The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-05-18

OF the day fixed Tor the execuVono Oh Sohos
Toms. who had been convicted OF the
murder Of the old farmer, Joseph Ken
dali. The down rain on the branch from
x TO the county seat had come through
without difficulty. and the up train, with
a load Of morbidly curious men who had
taken passage for the purpose OF witness
ing the hanging, was at last re-
ported as having reached the
county seat. So the road was OPEN, n
IL the snow did not drift into the cuts
there would he no need of sending out the
snow pillow.
Jonas Toms was looking through the
grating OF his cell when the whistle OF the
up train reached him, and for n half hour
he waited e~xpectantly, hope not failing
him. until the sheriff came to the cell door
and shook hands with him In silence.
.sShe did not come ?" the condemned
said despairingly.
'No She was not OH the train, but
there are two hours yet, and l have put a
deputy at the telegraph Office, with orders
to run here ut nee with any message"
.'You are very kind, sheriff." faltered
Jonas, and turned away from the grated
door.
ut wouldn't be human not to try to make
an ugly job like this as easy as posi- ble,"
muttered the sheriff, and l never was
sure Jonas was guilty, though he couldn't
prove he wasn't.
The sheriif's opinion of the case was
shared by a great many citizens OF the
county of =, and they had signed a
petition to the governor for q respite Tor
the prisoner, and a communication OF his
sentence, il the governor could not see
his way clear to grant a pardon. With
this petition Mrs. Jonas Toms had gone
to the capital to make use OF II In plead
ing for her husbands life. That morning
the prisoner had looked for her return
with definite Information concerning him
whether he was to die that day or not.
As no word had been received from her,
he was not hopeful, and he had really ex-
pected her TO come back to him only for a
final lea~ve-takinR.
Yet. when the sheriff spoke of the tcle-
graph, hope asserted itself again. and
Jonas was buoyed with imagining his de-
voted wife wrestling still with the gov
ernor. and refusing to abandon the strug-
gle for her usband until il was useless to
plead longer.
And while the condemned wa thus
catching at a straw, and his heart vas
overlooking with love and gratitude tc his
devoted. ~tireless wife, the deputy left the
telegraph office and fastened to the Jail.
The sheriff, seeing him coming ran to
meet him, but paused abruptly when he
could see clearly his subordinats's fate.
"The operator can't get "" said the
How can't get him ?" asked the sheriff,
with the impotence of a serious man with
riddles when plain words are of urgent
need.
.Can't get the operator at x to ans
wer his call the wire must be down."
The sheriff groaned and trembled as IL
shaken by a strong wind. G back" he
said. 'go back and wait. for II there's word
To come il will get here"
The sheriff spoke as IL he expected a
,....,I sa ha u,t.p.uht N laliuar him from
the awful legal duty of taking a mans
life to satisfy the vengeance OF the law,
but yet he, having once more obtained
control of his nerve, walked firmly back
to the jail, where he proceeded at once to
conclude the preparations for the solemn
act.
Meantime n crowd of men was surging
about the Jail entrance, and some boys
had climbed a tree to look over the wall at
the scaifold. The deputy in charge of the
door admitted those who had passes and
kept back the others. who nevertheless
claniorcd to he let in. Those who were
whiting the gates by permission trampled
the snow in the yard and impatiently
wished the sheriff would hurry up,''
while the other prisoners i'm their cells
were silent and curious n glad-not
glad because one who had been with them
in compulsory association was to be
hanged. but glad because their crimes
were not so henioi as his, and they all
vowed to reform lest they, too. should end
on the gallows.
But at N-th the telegraph operator was
frantic. He had called the operator al
the county seat and could not get a reply
he was in despair, and he thumped the
key. There before him lay a message
from the governor OF the state:
T THE SHERIFF 81 -CouNTf: RESPITE
of ten days granted To Jonas Toms"
The telegram was signed by the govern
or's secretary. but apparently IL wal al
useless as II it had never been written
The county seat was thirty miles distant
and there was but an hour TO get word Of
the respite to the sheriff before IL would
be forever too late.
A restless man stalked up and down thu
long platform; he seemed to be waiting
for a train. and impatient because il wa,
ator's agitation and made inquiry con
corning the cause. The operator SHOWED
him the message, and the mans face
blanched as he demanded. tremulously:
"Why don't you send it,
II can't, | say, for the wire is not work
ing"
The man paused:a moment ir~resolutely
and then said: 'Give the message to me
Seal it in any envelope will wax. ! viii
take il to the sheriff.
"On that engine" He pointed to a 10
connective that was standing on n siding
with steam up, but was not manned, thu
engineer being at home and the fireman
having made a trip to the round house.
.'Give me a switch key" the range
said. ~nervously. "and be ready with tn,
telegram when i come past the platform.
The operator gave the man the key. bu
instantly reached for il again, as he ex
claimed: The gravel train! Ii is up tn
road
Never mind. I'll scare IL ON n sidiug
You have the message ready"
Quickly the stranger ran to the switcl
and turned IL for the siding. A yard ma
noticed him, but at the distance though
him the station agent, who at the time wa
away from his office. fortinatel
for the strangers plan. The er