Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-06-21
AN ARKANSAS HANGING
One of Opie P. Reads Char
acteristic and Pathetic
Stories
An Assignment to a Reporter
That Was Filled by a
Substitute
A Novel and Peculiar Descrip-
ton of an Execution at
Buck Snort
Arkansaw Traveller

place called Buck snort 10 WIlJo u Jlc
hanging OF a negro who had been so un-
fortunate as to fall within the clutches OF
the law. After going as far as could by
rail, / hired horse and started across
the country, intending to reach Buck
Snort on the following day. Late in the
afternoon, Just after rounding bend in
the road, | suddenly came upon the resi-
dence of a typical planter. fan turkeys
strutted in the yard, and an excited
guinea hen was deeiaiming her pot rack,
pot rack" epic to an audience OF ducks
that quaeked their applause or their de-
riSlon An old man, the planter, sat on
the long gallery, with his chair tipped
back against the wall; and negro boy,
half grinning on the verge OF a nod, was
keeping the flies off him with broad
mulberry branch. 1t was, surely, laZily
inviting place. The cool morning-g glory
vines chung to strings stretched in a sort
of zig-Zag lattice work along the gallery,
and a respondent peOny, the tmpudent
hawk of flowers, tossed her disdainful
head at a modest white rose.
1 dismOunted at the gate, and, adYanc-
ing into the yard, called the old gentle
man and asked him II might get drink
of water from the well, short distance
away. 90, , .., liz
u. y
do you want with water? Come up, sun;
come up and have a seat"
81 have but moment TO stay, l an
swered, as ! stepped upon the gallery.
''That's all right. Set down there he
added, pointing to chair. John, you
son of a gun, bring a Juiep' where Is
that Internal niger? An, here he Is.
CThe boy had not left the old mans ell
bowl Fetch us julep here-fetch two,
or Pll hang yo' hide on the gate-po>t."
"You must really excuse me, pleaded.
al DON'T care to drink anything but water
and hardly have time to drink that"
water" he repeated, contemporary.
"Here you are" John had brought the
juleps. Now, drink that"
81 tell you, sir, that =
Drink 1t, or by the Lord, there'll be
trouble"
drank it.
s'Where you goin'?" the old fellow
asked, when l had swallowed the liquor
"Going over to Buck Snort to report
the hanging of a negro"
"John-where is that SOn-of-a-gun If
don't hang that rascal's black hide on
the fence, the devil never snorted. Here
YOU are. Fetch us two 1uleps here and
ing there for?"
The boy was not standing, having in
stantly taken to his heels 49,,
my dear sir" began 70 plead, II
can't drink anything more. / have an
important"
Here he is" the old man broke in, as
John re- appeared. 1t seemed TO me that
he had tub Of julep made up, and that
all he had to do was TO dip 1t out. Drink
that Confound it, sub, drink it,
drank 1t.
''Where you goin'2"
II told YOU that was going over to
Buck Snort to report the hanging OF a
negro"
"Damn the niger. John-where is
that scoundrel?'
Use right yere, sab"
"Well, It's blamed good thing, or the
first thing you know you would wonder
how yo' hide come on the fence. Fetch
us two iuleps."
81 cannot drink any more."I declared
arising II must attend to my assign
ment or | shall be discharged.
'Set down there" he exclaimed, reach
ing over and laying hands on my gar
ments." You set there now till | gel
through talkin' TO you. Powerful glad
you come along. Was Jest a-settin' here
Iookin' mp an down the road wishin' fur
somebody. Wife's gone over to O sort OF
camp-meetin'. Don't know nv wife, dc
your Wall, sub, she beats any woman
you ever saw-and shout; wy she can
out-shOut any woman you ever saw
Prides herself on Tits her strong pint.
Wy, IL she thought there was any woman
in the country that could out shout heT,
she would get up at midnight to see about
1T She nearly drives me of the place
sometimes when she's rehe'rsin'. Allus
has TO rehe'rse Jest befo' camp meetln'
A woman come Into this community from
Mississippi once, and gave II out that she
was the best shouter in the country. She
was awful fat, an hanged II she didn''
look powerful prOmsin', but my wife
want skeered at all. but set back anC
waited for the comm of the camp-meet
In Well, the time come, and at IL thoy
went. Fust one and then the other wa
on top, hgertively speakin', and nachulll
havin' pride In the matter, | was trif'
Uneasy till nv wife raised her reserve
whoop. and drlv' the pretender outen th'
neighbOrhOOd. Where In thunder is tina
boy? John, didn't / tell you TO bring wv,
juleps? Let me tell you he said, shak
ing his fore finger at the boy, by tn,
time the sun goes down yo' hide will b.
out there dryin' on the fence.
John brought the juleps. Here, drInl
this"
muttered a sort OF protestation, bu
drank the liquor.
where are you goin', anyhow"
81 told you that | was going over u
Buck Snort to write up the hanging OF
negro"
'Let 1t go, and stay here with me, for
tell you that my wife has gone over to
sort OF acampmeetin'."
Il can't let IL go. Our paper must hay
an account of the hanging, and must re
port IT,"
"Well. you stay right where you are
I'll send a niger to report IT,"
You'll do what" | exclaimed.
''Send a Niger TO report IL, tell you.
"But a negro can't report it,
"Who can't? Do you mean that Fell
can't? wy, dang yO' hide, you don
know him like do. An, you are just /
time"
The last sentence was addressed to tn
boy. who anticipating the old man, ha
appeared with two more juleps. did no
protest.
"And you say Felix can't report IN
hangin' OF common, ordinary Niger
You don't know him. Wy, when / wan
yoke OF steers broke, who breaks 'em
Felix. When | want a sheep killed, VIII
does IL? Felix. Wander he is. Com
here, Felix"
by that time didn't care whether tn
negro was hanged or not. Felix came u
10 the edge OF the gallery.
Felix"
"Yas, sab"
You know where Buck Snort is, don
you2'