Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-03-01


ceased as all tried to catch the verdict
from the judges lips, who announced:
Gentlemen, the jury have decided the
criminal guilty Of theft; but II he will
tell whore no has hidden the dust the
jury agree to lot him of by ''kissing the
whipping-post." II he will not confess,
he must hang
"For q moment there was o deep
silence, and then came the conviction
that my only chance for dear life was
in delaying the proceedings, in hopes
some Of my friends might arrive in time
to interfere for me. had but faint
hopes Of 1t, for at the time was not
aware of the action taken by Mr.. knight.
~ spoke in slow, measured words to
the Judge and jury; urged my right to
be heard, taking 1t for granted that /
was to speak in my own defense. !
talked as never had talked before, and
don't know how long / should have
kept on If had not been interrupted by
q puny, pale-faced, insignificant mean
looking pup, who cried out: That's
enough-we don't want to hear any more
bosh. String him up, boys; his times
come
AIN few moments they had my arms
tied behind me, and l was led under
small pine tree; q rope was thrown over
one of its broken, dilapidated branches;
the slip-noose was made in o bungling
fashion, and slipped over my head and
around my neck. The judge gave me
half an hour to live, to consider over
matters, and said: 4 could then hang
with my eyes wide open and see myself
de-
"As the Judge left me with the crowd
in circle about me ! noticed the mule
riders arrive, hitch their animals, then
come toward the pine tree. l recognized
their faces as those of my friends.
Hope now sprang into my heart. /
saw that one and all had stern looks
and that they were armed. They were
so few in the midst of the many dared
not appeal for help; but as Dick Folger,
with his big body, paced toward me, /
heard him say, as II speaking to the
crowd: We have come to see justice
done BY his eye knew he meant it for
me to hear and to encourage me. Soon
more friends began to arrive on foot.
and saw Dick talked with the Nevada
fellers as they came up, and they all
seemed to act in concert with each 9th
er, assuming positions in squads.
1.-THE Judge and witnesses together
with the jury, again entered the circle,
and gave me 10 understand: The times
up As soon as they had pronounced
the words there was stir in the vicin-
ity; the next moment, before / was
aware OF what was going on, Dick had
slipped the moose of my neck, loosens9
the bonds that tied me, and / was free
man. The Nevada boys and few 9TH
ers formed about me as protection, and
at the same time surrounded Judge and
accusers.
"Dick then explained to the outsiders
who was, and demanded o new and
fair trial. The end of it was that when
the sleepy witness was searched nothing
could be found on his person, but, un-
luckily for him, as he was putting on
his sailor jacket one OF the boys saw
loose string hanging down from his
sleeve. For joke, or from some sud-
den idea, he pulled 1t, when forth came
an empty buckskin purse. When this
was shown to the storekeeper he identi-
fed it at once as one of his stolen ones;
he knew it by the initials inside. The
sleepy man now turned pale and would
have sneaked away had he not been pre-
vented. A search under the bench in
front of tho seat brought forth the
missing gold dust, wrapped up in q
handkerchief. Afull confession was ex-
tracted, and when left the place he
was swinging and turning around with
the twisting of the rope; life TAI fed.
"The jury who had convicted me were
unanimously voted to be cobbed over
barrel, but the sentence was never car
ried out, as they paid heavy forfeit in
treating the crowd. The. storekeeper
had to make good my losses, and in the
end got back safely to camp. My COM
rades arrived too late to see me
hanged and saved by miracle as
they always put it. With my excite
ment forgot to bring them the prom
Used 1asses candy."-C. Ward, in Over