The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-11-26
FRONTIER JUSTICE.

Fiddlers was excited, not that there
was anything extraordinary in that, for
the Flat was IN q normal condition Of e.
element over one thing or another every
hour in the day and vented ii il maca
drinking. loud talking and fighting, but
on this particular occasion the excite
ment was Of a unique order, that in its
still intensity chilled and silenced the
mob Of men that crowded in and close
about the doors Of the Mary's Eyes
saloon and gambling house, the pro-
prietor of which. Velvet Jack. was at
that mel being tried for his life be-
fore that most terrible Of earthly courts,
Judge Lynch.
1t was not the first killing at the Flat.
This shooting scrape was only one Of
dozens of others during the five months
of Fiddlers' existence. but the victim
was a peculiarly inofTensiye creature
known as Mud" to the camp. He had
no other name that they knew Of. and
had earned his sobriluet hy his unfaiI-
ing i'll luck at the gaming tables. and
his equally unfailing remark as he roso
penniless from his bout with the tiger
"Waal, my names mud again." but on
this particular occasion Mud's luck had
run his way, and he had sat hour after
hour at the little oblong faro table since
the night before. and woa with unfail-
ing regularity through every deal.
Velvet himself had the shift at deal
when Mud had Won the last ounce in
the bank roll" and as the lucky playe.
rose from his seat opposite him. the
gambler had without a word shot him
through the heart. The cold fendish-
ness of the act was too much for the
nerves even of Fiddlers. and the camp
rose to a man and cried aloud for ven
geance. They were waiting low for
the sentence. Long Smith was the
judge. He occupied a chair placed on a
faro table at one end of the long, mar
row cabin, the identical chair that Vel
vet sat in when he shot Mud. Velvet
sat a little to his left, a guard at either
side on' his right, the hastily chosen
jul u q VI olOOI, dIlu USf IL
a rope stretched across the room was
the silent. expectant crowd. The evil
dence was all in and Long Smith was
settling himself down into a comfortable
position to listen to counsel for defense,
when Velvet suddenly rose to his feet
and said:
"See here, boys, what's the use of going
on with this monkey business any longer!
l shot Mud and you've determined that
must hang. Can't you drop this and
take me out and hang me and be lone
with it, instead of torturing me with all
this nonsense. You know you're only
doing it to amuse yourselves" The ewes
of every man in the crowd were fixed on
the prisoner during this speech, then
turned expectantly to the judge.
"Pris'ner ct the bar, yer bein tried fel
murder by the only kin DER cot this yer
kentry hez. Eff there's enythin ye hey
ter say yerH hev er chance ter say it
furder on" There was a murmur OF
approval from the audience, and coun~
sci for the defense went on with his ar
gument, followed by the counsel for the
prosecution. The court summed up and
charged the jury. which without a mo-
ment's hesitation returned a verdict OF
guilty.
The judge arose from his chair and
said, Velvet. yer gone in" there was
no further assumption Of judicial digni.
ty; it dropped from him as one drops a
cloak from his shoulders: "ther boys;
hev Civ ye a squar deal, which's more'n
We Civ Mud, n yen hev ter go under.
What hev We got ter say agin ity'
Velvet smiled and shook his head.
You've got the drop on me, | reckon"
he said, ''and | can't kick"
Just at this moment there was a strug-
gle as of some n trying to force an en-
trance through the crowd at the door.