Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-08-08
KILLED IN A COURT ROOM

laWger JqTt after sentence mad been pro
nounced upon man who had riddled with
bullets the woman who supported him,
"withOut a strange sense OF admiration az
the confidence the people mere nave IN the
justice and efficacy of the law. am a
New Yorker and one would surely think /
would TAKE mat confidence for granted.
50 | would, had / not an experience ia
the West which unhinged all my previous
notions Of what men Will and will no 40
under trying circumstance, and which had
made me tremble for the public peace
whenever a peculiarly atrocious crime
had been committed.
st WAS ouiy three years ago that | went
10 Hastings, Eeb. had a dim idea that
might stay there permanently. Event
ually / couldn't keep away from New
York. but al the tim e / 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
oapors 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 as efficient
courts there as here, ana a very general
respect and confidence in the law and its
oflicers. ! laughed heartily nj the yarns
about Judge Lynch and told an old citi-
zen that the western folks must be fond
OF painting themselves In blacker oOlOrs
t. N the, deserved If they Inspired the
tales telegraphed to the eastern news
I1Pers.
with n Twinkle OF the eye; but once IA a
while We git up on our hind feet ali the
s0me.
zone day tho sheriff drove rapidly in.
10 hastings with a prisoner. He was a
doctor living IN settlement on the border
OF tho county, made up largely OF raDch-
mru and oOwbOys and their families
IL was charged with an offeuse against
girl, mere child, VINO had been in
trusted ia his care Az physician. The
details of the crime and the arrest got
out and were printed in the Hastings
newspaper, and aroused no end OF indig
nation Men gathered on the street COR
nefs and talkad about IL angrily, and
small crowds gath. red around the Jail to
try 80 get a chance To peep through the
bafs at the prisoner who was for the mo
ment so notorious. IL was rumOred that
gang OF cowboys would be- down that
night and raid the Jail. The sheriff i'm
mediatrIy swore IN dozen huge fellows
and extra oonstables, and stationed them
inside aud out the jail. But by night the
littlo wave of Indignation had settled
down. No gang OF desperate country
mon appeared, and the next morning
Hastings was as usual have seen such
a momeutary outburst of public sent-
meut IN the Eat, Rud the condition of
Al 4 a.s..Is. hot
expected 10 would DO. Several days pass
ed, aud the crime WAS an old story. The
newspapers dropped 1t, and l began 60
laugh no the sheriff for swearing IN those
extra eoustables. had told MN in the
beginning that it was foolish expense
TO saddle ON the town, aud he said moth
ing Now, az the lazy fellows still snoozed
around the jail l made jokes at the
shoriG's expense. He ans | were good
friends, aud be took the jokes in good
nature. He only replied onoe, AMI then
only 20 any:
"You are .rina green yet, little fell
low
III am not a small man, as you see, but
/ dau't mind his pairOuizing me, because
he vas so almighty big himself, and set
hi- jaws 40 firmly. / simply walked off
through the quiet streets and smiled at
his seuseless fears.
1.-Two weeks later, the day before the
trial came along, Hastings was quieter
than ever. The lawyers had their plead
inRs prepared aud their witnesses ready.
The prisoner rested quietly in jail.
Less that day than any other, 80 far, did
there seem need for the sherff's extra
cor stables.
Cowboys are common in the streets of
Hastings. They come TO buy supplies,
and sometimes 20 paint the town. On
husuess or pleasure, they always bring
an atmosphere none the less jOvial and
good humored. Cowboys appeared in
Hastings that afternoon But this time
their coming was not as usual They
didu't gaiiup gallY in, leap cRrelessly off
their must rs, and stride into the near
est saloon. They trotted 10 town in
Rruups and with 3 business like air about
them, They were non committal when
question s, and merely nodded care)essly
TO chance acquaintance. They didn't
drink much. lhey hung around the
CORNERS, nuaee,d ,heir belts, aud ap-
peRrea RESTLESS suspicious and deter
mined.
"SJm,hus th, coming OF the cowboys,
peaceful Heush 81 w8s, strangely eleotri-
hea lhe town that night. Hasungs
seemed Nu a. once 90 awake 8z II from a
sletI. The streets dItG after supper,
Men womss aui children paced up and
down, soemmsly ouIy TO enjoy the eve
ming. They chartered about all sorts of
current gossip, bnt wore, nevertheless,
merry us. *, cc'aus air that strangely