Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-10-09
HIS HEAD IN A HALTER,
BUT THE MOOSE NEVER TIGHT
ENED ROUND THE THROAT.

In a cafe in this city the other evening.
The waiter had just brought him a sample
of W~ashington's favorite drink, a "rickey."
Before he had taken a sip of it another,
who had just entered the cafe, walked over
to him, and extending his hand said:
How do you do, major? I haven't seen
you for a long time"
The man addressed as major, who, by the
way, is Major McMichael, of the war de-
partment, looked at the newcomer doubt
fully and said politely:
II fear, sir, that you have the advantage
of me-"
swell, major, the first time you ever saw
me was at one end of a rope and you at
the other. Now do you recall me?"
by all that's holy" cried the major, ex-
cltedly seizing the other by the hand, eff it
isn't Blank"
YES, it is Blank, sure enough-the man
whose life you saved that night"
The two men shook hands heartily, and
after a few minutes excited conversation
passed through the swinging doors into a
rear room.
Later, Major McMichael yielded to the
requests of some friends and told a curious
story. In fact he yielded up a first class
novel in less than a column.
THE MAJOR III A STORY.
1T occurred a year or SO before l came
here" promised the major. 81 was engaged
in cotton planting near Vicksburg. There
were a number of plantations about beside
mine, and in the neighborhood was the
usual store, which made a practice of adj
Vanclng goods, provisions and money on
crops. Among those who were engaged in
planting in the ~neighborhood was Mr..
Blank, who just renewed his acquaintance
with me. He was a northern man who had
married a girl of a good family in the
neighborhood. The proprietor of the gen.
eral store had made advances to Blank on
his crop, but the crop had failed"
"One day Blank went over and shot the
storekeeper, killing him. He was arrested
and lodged in Jail. The next day a party
of ~Vicksburgers came over to my house
and asked me to join them in lynching
Blank. | demurred, saying that before I
went into ar affair of that kind l wanted
to know just what the man had been
guilty of. They then told me the story of
the killing, saying that Blank had killed
the storekeeper simply because he had re-
fused to advance him on this years crop,
he having failed to settle for the last years
advances, and that it was a cold blooded
murder, for which he should hang. con-
sented to accompany the party.
That night we went to Jail, where we
secured possession of our victim without
difficulty. We took him to a railroad
bridge. There we fastened one end of q
rope about his neck and the other to a
bridge beam, intending to throw him off
and let him strangle to death. When all
the preliminaries were arranged one of our
own party suggested that the unfortunate
man be given an opportunity to pray. He
then spoke for the first time. He was the
most remarkably cool man I ever saw,
Notwithstanding his desperate situation
he was as cool as though he were in a de-
batting society instead of the principal in
an impending tragedy.
THE VICTIMS STATEMENT.
"'Gentlemen,' he said, and there was not
a quaver in his voice, gentlemen, before I
pray l would like to make a statement tell
ing you how 1 came to kill that man.
"You can make a statement if it is not
a long one,' replied our leader.
ut will not be long, he answered US.
Gentlemen, I did kill that old Shylock. It
is true that was in his debt for last years
advances. 1t is true that | went to him
for advances on this years crops, because l
believed that 1 could make more than
enough to pay me out both years. 1t is
true that he refused me. I then went home
and told my wife that we had better pack
up and go back north, as we could do moth
ing here without advances and the store
keeper had refused to make any. She dis
liked the idea of moving away from her
childhood acme and suggested that she
would go to see the storekeeper herself:
that he had known her all his life and she
wO116 malfQ q narcnno1 oprool tn b;,o T
consented to her going, under the circum-
stances, hoping she might succeed where l
had failed. She went, she saw him, and
made her pitiful plea.
my God, gentlemen, what do you think
that wretched old Shylock did? He said
he would make the advances provided my
wife would surrender her honor to him.
She spurned his degrading proposition
and returned home in tears. l demanded
their cause. She reluctantly told me.
My first impulse was to take my gun and
go and kill the scoundrel. But persuaded
by her entreaties | gave over the thought
n slept upon the insult. The next day
brought a letter from the villain in which
he repeated his proposition. l hesitated
no longer, but took my gun and vent over
to his store and shot him dead.'
SAVED FROM THE GALLONS.
"'You don't hang this night l shouted,
throwing the rope from off his neck.
"'Have you got that ~letter?' inquired q
dozen eager voices.
"'1t is at my house, was the calm reply.
"'We will 20 to your house with you'll
said, and if you can produce that letter,
and it is genuine, you don't hang at ALL
swell, we went to his house with him.
He produced the letter. 1t was examined
and pronounced probably genuine. 1t was
determined to compare it the next day
with u letter known to be genuine. In the
meantime Blank was informed that it
would be necessary to return him to Jail
while we conducted the examination. We
assured him that as soon as we became alb
solutely convinced of the truth of his story
we would 60 in a body to the judge and
arrange to bail him out. A comparison of
the letter with others known to be written
by the dead man convinced us of the genu-
ineness of the one Blank had.
1--WE then got him out on bail and he was
never even indicted for the killing. 1t was