The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-08-06

snakes neck he secured the other TO a
stout pole, and going II few feet ava
used it as he would n fishing-canc,
gently lifting the loathsomc length of
shiny folds from their grasp. 1t was
quickly lowered to the ground and
dragged to the old oak tree, where,
with more or less difficulty. it was
strung up, head DOWN.. Y. World.
HANGING ELDER BROWN.
The Miners Were Accommodating, but
They Disliked to Hurry.
We simply had to hang him or 90
back on law and custom and lose all
our dignity as q mining camp. The
elder wasn't a bad man by any means.
He'd been n real church elder in Indi-
ana, and he'd have probably been there
yet If the preacher hadn't eloped with
Mrs. Brown and sort o broke him up.
He used to pretend he didn't care two
cents about it, but we knew he did.
Fact is, nc mans wife can slide u and
leave the supper dishes unwashed and
the children crying to be spanked and
put to bed without being missed. The
elder didn't go back on religion on ac-
count of the mishap, but he was down
on preachers like n ton of brick. If he
could nave been turned loose with n
hundred of them he'd have considered
it n failure if one got away alive.
He'd bcen with us at Strawberry Hill
owe six months when he did the kill
ing. One day he heard that a preacher
was down at Tomahawk Point, and he
went down to be the death of him. The
preacher had gone the day before, and
the lderc came back all broke up and
out of sorts. A miner named Dan Pep
pers flung out something mean, and the
elder lost control of himself, and hit
him with IA pickax handle and killed
him on the spot. There wasn't any
need of a trial. A dozen men saw the
killing, and the elder himself ex-
planned:
Pm guilty, of course, and thar's nc
need of you wastin' time in foolin'
around. 1 know the law, and expect
you'll enforce it."
Eyes, we've got to hang you, Of
course" said Judge Bebee, who was
the boss of our diggings in the matter
of law and order, but thar's no great
rush about it. Let's see. To-day is
Tuesday. How would you like to be
hung along about Friday or Saturday,
elder? Fridays the regular hanging
day, but we kin jest as well wait til
Saturday afternoon. 1 never did be
lieve in rushin' such things"
81 don't see no object in waitin'," re
piled the elder, as he put his coffeepot
on the fire in front of his shanty. "As
long as I've got to hang I might as vel
go ter-morrer. 1 don't live to hey
things on my mind to worry over"
81 know, elder-I know just how YOU
feel" continued the judge, IAN yit we
amt rushed. We don't want to string
you up like one would drive a hog outel
the garden. If you kin git ready by
Saturday thatll do for u.s."
The elder growled about the delay
but finally agreed upon the day, and two
men were detailed to guard him in hi:
shanty. He kept his patience fairly
well until Thursday. morning, whe HI
sent for the judge and said:
Look here, Judge, l don't want to b.
low-lived, but l amt goin' to stand thil
any longer. want to be hanged thi.
afternoon"
"Why, bless you, we agreed On Satur
day"
81 know it; but l amt takin' a bit o
comfort over this Bein' as Pm the ont
to be hung, ! think / orter hev my SAL
about It,"
Eyes, it does appear kinder hat way
I'll blow the horn and get the boys NJ
and See what they say"
We were all called in and the cas-
stated, and u vote was taken as T.
whether we should knock off work u
oblige the elder. The motion was car
ried by nine majority, and the judge re
turned to the shanty to say:
elder, it gives me unalloyed pleas
ure to inform you that you arc to b.
hung this afternoon at . o'clock"
"ThanksI" replied the elder. sou
boys are always n leetle slow. Git zen
around on time if you kim"
"rn do my purtiest, elder, and nov
you'd better prepar' fur your journey
You're goin' over the divide, and you'll
never return"
At exactly 2 o'clock the elder wa
standing on the head of u pork barre
under a tree while a rope was made fas
to q limb above his head.
ELDER" said the judge, after seeing
everything in order, "the boys are ex
pecting a speech from you on this au
spicious occasion"
I've got nothin' to say" he replied
"Dog-gone my buttons, but Pm gla
Pm goin'"
"Don't be in no rush, elder; lots c
time to turf around in. If you want I
talk we'll give you IN hour o. two
It'll break the afternoon for us, any
how, yon know"
Ppm no talker. Go ahead with you
hapgin'p
"Wall elder, it's only material you
be a leetle outer sorts under the sal
cumstances, and we won't keep you an
longer. Good-by to youF'
There was a rope fast to the barre
A dozen men pulled ON it, and the eide
was swung off. He died very easy, an
that evening after the burial Judge Be
bee observed:
81 don't want to seem capshus an
over p~ertickler, but it does appear I
me that after the way we humored ths
elder he orter hev spread hisself on
speech. It's the last time I'll put my
self out to hang a man two days ahea
of timer'-N. Y. Sun.