Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-12
A LAWYERS STORY.

charged with a fearful crime. SafI lawyer
just after sentense had ls-sn pronounced upon
Q man who mad rid He'd with bullets the wo-
man who supported nun, without strange
sense Of admiration ut the confidence the peo-
pie here have in the justice ami efficacy Of the
Law. am a New fnrSer. and one would
surely think wnlld take that confidence for
granted SO | would hai | not had an ex-
perience in the west which unhingel all my
previous notions Of what men will and will
not do under trying circumstan e. and which
has made me trenile for the public peace
whenever a peculiarly atrocious crime has
been committed
1T was only three years ago that went to
Hastings, Neb | hal a dim idea that |
might stay there permanently Eventually
| couldn't keep away from New York, but at
the time was much Impressed by the western
temper Things we're IN many ways different
from the wild idea | had got Of the west by
reading the papers But the one Of all phases
which found differed most widely from the
stories | had heard was the western way Of
dealing out justice | expected to see mob
law rule. but found Us efficient courts there
as here and very general respect and conf
dence in the law and its officers. laughed
heartily at the yarns about Judge Lynch and
told an old citizen that the western folks must
be fond of painting themselves in blacker
colors than they deserved If they inspired the
tales telegraphed to eastern newspapers.
We're a peaceable lot, he replied, with
twinkle of the eve, but oucet in a while we
git up our hind feet ali the same
Zone DAY the sheriff drove rapidly into
Hastings with prisoner He was a doctor
living in a settlement on the border Of the
county, made up largely Of ranchmen and
L Il.
with an otfensc against girl, n'are
child, who had been intrusted to his care
a physician The details of the crime and
the arrest got out and were printed in the
Hastings newspapers. and aroused no end Of
indignation. Men gathered on the street
corners and talked about it angrily, and
small crowds gathered around the Jail to try
and get chance to peep through the bars
at the prisoner who was for the moment 30
notorious 1t was rumored that a gang Of
cowboys would be down that night and raid
the jail. The sheriff Immediately swore in q
dozen huge fellows extra constables. and
stationed them inside and out the jail But
by night the little wave Of Indignation had
settled down. No gang of desperate country
men appeared, and the next morning Hastings
was as usual | have seen Just such mo
mentary outbursts Of public sentiment in
the east, and the condition of the city
next day was precisely what expected it
would be Several days passed, and the
crime was an old story The newspapers
dropped it. and began to laugh at the sher-
if for swearing in those extra constables. |
had told him in the beginning that it was
foolish expense to saddle on the town, and he
had said nothing. Now, as the lazy fellows still
snoozed around the Jail made jokes at the
sheriff S expense. He and | were good friends,
and he took the jokes in good nature. He
only replied once and then only to say:
"'You're a trfe green yet, little fellow
Il ain not small man, as you see, but
didn't mind his patronizing me because he
was so almightiS big himself and set his jaws
80 firmly | simply walked of through the
quiet streets and smiled at his senseess fears.
Two weeks later, the day before the trial
came along, Hastings was quieter than ever.
The lawyers bad their pleadinss prepared
and their witnesses ready. The prisoner
rested quietly in jail Less that day than any
other, 90 far, did there seem need for the
sheriff's extra constables
Cowboys ore common In the streets Of
Hastings They come to buy supplies, and
sometimes to paint the town. On business or
pleasure they always bring an atmosphere
none the less jovial and good humored for
being sometimes little lawless Cowboys
appeared in Hastings that afternoon But
this time their coming was not as usual. They
didn't gallop gayly in. leap carelessly off their
mustangs, and stride into the nearest saloon.
They trotted to town in groups, and with q
business like air about them. They were
pon-committal when questioned, and merely
nodded careessly to a chance acquaintance.
They didn't drink much They hung around
the corners, fingered their belts and appeared
restless, suspicious and determined
Somehow the coming of the cowboys,
peaceful though it was, strangely electrified
the town that night Hastings seemed all at
once to awake as if from sleep The streets
filed after supper Men, women and chill
dren paced up and down. seemingly only to
enjoy the evening They chatted about all
sorts Of current gossip, but wore neverthe-
less a nervous, expectant air that strangely
affected me. | got nervous myself with
out knowing why threw away cigar
cites bought some black cigars, and took
to walking Around the saloons were
gathered crowds OF men They were citi-
zens and many Of the best men Of the town
were among them Some OF them wore anx-
ious faces | mixed in the crowds and list
ened 1t wa. only commonplace talk that |
heard. Inc cDWiHNe. Hup@t nuittNIs we're
perceptibly increasing, still had nothing to
ny They began to drink "a night came on
and a few amused themselves 10y going to the
outskirts OF the town and shnoting at pretty
near everything that came along There
Was little or no disorder In fact there was
only the crowds, and the commonplace talk,
and the cowboys, ami that mysterious atmos
pbere By II o'clock there must nave teen
800 strangers in town, every one in a flannel
shirt and souibrero
AT midnight HIT streets hogan to clear,
and an hour later only few groups were seen
around the saloons There was no unusual
noise except occasional drunken brawl
But that strange sense of uncasiness continued
to pervade the air me: the sheriff as
wandered home about O'Clock.
"'Do you smell it, be asked
".Smell whatr
The blood in the air, said be- with a
laugh. I've srnelled it before, and know the
odor
Nv ben got out next morning Il was with
laugh at my own nervousness of the pre-
ceding night Two hours before court began
the entrance to the court house VAS Sesieged
by cowboys They formed a compact crowd,
and when the doors were thrown open broke
into the court room, filing it to OVERLOOKING
The citizens of Hastings who wanted to at
tend the trial arrived later, and had to hear
proceedings from the hallway or not to hear
them at all
Il had seat within the railing command
ing view Of court and spectators The spec
tators interested me more than the court, The
faces were all rough. all bearded. all bronzed
with sun and weather, all strong in feature,
ali silent, all intent. all watchful. all deter
mined As looked at them the same old
feeling Of the night before came over me in
Fedoubled force. ! felt as though rere IN
the presence Of some mysterious intangible
evil
"Did you ever see a western constablei He
Is long. broad, lean ami muscular He has
hand like a small ham in size aud color, and
seemingly made Of sinews His neck is long,
and as brown as bark His face is lean and
his eyes have shaggy brows He stands on
ons foot, with the opposite hand on his hip
lingering a seven shooter He is loose jointed
and shows the strength OF a horse As
looked over that crowd OF long haired. So
rious faced cowboys noticed at least a score
Of constabies scattered among them Their
eyes sparkisd expertantly. and they kept
furtively looking about on every side Near
the door ! saw the sheriff They say he can
pull gun quicker than any man in Nebraska
His heavy jaws were smut tight even for
him, and his right haad rested upon his belt
y drew a wavering breath Of excitement.
There was .,nsthigS in the faces of every
one = these rough oestoys that made me
almost trcnble There was suggestion Of