The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-26
VERY NEARLY HANGED.
Texans Were Not Satisfied With His
Story About q Horse.

AoAduS W6r6 MOI SaLlHn6Q Win his
Story About a Horse.
Frors the New York Recorder.
turned my face homeward from APP
pomattox half wishing that the ball which
had torn through my thigh at Gettysburg
had penetrated my heart instead. walked
TO my home in Orange county, North Caro-
lima. and found 1t in ruins. The blight and
ruin which prevailed around the place were
so heartrending that it required but short
time TO arrive at determination to sell the
land for whatever It would bring and move
to Texas and begin life anew
A straggler OF Sherman's army paid me
$500 for 1t, part of which / invested In q
horse and saddle, and on June ], 1865, l
commenced the long journey. The "Trip was
long and weary one, the desolation along
my path showing full we'll how great was
the disaster that had overtaken the south.
On the third day of the following Sep
TENDER crossed Red river near Clarksville
and landed on Texas sail. / pursued my
journey TO the southwest, and three DAYS
later arrived at Mckinney, at which
place my horse fell sick and died. In look
ing around for another horse | met 'Cuss-
ing" Tom Kingsley, a ranchman of con
siderable fame, and he sold me sorrel pony
Tor $50, remarking as l took possession that
the beast had been lost for two weeks and
was found the same morning about a mile
from home
Kingsley was al agreeable fellow, barring
his profanity, and learning that was going
to Dallas asked me to wait until the follow
ing morning and he would accompany me.
| preferred to make the trip at night while
V was cool, and after ride of seven hours
reached Dallas shortly after midnight.
L slept the remaining hours of the night
at tavern kept by a grotesque individual
known as Roman Nose" John lewis Next
Il kzA s.krx
drink OF Texas whisky. There was a
crowd OF frontiersmen in the place who eyed
me closely as ! went in At the bar a
greasy fellow addressed me as follows:
"Pardner, my name is Cooper Mott and
nothing but straight 'lioker' goes here.
Come on, boya"
And the boys came on and drank So
worth Of Cooper Motifs flicker" for which
l paid.
Shortly afterward man appeared at the
door and shouted: "Here. Jim Steere, Jack
Zurn. Barney Pagan, you fellers come out
here. By =, here's Tom Kingsley's boss"
The crowd rushed out, leaving me inside,
but they returned soon, bringing many
others with them. Then the man named
Steere walked up to me and said:
Stranger, you've rid Tom Kingsley's
boss into town and I'm sorry for ye. We
mout put up with a seasonable KILN now
and then, but this thing OF stealing HOSES
has got TO be stopped in this country"
With this the mon grasped me, tied my
hands and started of with me. In vain did
protest that had bought the horse from
Kingsley. One Of the men said be had
been hunting the horse for two weeks and
he knew IL had been stolen.
Arrived at grove a rope was produced
and moose made, which was soon around
my neck.
my God, boys" said. ''surely you are
not going to hang mean innocent mani"
Young Teller" said Steere. ''ye'd better
say your prayers If ye've got any interest
In the other world. and when ye git thar
ye'd better quit stealin' hosses."
Gentlemen" / appealed to them, "I can
prove that the horse is mine if you will only
give me a chance"
$50 to -w the mob roared In reply.
20, Godp cried in my desperation,
twas l spared an honorable death for my
country to be murdered like dog by these
misguided ruff1ans, who think am ahorse
thief.
Words were of no avail The mob had
adjusted the rope and then they pulled.
Q, the horror of that nomenti
As my feet left the ground and the rope
ttgntened about my neck, felt my eyes
serainirg In their very sockets. MY chest
heaved In a spasm Of agony. but could get
not a breath OF air. Then came q vigorous
jerking In my legs followed by convuisions
in every portion of my body. Vision re-
oeded, and as consciousness faded heard
shot. seemed to fall to the ground, and
with that knew no more.
Three hours later / came to life again. |
Yves In my room at "Roman Nose" Lewis
tavern, and my late exeoutioners were
around me.
Was 1t dreams
ut was close call, pard, one of them
said, and then one told me the story:
just about the time we thought you had
croaked Tom KingSley came ridin' like hell
and yelling like Comanche. He pulled his
gun, sir, and cut that rope clean In two at
the first shot. He told us you'd bought the
horse from him, aud then we picked you up
and tried TO bring you back again"
Kingsley was present He had reached
Dallas just in time to hear about the neck
tie party and lost no time in coming TO my
rescue. He came not too soon. Two sec
onds later and this story would never have
been spread before human eyes for reading.
A quarter of century has passed since
that fateful hour. Many of the members
of the mob ere among my best friends, and
the plesauter associations of these latter
days give golden lining to the horrible
recollections OF an event which viii never
be forgotten by those who participated In
1t, aud certainly not by him who was
hanged for horse thief.
Thorn avilIe Toy,Ice.