Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-06

"Here'a n few sweetentaters, too. Billy,
AZ vou'd like. MAYBE she said. smiling.
"ps sorry amt got no meat for you"
81 amt hongry yit,r he answered. bat
I mought git 30. thinks q heap OF you.
Tidy, and Ia goln' 70. TEX you out West
with me some day, and don't you icrgit II.
He was in no mood for love-maklng, nor
had he time for many soft speeches, but
il came over him that this woman was the
only person in the world who would care
whether he were hanged or not, and 80 ne
said what he did to please her.
And Tidy, don't you say nothin' bout
seem me this mornin', want TINS mere
trip KEEP quict-likc, but III tell you OH
bout It when | see YOU mex. Ana doht
Won 'blieve nothn' agin me nuther. ef you
don't see me for some time. no matter VINO
tries to make you. -.
bad. black eyes with her weak blue ones,
"Good-by, my girl must be goln'., I5
got q long walk ahead o me-" as he had IN
deed.
Oh. the misery for him of the days that
followed The wandering up and down
among the mountains with the mark OF
Cain upon him: the cold and the wet on
tho northeast storm without u shelter; the
slceplessiiess: the fOOtsOre WEAKNESS; the
perpetual. anxious dread. The lovely red
leaves OF autumn were not beau
tful to him; they suggested only
blood. The wild grapes with which
he apDpaecd his hunger chOked him
~ he remembered the innocent child days
when his mother used TO take Jack ana
himself to gather them for winter use. he
almost thought no death could be worse
than the life of hardship and fear he was
living.
Twenty DAYS after the murder Bill
Sprouae was captured and lodged in the
county Jail. and all the world believed him
ouiltv except Tidy She had discovered
Tie meaning of his mysterious sentence az
parting. and, like many another woman
believed her sweetheart innocent simply
because he said he was.
The fury and Indignation Of all classes
AT this fearful and unnatural murder
passes description. The men would have
torn the murderer limb from limb IN their
mad frenzy if they could have laid hands
on him. and when be was at last taken they
felt impatient for his trial and execution.
The process Of law seemed too long Tor
such a wretch 10 be allowed to live. Mr.
Scruggs was greatly excited, and openly
declared that there was no necessity for
trial. and that Bill SprOuse ought 20 be
hanged at once. -,
When two months had passed and the
trial had not even begun, Mr.. Scruggs
could bear II no longer. He called the men
together and made a brief but effective
speech:
"Thar amt no sorier use in waitin' any
longer for the law TO do it's duty. ne said.
Hits seldom it does It's duty. II law was
worth ANYTHING. how come that man hen-
ney. as murdered the poor woman wasn't
hunc2 How come he IS free this minute,
agoin to and fro in the world, and =
walkin' up and down it Ike SatanY And
the first thing You know Bill Sprouse Will
be let OF the same way. He's got money
TO pav the lawyers with. and they'll try To
save his neck. THEY'LL make out he's
crazy, and it do seem past all beheyin, as
he could ha' been IN his senses and Kill his
ole mother. IF ] hadn't seed him mex,
moruin' rs auiet and like be always is |
mought ha' bad NY doubts myself. tell
YOU. men, when ! think OF the poor muir
dcred Things % layin' thar ~ ! soc en- my
blood bile.: the old graz head OF ms mo
thor lavs Ike lead on my breast o nights
TIL cvant rest. keuney amt rom those
here parts. and he bring his dcviliry
with him from somewhere. / reckon
they don't know no better out thar;
But such things IS not 70 be STOOD
here mong-t Us all, and 1 say. 'thout
waitin' no longer for the law. ~ Is mostly
lrhIlll, lbI IFS 10 tAh' i'iiA h'l'ANN''N ''--
hang him night away
n mas De observed that Mr.. Scruggs's
distrust of the law arose IRON the TACT thhJ
he had had the misfortune to have case
decided against him some years before IN a
small lawsuit. since which time he hal
believed less in the infalibllity OF the law
and more IN his own.
DO you b'leyc Bill Sprouse is guilty y
he asked and each man SAID Yes.
" DO Won b'leve q murderer ought TO De
nungf" and they answered " Yes! -,
Well. what's the use O, wal'inI Inc
county oughtu't to be burdened with sech
a man any LONGER. liyin' in idleness. And
ei 'tis right ho should be hung at all. rs
right he should DE hung to-day Of We could
dOit. say on Friday night M y O'Clock we
will do it If yOu's al agreed"
And thew all agreed. They were TO come
into town into couples, by different roads,
10 avoid notice; meet at the jail, and de-
mand the prisoner.
Jim Carver told his fdncfe. Nancy, their
determination 10 lynch Bill Sprouse, ana
Nancy. being something of talker and
wishing 10 tell the latest news, mentioned
the same to Iildy's crippled father when
she went TO carry hun some me
sweet-potatoes. And so it came 20
Tldys ears Friday morning. She very
quickly made up her mind that she
would 90 10 town and tell Bill
and perhaps he might know what 70 DO 10
save his life The sixteen miles which she
must needs walk did not dauut her, and
telling her mother size was going down the
valley and might not be back till late, she
departed on her errand of mercy 10 tue
most unworthy of men. She stopped 10y
Naucy'- and asked her to go over and do
her milking for her if she was not back IN
time. and Nancy. thinking she was going
as she often did to get work from the wives
OF gentlemen farmers in the valley, went
on talking and forgot 10 question her.
Tidy carried "a covered basket on her arm
that she might appear TO be taking some
thing 10 town to sell, Us the country
women were accustomed TO do.
The walk was a slow and wearisome one.
for the succession of long red nils follow
inc close upon each other, now mp, now
down. seemed interminable. If Tidy had
known ANYTHING OF Hannibal she might
have been cheercd by the remembrance OF
his animating words 20 his men, Remem-
Der. beyond the Alps lies Italy, But
having no historic heroes in mind. perhaps
il did as well for the present need 10 say
To herself. After I've pulled up this long
hill ri bo that much nearer sayin' HIM
She reached by-and-by the river, and be-
yond was the town. IL was between and
/ IN the afternoon as she entered II. and
She went at once to the jail. Could she
see BIZ SprouseI she asked Of the jailcr,
middle-aged man. with IA liver that made
him alway. cross. he told his wife, heart OF
liver. the effect was the same.
Now, whatre you?" he asked; " his
sister? :"
mo" answered Tidy.
"Wife?"
Tidy hung her head.
NO" she replied.
"Well. you needn't come round here II
you amt Kin 10 him. You ought 10 be
ashamed Of yerseli comm to see man nc
kin 10 YOU. Amt YOU had no raisln'I"
Tidy was not too Obtuse 20 feel the
thrust. and turned To 90. She forgot for
the moment the importance Oh her jour
nev: but only for Il moment. Retracine
her steps she stood again before the jailer
u got somethin' 10 tell him TO save ms
life" she said, please, sir. femme SET
him"
The man with the oyermastering liver
grunted with the accent Of a Berkshire
and looked at Tidy. There was some
thing almost pathetic in her wearied
anxious look.
u come sixteen mile to tell him." she
said
"Umph, :" You might as well have
STAYED at homo, | reckon. But come
along. and he led the way 10 the cell, and