Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-06-16
A TIN CUP VERDICT.


-I4.a A. FlstcLsr In Gc.i IIoa.skespins.
A TIN CUP VERDICT.
The sun was low toward the western
p.aks when Old Jones and his nephew
halted their teams Tor the night. Old
Jones anil bis relative were frrighters
and the crack % their long. shot filled
mule whips and the crcak % their heavy
wagons had b.cn heard In half % the
CAMPS u Colorado.
The four wagons tonight were SWUNG
into tho segment % . circle. and the
mules were hobblc,i and cast loose frum
th. STRAPS In which. through tho day,
they pnllci. AZ thi. relief thee CRATE
ful slaves stool about and stte.tei their
Joy In the loud cries peculiar 10 their
kind. hut which Arc - unfortunate In
their lack 81 harmony. To stop this
racket the nephew went about givins
them their yc-lcr feed. This he placed
In morrcl.. or no.. bag-, which ho hung
to their hungry heads old Jones built
q fire and began the compilation % an
intricate bat ssyory dish known to tho-s
happy on-- who have the recipe n
"fr'ighicr'- stew"
super over. the two frclghters AT
about In the lurking shadows made by
the FIRE. blink and glimner. smoking
their pip-S All NJ once there was a
CONJUNCTION In the hand of mules. Thoee
patient folk who hal scrambled and
pullel al day over y rough mountain
trail with wagons loaded on the princi.
ple % ..oo pounds % u mule. and who
now. In the prOprietics % mule life,
should h. at peacs and ~, with the
world. were charging about and snort
ing In very alarming way.
"lnjunsT aid Old Jones. showing
back into the gloom. "injuns, for a
thousand dollsrsi There ant no animal
on earth. bar Injuns, ever makes mulos
take on that a.way.-
The nephew thought - too. old
Jones and ths nephew did not fear an
attack. There were no Indians about
that were MT ds~crib-l ~ friendly.
But what they did fear was that the
mule. might b. stanp-lei. StamI-l.
Ing stock l. a grrat aboriginal industry.
The Indian will stampede your cattle or
mule anil then claim one dollar h.ad
for hnding them for You. Thus DO thee
wis. sous % nature al their Golfers Ani
exact rvyenue from tho~. who crns
their lands
Jones nephew took . Winchester frUm
the wagon anil b.-gan to work his eau
lious. silent way toward thu mules.
Tho-a last wrrc siill snorting aud shy.
ing q. N prey to wild alarm. Tn.
nephew disappeared In the darkness
ola Jonss plao,si his hand over his pipe
bowl - L. fiery eye could not h. s--n
AMI p.,rri after him inio the gloom.
hang Bang! Bang IL was the
Winchester sI-Aking u told the Indian
policy u the borler-and . very suiii.
cicni gUcl policy II istco. old Jones,
1t the sound. heavei a sigh, but never
moved After little the nephew came
In to the hrc. IIc seemed alert, hopeful
,nd uurlentins as 10 the Winchester
Indian policy.
"Did you stretch on.r' aid old Jones.
II think mo., likely did said the
nephew In sAnguins way. I'VE can
tell Ia the mOrnin' shore"
Tho mules wcrc now quiet. Firearms
hai no tsrrurs for them. They could
,tand the olor % gunpow,ler. but u In.
iians-bah, 40 mule u taste could
stand II fUr second. After another
half hour Old Jones and his nephew
kicked oui the cinlcrs of their fire and
vent to sleep
Old Jones and his nephew hal visitors
IN the morning The whole Ute tribe
lnd their agent came down 90 the freight
ers' camp. The members of the Jones
family at once seized their Winchester,
anil alacrously prepared for war. The
Utss ran about. jumping and yelling and
demanding yengranco. Old Jones and
hi. nephew stood dlent AMI grim behind
their wagon and .howci their iron teeth.
The agent insisted on pcaoe. Would
IN. Jone. who had killed the Ute ths
night bsfor. give himself up He would
b. guaranteed from harm, but the Uto-
insisted on his arrest Thsy-the In
would attack the wagons II ths
criminal. did not surrender" ~ spoke
the acrnt-a nervous little incompetent
n many an Indian agent IL.
Give up nothin'." said Old Jones de
r.iy,ly. "You tall them Utss n they
want anything round here TO waltz IN
anil gct H. -,
The Ute howlei and danced still
harder AMI higher at this, and the agent
talked more earnestly than sver. lie
threatened the Joneses with th~ powei
n the guy,rnmsnt This was too much
| They would fight the whole Ute trib-
but they were afraid of Uncle sam
| After a brief parlsy th. nephew stepisd
out and gave himself up to the agent
lie would have displayed more sense u
be hal remained behind his wagon and
| liei in the smOks % his Winchester.
The agent. the nephew and the Ut'
| lid not 20 a mile toward the agency bs
for, the Indians took the nephew. and
tyng him 20 pine tree spent se'era
| bli..ful hour In torturing him to death
| The agent was powerlcss 10 Interfere.
Jones. the elder. found the truth tn
evening OF the same day. lie turned
little pale under the thirty years OF tai
which Drowned his face. but ssid moth
ing. Az we'll ~ he could he hitched ri
ais team. anil went ahead. His cours
vas slow. Where the going was eas.
The nephews tean-eight mules-coul'
follow the Others and got along all night
Where II was rough Old Jones halie'
hem. and, after driving his own team
J,er. came back for them.
Two months Later the oil man unload
A his freight at camp In the Gunniso'
country. He told the story OF HI
nephew's death and charged u TO tn
agent The populsce agreed with hin
TO man. Old Jonss insisted the ascn
should likewise suffer death Publ
sentiment rushed 20 the sAme conclusion
Every man In the lineup district wh
heard Of the matter at once sdvisss
Jones 10 40 back and kill the miserAbl
agent, OF, II that sch~ms did not suit,
hire some one who would Never va
public sentiment 70 uniform In mats
before. Il was beautiful.
.Hire some one % 40 back. Kill th