Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-10-03
An amble up the fiume.


His face IL all alight
With JOY and pride. TO think that he
Can give such delight.
Farewell, deer Ed, thou gay gsloot,
VIII miss thee from our midst
But then thou shouldst not execute
The thoughtless deed thou ddst.
Thou soon whist dangle from the rope,
An each intense spectator
viii see thee dangle. with the hope
That he will see thee later.
Like eager traveller dost thou wait,
To leave by the neck's strain. (Applause.l
To land up by tho golden gate
And meier return again,
This last advice from a world OF strife
give with an earnest breath;
You ne'er were known TO "kiok" in life,
Pray do not kick in death.
There was loud applause, and the
girls grouped themselves OH the scat
fold and sang the song referred to,
responding to a vigorous encore with
ooh Dem Golden Slippers during
the rendition of which the condemn
ed man frequently cast his eyes down
ward to his robust feet, as if wonder
ing if he could secure fit. The last
notes of the song were swamped be-
meath another torrent of applause,
and the girls descended from the
scaffold. The Sheriff once more
came to the front.
"The things a-goin' of splendidly,"
he said. ut surpasses my most san
culinary expectations. Teller citizens,
this is proud day for all of us, an
no one can feel more impetuous pride
than l do. now have the felicitous
honor of introducin' to you Mr. Ed
ward Comstock, the gentleman as will
soon take the trail for Kingdom come.
AS you all see he has conducted him
self with the most proper rectitude in
all the perceedins', an l am proud it
has fallen to me to hang such a per-
feet gentleman"
Ed advanced to the front, and when
the loud applause had subsidized began
his carefully prepared speech:
Ladies and gentleman: Words
are too weak affairs in which to ex-
press the swayin', surgin' feelin's
which are now pitchin' about in my
soul. This grand demonstrativeness,
got up in my honor, is worthy of a
king. You are here to see me off on
my journey, an / assure you that l
will not forget your kind efforts to
make the partin' pleasant to me. l
have wife and two kids back in the
States, an oh what pride will swell
the bosoms o them boys while tellin'
others that their OIL man war the fust
one to be lawfully hung in Sweet
water county.
"Regardin' the crime for which |
stands here, l will simply say that
the cards run agin me. If that young
fellow as saw it hadn't been thar at
that particular moment all would
have been well, an / would have been
Twin among you to-day an honercd
an respectable citizen. But | ain
a-kickin'. This grand demonstration
fills me full O. high grade reconcilia-
tion, an I'll go down through this
trap like jo-dandy. Applause.
| expect to meet Bill Van Anda, Tom
Wilkes, Lengthy Frank, Poker Aleck
an all the boys that's passed in their
checks, an wen l tell 'em o this
grand blow out, they'll be sorry they
died afore seem it. l shall not de-
tain you longer, for | know you are
anxious to see the grand climax.
bid you one an all good.by, an if
you ever cum my way be sure an
hunt Inc up. Mr.. Sheriff, it's your
play"
HIS hands and feet were quickly
bound and the rope placed about his
neck. BY his own request no black
cap was drawn over his face. The
Sheriff stood with his hand on the
lever, and the spectators held their
breath awaiting the final act.
"Once more, good-by," the doomed
man shouted. Earth to earth, dust
to dust, and ashes to ashes. He
that sheddeth mans blood by man
shall be likewise shielded. An eye
for an eye an a tooth fur tooth, fur
virily | say unto you that thar's more
oy in heaven over lost sheep than
over hull herd that never left the
corral. Mr.. Sheriff, will you kindly
ct 'er go?"
The Sheriff accomodatingly did as
and Ed shot through the
rap. He seemed to throw bis whole
oul into that one last effort, and
vent down with determined vigor,
hat elected words of praise from
,very one in the crowd. He hung
here with sort of stiff pride and
lightly, as if conscious that he had
lone his whole duty in his efforts to
please his audience.
. -
Where Beggars are Rich.