The Progress. [volume] (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-04
THE SENATOR'S STORY.
A Hasty Speech for
Dearly Paid.

Well" said, the Senator, as he selected
a fresh cigar and reached over for a match,
you may not think it, but came mighty
near being hung once.' 4
The whole party stared Any one less
likely to be accused Of serious crime than
our host-a distinguished lawyer and State
Senator of Callfornla-lt would have been
hard to imagine.
g How was that9' I asked.
'.NVhen was a young chap got my
sheepskin from Dartmouth and as l had
few dollars, I made my way out to this
State. mined for awhile, and then went
to Sacramento, where hung out my
Single and waited for business. It was
literally single, too, painted by myself.
soon after met a girl, Polly Sinclair the
daughter Of Robert Sinclair, builder.
There were not so many girls there then,
and Polly had plenty Of fellows after her.
But somehow she took shine to me, poor
as was, and l was as much in love with
her as a man could be. Her people did not
like me- though, and naturally enough, too,
for was only poor, struggling lawyer,
and they thought Polly could do better
Her brother was specially against me. Poor
Bob, perhaps was to blame most in the
matter. Anyway, Polly and I had found
out that we cared for each other, and one
night, when we were walking together, we
met Bob lie began by calling me all the
names he could think Of, and my temper
being none OF the best,I got mad.
Polly kept begging me not to quarrel,
and at last turned away, leaving her with
him. AS left said to him that we would
meet again, when I would make him ex-
PLAIN his words.
81 I ,-gsa -as# - !
$ was so excited that could not go
home, and | walked along the road for,
should think, five miles from the town.
Then I turned and walked back, went to
my room, and, being tired out, went to
sleep.
In the morning was walked up by the
sheriff, and arrested for numbering Bob.
The poor fellow had been found in the
street with his head crushed in by blow
FROM behind, and every thing he had with
him taken. There were a dozen witnesses
to what had said to him and to the quarrel
No one had seen me during the ev ching my
boarding house keeper had not seen me
come in, and altogether things looked
rather black for me. The only thing in my
favor, and that was little enough was that
there was nothing Of poor Bob's found in
my possession.
q Well, | was locked up in the old Jail,
and to tell you the truth, didn't see my
way out Of the trouble.s Every one in town
believed me to be guilty, and there was
some talk about lynching me out Of hand
When say every one, I must make an ex-
ception. Polly, bless her, believed in me
still, although her father was one of the
bitterest, naturally enough
= had been in Jail about ten days, when
one day the door of my cell opened, and
Polly came il. How she managed to per-
suade Sheriff Hughes to let her see me, / do
not know, but she did somehow
s. am not going to tell you what sortof a
meeting that was; could not if I would.
OF course, II told her was innocent of poor
Bob's death. and she sobbed out her belief
in me az held her in my arms. At last she
whispered her plan to me. / was to escape,
and the dear girl showed a file into my
pocket as she talked.
No one, she said, in Stockton would
ever believe that was innocent; and if I
did not run away would be hung AS for
herself, she would try to prove my inno-
scence, and if she succeeded we would be
married. # not, then she would never
marry any one else. Naturally, 1 said I
would stand my trial, as i was innocent;
hut when Polly pressed me as to how was
to prove this, / did not know. She talked
and begged, and at last consented. So, as
Sheriff Hughes came back, she had to leave
me-
dit not like the job, but Still worked
aWay with the file, and as the bars were
pretty poor stuff, i got one Of them out. I
craWled through and reached the street,
and then made my way along it towards the
edge of In, town. I was to strike out across
the plains. hiding in the y-time and trav-
cling al NIGHTS only. q reached the open
count ~. and inst about dayli ght lay down