The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-07-24
He Thought OF Hammer; and Killed q
Robber.


reached Grizzly Slide. 1t was San
Francisco broker, escorted by four men.
He had bags of gold coin with him, and
he took up our nuggets and dust, and
paid us in yellow boys. I suppose he
made pretty good thing of it, but as it
vas great accommodation to US, we had
no complaint to make, relates writer in
the New York Sun. Only two or three
days previously, one of our men, known
to US as Peaceful Sam, had made find
of humping big nugget, and this, add
ed to his wash, gave him over $4,000 in
handsome coin. He was man of forty.
FIVE, humble and peace loving, and he
had wife back in Illinois. He had
never said anything about going home,
although he WAS waiting, ike the rest of
us, for luck, but no sooner was the coin
passed over to him than his bones ached
to take the road for home. He must go
over to Johnson's camp, a distance of
sixteen miles, alone, and from there go
down the valley by stage line. The
chances were that he would be held up
at the trail, and we argued and coaxed
him to stay. Next morning, however,
he was off, having 5000 in his pocket,
and the rest of bis money in bis blanket
on his back. He never carried weapon
of any sort, and he started on this trip
without one. We never expected to see
him again, but he was back at night, aud
had story to tell. He had got about
three miles from camp when q stranger
Joined him, coming in on the Deep River
trail. Peaceful Sam was no chicken, and
he wasn't long in sizing the stranger up
as bad
"Bound for Johnson's 2" asked the
man, as they walked along.
"For Johnson's and homer"
"Made your pile and going back to the
old woman, eh?"
"Made $500, and have concluded to
light out while it lasts. Hammer has
been writing for me to come, and if I
can even lay $l20 in her lap it will be
more'n she ever saw before. Lands but
when I think of home and Hanner I
can't walk fast 'nuf.
The stranger didn't show his hand
until afternoon. Then, when they reach.
ed particularly lonesome place, he
suddenly halted, pulled gun, and said /:
"Give me them $500 or I'll fill you
with lead W
"What! Gwine to rob mel" replied
Peaceful, looking as innocent as an old
cat.
"Come down p
"But think o. Hannah! She's been
waitin and waitin', and now if you take
my money may never see her.
"-Hannah Shell out, or I'll pop
you /"
"Hain't you no soul?"
"Nary SOUL"
s'And I've got to shell out?"
"You have"
Peaceful passed him out the $500 and
then sat down on stone and pretended
to cry. The stranger counted the coins,
dropped them into his pocket and started
of, saying:
"You sot right there for on hour, and
then take any road you want to. If you
follow me Til pop you"
He was no sooner around the bend
than Peaceful began scrabling up the
mountain side. BY making short cut
he struck the trail again, and was just in
time to heave rock, which struck the
strangers head and killed him stone dead
on the trail then Peaceful descended
took $3.50 off the body, and started back
for our camp. Next morning half q doz.
en- of us went to the spot with him and
there lay the body. When we asked
Peaceful why he had owned up to hev-
ing $500 with him, he replied:
claw, me ! but if I hadn't he'd have
suspected I had q heap more and shot me
without warning. That's what calker-
lated on when put that sum in my
pocket"
"But what possessed you to follow on
and kill him You never even struck a
man in all your life.
81 dunno, gentlemen-I dunno" be
pleaded, his lips trembling and his chin
quivering with emotion. II just remem-
ber that I thought of Hammer, and how
them $500 would put new shingles on the
old barn, and buy rag carpets for all
over the house, and fust thing I knew be
was lying dead. Lemme git alone and
wrassle with the Lord, and see if He
won't kinder excuse it on Hammers &C.
cOun "