Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-10-02
ATERBURY EVENING DEMOCRAT WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER

Of the band not over fifteen escaped My capture had been witnessed by two of our men who had been out foraging and the guerrilla camp had been located soon after daylight About three hundred of our in- fantry were quietly brought up through the woods, and when in position opened fire, and it was just in time to save me. When our troops poured into camp they found about twenty wounded men. It was an eye for an eye and tooth for tooth in the West. When we rode away we left none but dead men, and not one of them got bur ial.
 The reader may urge that one's feelings under the above circumstances would not compare with those of a man awaiting death by hanging. Well, I have also undergone that trial and endured the sensations, and can speak by the card. After the close of the war went West and was employed as Government scout, but being wounded by an Indian arrow in the spring of 1867 I got three months leave of absence and went down on the Texas coast to recruit. had been at Indianola about four weeks, boarding at private house, when took a small sailboat one day and went of up the inner bay on fishing trip. At noon I ran into the mouth of a creek. where cabin was in view, calculating on getting some matches to replace my stock. The cabin was about fifty feet from the waters edge, and after 'hillor' which was not answered, l landed and walked up to the house. The door stood wide open, and on the floor lay Q man, cold and dead, having been shot in the breast. After moment I entered for closer in- vestigation, and I felt of the body and found it cold. Death had occurred several hours previously. The cabin was a wretched structure, poorly furnished, and it did not seem as If the motive could have been rob- bery.
 I had returned to the door, intending to hasten to Indianola and give the alarm, when hshboat, carrying four men, landed in the creek. ran down and related the news, and all of them returned to the house with me. The men satisfied themselves that the body was cold, but presently drew apart and began to consult together, and after four or five minutes their leader said to me:
 My mates are agreed that this don't loob right, stranger"
 "How do you mean2'
 "Why, thar's bin murder here.n "So there has, but you don't connect me with it, do you9''
 'Well, we found you here alone" "But had only just arrived. Suppose I had found you here. That body, as you see, is stone cold, showing that death took place hours ago, while left town only at seven o'clock this morning He was dead then or soon after"
 They consulted agaln and then he said:
 "You may be all right, but you'll have to prove it. We shall take you to town" l expressed my willingness to go, and asked them to particularly remember the state of the body, and to examine my re- volver and note it's condition. hadn't the least idea that had got myself into trouble, but soon discovered to the contrary. l | was given in charge of an officer at Indi- | anola, and a party went up to view the body. There had been a murder. Some | body was guilty. I was found there and alone. If I wasn't guilty then I must prove myself innocent. That was the way of the West then There was but one lawyer in the town and he poor one, but I secured his serv- | ices. I was confined in an old building l used as guard house during the war, and, | as soon as the party returned and reported that no trace of the murderer could be found, public sentiment was agalnst mo. A warrant was issued by the local justice, and next day I was brought up for ex. | animation There wasn't the slightest proof to hold me on, but the squire, who knew nothing whatever of law, and was hardly intelligent in the ordinary sense, ordered me held for further investigation. Small squads of men were sent out to beat up for the murderer, but at noon on the third day all had come in except one, and had met with no success. l sat looking out of a ooden-barred window facing the street, when l saw five or six men stop opposite, and begin to argue and discuss. They were talking when my lawyer en- tered, and coolly observed:
 Yell, they haven't found any body else, and the boys say they are going to hang youI"
 "But you know 1 am innocent"
 "Of course I do, but they don't believe l it."
 "And they will hang an innocent man be- cause they can't find the guilty oner'
 'That's about the size of it. I'll go out and have another talk, however. You know we don't go much on either law or gospel around here since the war;"
 He went out, but presently returned and said:
 ''The boys is bound to do it, and you had best get ready. They will give you an hour"
 felt it was useless to further argue tho matter, and l wrote out a statement and a couple of letters, gave my guard directions about certain matters, and was then as ready as I could be. Was I nervous? Not 8 bit. While I was certain that should be hanged, did not feel like bemoaning my fate. If I had been armed would have made fight for revenge, but, as was de- fenseless, simply waited for the crowd to come. I wondered how they would hang me, and when reflected that they had no gallows and that I should be strangled, had something like vertigo for few min utes. It had just passed away when five or six of the crowd came in. I Twas led out, con-
 ducted about a quarter of Q mile to a tree, and after had had my arms and legs tied
 was lifted to the head of whisky barrel and
 the moose of the rope dropped over my head. They were very cool about 1t, and heard
 some of them saying that evidently meant
 to die game. When all was ready l was
 asked If I had any thlng to say. replied
 that had, and for about ten minutes 1 gave
 it to them the best knew how, and by nc
 means neglected the justice, who stood
 close by. l was astonishcd at my own
 nerve and coolness. hadn't quite wound
 up vet when some one discovered that the