The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-11
AN AssAssIN,s DOOM
Remarkable Sequel to q Cowardly
Crime in a Frontier Town.

A strange story was once told TO me by an
/ old newspaper man. says writer In the
Kansas City Star. He has since died. and.
/ as the name Of the town in which the mys>
ferrous thing happened has entirely escaped
me, the chances are that his story will ever
remain question Of doubt unless this should
happen TO catch the eye OF some one who
knew of the remarkable occurrence at the
time and who will be able to verify the story.
1t is unfortunate for the interest Of science
that 50 strange and uncanny an event should
have been allowed to fade into obscurity, or
at least into tradition.
Twenty years before he told me the
story-and he told it to me in 1885 my
friend, then young man, was the editor
and proprietor OF a weekly newspaper in
little western town. 1t strikes me that it
was somewhere in Missouri, tut of that /
am not sure. icarefully made a note of the
name of the town and of the names of the
actors In this most strange tragedy, but a
| d1llgent search through my scraps of old
papers fails to and it. Likely it has disap-
peared IN that mysterious wav that marks
things we want badly, but always can't find,
Inc town was young and wild, and deeds
OF violence were by no means rare. A
| vigilance committee strove in vain to con-
troll the desperate element which infested
SuO sStOiOihcLJs Oub 0tCQ lyDC0lng seemed TO
| De followed by outrages more bloody than
| before. Two desperate men-each had fed
| from the east to escape punishment for
crime committed there, murder, it was
said-one night fell out over a game of
| cards, aud each swore to kill the other on
| sight. But one was a coward, aud, going
to the others lonely cabin late at night.
strangled him to death as he lay in bed. He
threw himself upon his victim while the
latter was asleep, and, pinioning his arms
TO the bed with his strong legs, choked him
to death. Next day the murder was dis
covered.
The murderer had fled, but he was pur-
sued, captured and brought back. He knew
that he need expect no mercy-that there
was absolutely no chance of his escaping
q speedy death-aud he confessed ALL He
described infinitely how he had stolen into
the victims cabin, how be had thrown him
self upon the sleeping MAJ, and how he had
throttled him to death. The murderer was
thrown int the rude Jail of the town, and
the vigilance committee met and decided
that he sho aid be taken from the Jail at IL
O'Clock sharp that night and hanged with
out delay.
The Jail was built of logs, and was secure
enough for all practical purposes. The
walls were strong and the roof heavy, and
nothing less than an armed force could have
gained an entrance by violence. No violence
was OfOA obUCL1pJcu, uON0V6E, LOT the Vlgl-
lance committee had only to make known
It's wishes to the jailer to obtain any prison
er OF whom they desired to make an exam
pie. The Jail was divided into two rooms
the smalle. the jailer occupied, the other
was the prison proper. I he prison was, in
turn, divided into three cells, with a corri-
dor. Each OF these cells was q strong Sc
cure apartment, with no window. A door
opened into each from the corridor.
Each door was amply provided with LOCKS
and bars, and the main door of the prison
was also supplied with locks and bars.
There was no p ssible way for one to get
into either the prison corridor from the out
side, or, once inside, to get into any of the
cells without entering through the doors.
There was but one set OF keys, and they
were never out of the possession CT the
Jaller. This functionary was a staid,
solemn-faced man, but who withal was as
brave as lion, as many a desperate and
rebellious prisoner knew to his cost.
1t happened at when the murder with
which this story deals, was committed, the
jail was without a prisoner, so that when
the prisoner was locked up he was solitary
in his misery. The jailer, fearful that the
wretch would attempt his own life if given
the freedom OF the corridor, LACKED t H!nn ut
every article of furniture save the smooth
pine board which, firmly at
tached to the wall, served as
bench. As further precaution,
the prisoner was stripped of all his belong
ings except his shirt and pantaloons, SO that
there was not the slightest possibility of his
being able to defeat the aims Of the vigil
lance committee. AS was his custom, the
jailer locked and bolted each of the cell
DOORS and also the main doors Of the prison.
upon retiring to his own apartment to
begin the weary waiting for twelve O'clock
and the vigilantes.
The clock on the wall was striking 10
when the jailor was awakened by pierre
ing shrek from the prison Selling his Ian
tern, he hastily unbarred and unlocked the
door, and proceeded to the murderer's cell.
A half-minutes work with the locks and
bars there, and the doors swung open. The
CLEAN of the lantern disclosed the doomed
man groveling on the log flo)r. He seemed
to be In abject fear. His eyes blazed with
terror, and he trembled like leaf in the
wind.
"What was itg What was it" he gasped.
''It touched mel 1t touched me, and it was
coldl Look! Look for it,"
The jaller swept the whole of the little
room with the rays of his lantern light.
The cell was tenantless save for the grovel-
ing wretch on the floor.
perhaps it was a rat" reassuringly sug-
gested the jailer.
mo! No, it wasn'tp Historically pro-
tested the murderer. at was a hand. and
it was cold, and it touched my face all
overn
There's nothing here" said the jailer.
"You only imagine it. Go to sleep, and
you'll be all right"
With that he locked and barred the door
and left the poor wretch to his fears and his
misery.
At II o'clock my friend, the editor, ar
rived and was talking with the jailer about
the approaching work of the vigilantes
when they were startled by a terrifying cry
| from the prison. 1t was shriller. louder,
more agonizing than the first. The jailer
had in the meantime told the editor of the
singular occurrence of an hour before.
Fastening to the murderer's cell they found
the prisoner crouched in corner. his arm
before his face as if to repel some unseen
enemy.
sit came again." he whispered huskily.
SIT felt my throat with its cold hand. It's
here now, / can feel 1t in the arr"
The jailer was by this time exasperated.
''There's nothing here" he said, as he
illuminated in turn every corner Of the
cell. Its nothing but your cursed imagi-
ma ion. Now go to sleep and be quiet"
Leaving the condemned wretch staring
longingly after the light, stretched on his
board couch, the jailer and the editor pro-
ceeded to tle jailer's room.
The occurrences of the next hour in the
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