The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-11-17
Was ThatMurder a Crime.

Jack Hepburn was IN the employ oil
a Mr.. Allardyee on the Emu Plains,
and had been SO for about two vear-
the only free steckman on the run
Allardyce-himself one of the finest
fellows that ever stepped-had un,
bounded confidence in him, and look.
ed to him as sort of sheet anchor
in the midst of the endless troubles
and annoyances arising out of d sup
ply ofcoBvict labor.
He was a tough, muscular, black:
bearded fellow, d trif1e over six feet in
height and fairly good-looking; active
in his movements, but slow and very
sparing of his speech, and not paftic
ularly remarkable for anything tinless
it were his scfupulous honesty and
strict truthfulhess.
had left the colony when the in
cident happened which l am about to
relate. heard various accounts ii
it afterward, and the substance, DIS
nearly as l can give it, ispretty much
as follows:
There were four of them up in the
bush at the hut known as "Dicey's'
one clear January evening. Dicey
the hut keeper-a grizzled old sinner
popularity reported to have been one
of the first arrivals in Sydney
though have reason to believe that
this is incorrect-was busy cooking
inside; Jack Hepburn sat on STUMP
a little way from the door, plating
a new lash for his stock whip, ,anC
the other two new "hands" both o
them, and of a pretty bad type
lounged in the doorway, chewing to
bacco and carrying on Il growing
conversation,
Now Jack was a goodnatured
kindly fellow enough, but he never
forgot the difference between thest
men and himself, and never allowed
them to forget it, and naturally
enough they detested him. No doub-
this was scarcely christian charity
but Jack was not a perfect characte
very far from it--and, in justice tt
him, it must be remembered that il
spite of natural prejudices, in his owl
phrase, che never liked to be rougl
on hand who behaved himself de
GENTLY" which, on the whole was no
the deepest desire of the two speci
mems before us. But even a worn
will turn, and though they doubles
fully deserved the curt contempt AM
lordly superciliousness with which h
treated them, they didn't like it.
All this by the way. Jack was no
paying any particular attention t
the dialogue going on in the doorwa,
it was not his habit to take an intel
est in the conversation of thos
gentlemen, which, it must be allowed
showed certain monotony-whe
his ear was caught by much emphs
sized assertion as to the shooting
crows. He knew that, in their dialec-
this word was applied to bronze-co
ored and feathered bipeds ottene
than to black and feathered ones; an
he was well acquainted with the reel
less disregard of life-not confined t
convicts, either-shown toward I'll
unlucky natives of the island.
1t was a curious trait in Jack Hel
burns character-considering tt
universal and deeply rooted preju
dices of all colonial Englishmen-
that his naturally strong sense {
Justice suffered no bias or abrogatio
where "black fellows" were concerne'
Perhaps his experience of convi
whites and his sojourn among tn
wild tribes of the bushQ know h
wanderings had been wide and adve
turous before he settled on Allardyce
run) had shaken his belief in the cor
parative worthlessness of the latte
However it may be accounted for
and am not writing an analytic di
sertation on his character; | am on
telling his story-such was the fac
And he knew that there was a tril
of natives not very far off; he hs
seen their tracks in the bush ths
very day.
So he listened, without seeming
hear, while one of the two lowe
ing, sullen-faced creature, with SIN,
eyes, a retreating forehead and cru
iaw-gave q circumstantial stat
ment of a wanton murder commits
some months before. Facts of t
kind may be found in plenty by tho
who care to read the cruel record.
Then he looked up and said in
quietest tones:
"Hawk Williams. this might {
well enough on the lamar, but l t
YOU won't have it here"
"Hawk" Williams gave a brut
laugh; the other man started al
whistled.
"What call hev you got to meddl
Who made you boss of this here co
carn?"
Call or no call, I won't have it
said Jack Hepburn, giving twist
the end of his whiplash.
How'll you stop it?" sneered Wi
Jams. "There's no law agin the Xxi
ing of black crows, is there? Meredit
on the lamar, was glad enough
have 'em picked off, and so W
Allardyce be for that matter"
81 known better'n that" said ia
Hepburn, and finished his work
fiectively without lifting his eyes, I
his soul was stirred within him.
knew that the mans words were
the whole perfectly true-that
had no force of law or public opini
to back him; that he had no auth'
ity over these men to compel them
refrain from such q deed should tn
wish to do it; that Allardyce, wi
he felt sure, would be on his side, W
, miles away at the station, and th
he had heard Allardyce's partn'
Kearney, treat such things as t
merest trifes. And, as he thougl
the slowly smoldering fires of
disgust and Indignation bul
through their embers and leaped
into words.
81 don't know" he said, slow
looking full in Hawk Williams e
FACET don't know about the |;
and what folks think; but do kn'
this; that if 1 saw a chap dom