freedom in the swoopiDg
asa. Of the heat and the soft breeze
aa came over the leagues of prairie.
Es0s of people stood in the dark stores,
bon the corners, eagerly discussing the
progress of the case, aud the chances of
\. mqn who was on trial for his life.
For it was the state of Texas vs.. Ga
Ead Wilkinson, indictment for murder
Z The first degree.
'Iel YER said one man, as the shay
be-. flew from his virulent pocket knife,
lnd he looked around in enjoyment of
!. superior knowledge, tell yer, he's a
.ui old citizen, an had orter swing.
he, re the tufest crowd in the county,
d that's saJin' lots. You uns don't
'a5,i maybe, what oil Gabe's in the
,Ae fur but | does. 1t were seven
Ia,s ago the KILN were done, but
-Cri, it didn't make much stir in them
.Ja
'Hevere a Jew peddlar, an he came
long hypr with a big pack o. notions.
as sold goods right in this town, lots o.
ta ga one morniE' he lett for the Tor
ala. settlement 60 take the folks down
ln He were known to hev stopped at
I d3be.- house, an he flashed a big roll
be were knoEn to leave thar mex mornin'
nh oil Gabe fur a pilot. Jesus! An he
'a'lt seen no mo- That is, he weren't
'l no mo sellin' goods. They foun'
a- ID the woods torerd evenln'. All his
-oley an most o. his goods was gone.
40 ne never kuowd what hit him"
Ias speaker paused, expectorated free
aud deliberately, smiled affably on the
s'-lms crowd and resumed:
but IL created no big stir them times.
-oi1, DO. Folks know'd in reason oil
''e done IT. cause he was terrible flush
'l.s' an his young wife-she we're a
~ some gal wen he married her-she
9-s 70 church in a red silk dress as
-'' o 'oe town folks rec'nized. Many
'.Asn had a-wauted to buy that piece,
l. 'hg 'hIegin jew he axed too much
j, 1 Ma he sold it mighty cheap at
g. Hss haw!
'aa' come new people into the place
'- 'lsas bout law an order,' an state
P~snt an night school, an SIGH,
E sheriff as were sheriff then we
"a .te.e' no mo-. A new man come
II. 'abe vent on the 'quedow 49,
e' know. He's bin on it ever
~. 1e were run down like a javelina
crush three months ago, an he
I'M --A' yer might call a good game
'-. Vern't no sorter use. Never
a.-' say s- 'har were er nuther man
,.-s SUM Kinder helpin' Ga5e, an
=. .-'.s'- i7 keepin' him low. / dunno.
7. never needed no help | take it."
NJ. -- 10 The court house had ceased. !
~. .'.As ~ the windows and the dirty
$50 's a- The crowd leaned over
,.-,- ana from the dark back
So .ae.t faces glared steadily. I'll
e.z. ' 'v 'he lonely man. sitting con
1, and sym, that they we're all ris
aeaiug 90 fall on and crush |
~. az women we're paler, and the
D.. AL. we're hushed. The officers [
b. .. "1tn any one opened the
Ia .Pped noisslessly il, hat in
~ 'Aerfs head turned and he |
intruder With steady ewes IN
..=1 iu'9 the crowd.
a.,,sa unimpo-tant witness
r,.5,....4.A tom the stand the udge |
Is a,,,- ana looked eagerly over
,o,. ~. 'ae young lawyers at the |
.ra. well filed with stimulants
assss took down their feet and |
p es.-.- Psfing two deputies stood