Telegram-herald., 1889-10-13


- Re Hanged
II rs sumner of 1884, when the rebel
g-erril.a Joe shelby AID is band were the
serror Of Southern Missouri Vas captured
b. = dstachmens of thea Wlle acting IS
rcglmenlal mai carrier. AT lonely SPOT
ou the Highway, between the Union videttes
al The camp, three men suddenly sgrang
0a- q TIE woods 40 me. The hour was four
clock 10 Tie afternoon. and as was with
a. tas Inloa uaes 1 was uasusp.cious %
Langer. Just minute before the men be-
trsyed themselves = rabbit bad crossed the
highway aaead q me, and hzt drawn my
revolver, hoping for a shot. ] therefore had
ir 10 ny hand whea the trio made tho rush.
OEe spranz Tor ny horses head and tho
ether two closed ln Droadslde. l fred and
killed the hrst Uan dead IN h-s tracks. AS
1 wheeled % nre on my right ny horse
made a spring and ny ballet struck the man
81 lhe left shoulder. Before I could make
another move TIE third nan pulled me from
M horse. We were only ha.f a mile from
tha Un0n camp, and they did not do any
shooting Tor fear OF creating al a.arm. As
I Was pulled % the ground the man struck
us on the head with the butt OF a revolver,
aud Tor the next FIVE minutes was uncOn-
sclouA When cane 20 / had been dragged
CT the road into the bushes, as had the
dead body OF the guerrilla, and my
h0rss vas standing near By. The one whom
l had wounded had bis knife Ia his hand and
wanted 10 tnish ne, but the other pro-
tested ana held him OF. l was finally Or
dered % mount, ny feet made fast under
the saddle, and after going through the
woods about thirty rods we came 20 the
spot where the guerriLas had left their
horses. They mounted, struck into bride
path, and after going about three niles We
came upon tho guerrils.camp. There were
from elghty-fve 10 . hundred men, and
things looked As II they had been there
several days. They were a tough-looking
iot OF men, dressed IN a. sorts OF clothes
aud armed with al sorts OF weapons, and
gave Up a. hope as sooa as / set eyes on
them The rebel guerrillas of Virginia oc-
casiouaily spared prisoner, bat the West
ern guerriilas had 40 pity.
As soon a. it was known that had killed
one nan and wounded another they were
for killing ne az once. A dozen ways os
doing 10 were suggested, but 10 was now
growing dark, there was large mail 20 DO
opened and read. and 'Cap'n Bill or
dered that I should be tied % tree and
guarded through the night, aud added that
nv case would be disposed Of before they
moved IN the morning. was lashed 20 a
tree Ia a sitting position, guard took a
seat on a stump near BY, and thus began
the riEht The. guerriIias cooked and ato
supper, but rcfured ne both food and
driak. When protested at this treatment
tas guard was ordered % blow ny head OF
a didat shut gP.
The man sentenced % be hanged doubt
less hopes for a reprieve until tho moose Is
q aced over his neck. While I vas salts
ted that my hours were numbered, | had
nothing % hope for. Il was "a extra mail
was ridisg with. snd ny failure % appear
would not be noticed The reports Of my
revolver could not have been beard by any
% my friends, nor was the presence OF the
Euerri,ias 50 FAR as knew, even suspected
turned the matter over and over iu ny
mind. ard could not satisfy myself that I
had one chance IA hundred. How would
they XII met had seen dozen victims of
gtlerrlia vengeance, and they had either
been knitted or the ulzris Of a revolver
held Gloss % the ear % deadea the report.
In either case the suffering vas OF brief
duration. After had axured 10 ous that I
vas % die felt relieved. Indeed. there
was a feeling of eiation about 10. I was
young and robust and lifs was sweet, but I
GA not clng % 10 "a you might expect.
Tla thought Of begging them 20 spare no
nerer occurred. Could have got loose and
armed rvscf 7 should have fought to
whole crowd instead Of running away.
soon af.er midnight I fel asleep, and
fbat with considerable noise gong On
arourd me. IL was dag iCht when I avoSe,
end tie men were turning out They
cooked ana a-a breakfast. Offering me no
part. AMI knesv that every minute brought
me nearer death. 4 vas not nervous, but
was curious 90 know what method they
might ad1nt After breakfast had been
disrcscd ~ ths men gathered about me.
aad "Cap'n br said to fhe man whom I
ha6 wounded IN Che shoulder,
ICES your meat. IN course. bat the h0vs
want 20 sec scre Pm out Of &C. You KIN
crack ~ hin cT hand
The nan bal IA l-ft arm In sling is
drew heavy revolver and waixei od Gis-
tance % ffteen ra-es. and then Turned ani
le~e'e,f ca ne. Tshus r. eyes and counted
aaH rrt 20 "sevsn" when ths report csule-
Tho bullet hit -he tree. six inches soove M
hend. ard ~ fhe riEh.. and here Was gem
r-al laugh fia rnised his arm azain, AMI
ear. time 7 had counted ONLY "six' W1en t1e
r.~rrt came He maize a line shot, b1t vas
seven or eight inches tco h.gh- lae PAN 81
liza wound had gunerved him. Eae men
ia-seef ard ieered. but he shut hIs teeth
hard raised h.s arm slowly, and nov feis
tbas al vas ever I fsis che wind Of ais
h.-.t ard taen heard tho report The bal
passed ruy rigat ear By no more toan bail
an inch.
aTaass suilvr' shouted BAR DOZEN uies
ga shoras -One more SHOT aud yol q ~
the 1ur s-svef'
Ee vas fist ufinz his arm wren n -
Bee -rarrs.i. followed ~ v-'.eT, al hai
-en ~.en fsl dead arcg1d me. No "a
s.arrr vas r,aoe hy the gaerri-- -as, ana o-t
r. re band uct ever hfteen escaced- Ny
c1prro had bees vftacssed eT two of our
n who aa3 teen olit forag'ng ard -
camp haa been located seen after
at Ahe1t three hundred ~ eur m
tin',T Ters ga'eti p hrrEEat up through ihe
art N1en ir pc-Ifio1 epeuet Gre,
ert vas lsf : ffrs - ssve ne. When
c rs poured into ramp they found
- Teaty veDnded men. it vas al eya
an eFs AT teeth f0r tosth "a ths
fest ben we rode away ~ left uone
o. dad <en. and acr sus n hen got bar
81
Tse reader GsY gggs tsss aus's fse4pzs