The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-07-06

The old man, despite his reputation
for crustiness, always seemed to take
to me, and we strolled out to the placer
which had been his working place for
over I6 years. Ii was desolation OF
boulder strewn bedrock, a few acres in
extent, bordered by Mccoy creek on
one side, and on the other by the face
of the gravel bank CONTAINING unknown
millions of cubic yards of "pay dirt" ."
Seating ourselves on convenient bould-
ers we fell into talk. Said /:
"They tell me that some robbers
strung you up to make you tell where
you kept your dust"
"They did sir :"
"Well, now, there's been a great dis
cussion going on among humane peo-
pie as to whether hanging is or is not
a painful death whether murderers
can't be put an end to in some more
merclful way. Have you heard about
it p"
81 don't believe have"
"Well, it's so, anyway. And | guess
you know more about the subject in a
minute than the philanthropists can find
out in year."
He laughed. 81 shouldn't wonder" !"
81 wish you'd tell me all about it.
The world ought to know what you
know, and l may publish what you say,
If you have no objection; but 1 don't
need to give your name. Don't talk
about it if you don't want to; but ]
hope you won't mind giving me the
facts"
mot the least in the world"
"Well does a man suffer when he's
hanged?"
omit my own intereocutions and
throw his answer into a single para
graph, in order that it may be copied
by papers which cannot find room for
| the whole narrative.
"When the rope first squeezes mans
neck it hurts his skin somewhat. My
throat and neck were sore and swelled
for a week after l was robbed. But
just as soon as the pressure is on he
knows no more about it. l just went
to sleep, and that was the end of it un-
til began to come to. They strung
me up three times before | would tell
and between times they were thrusting
their guns in my face as sat in chair.
with my arms tied, they threatening to
blow nv brains out but just said
had no dust. The last time, | Judge, ]
was long time coming to; | guess
they thought l was dead. When ]
woke up, kind O. dazed like, | was sit
ting in the chair, and they were hunting
around the place. Then they threw
the rope over the beam again, and
pointed to a stone in the hearth they
dug there, and got a tomato can full
| of dust alb nj 10000. Tney wanted
more, and were going to hang me
agar ',ut said thit WAS all | mad
and they CtuiI Kill mr ii ,h,y like
1t was getting day i:ah: then, and the,
went off. sat qniet and stupid I'll
the neighbOrs came and put me il
bed"
The simple hearted, unexcited bust
ness like earnestness Of the old mar
left not a doubt in my mind of the en-
tire truth of every word he uttered
We walked back to his cabin and sal
down. The one room was ceiled will
cotton cloth, nailed to the rafters ant
whitewashed. Under this two pole
ran across from wall 10 wall.
"Thev stopped at neighbor's house
and took what they could g tina
was after midnight. Then they cam,
on here and knocked at my door.
got up and ligh ed my lamp and wen
and opened The door. | could jlst Sc,
lot of men with white cloth over lhei
faces, with hoes for the eyes, ant
every one had gun pointed at me.
thought some of the Toys were playing
joke on me, but they pushed me bacl
and Game in. They had long halte
rope with 'em the; had stolen from th
other rOust, III they took Gown m
clothes line and tiv my arms"
."DI int they | worH p
20 y,s; lncy were snoullin' ant
hollrrin' all the rin--cu;>in' ant
swearin' an askjn' me whcrc had IN
clane up"
"What did yoI say2'
81 guess | told 'em to 90 to h
that l had sent off my clane up-o
something. | remember what"
"Then what did they sayP"
"Oh, they hollered Kill him Hang
him up ! and more of the like. Thel
they put the halter rope round M
neck and threw fhe other end over tn,
bame there. pointing to the cross
stick nearest the door.) They stood m