The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-11
LYNCHERS ABASHED.
4 Desperate Victim Whose Cool
ness Was Phenomenal.
An Experience That Few Pass Through and
Still Remain in the Land of
the Living.

ran across a man on my steamer going
over whom had not seen in a great many
years, remarked a Well-knoWa Colonel re-
Gently. | don't know whether you ever felt
your heart really stop beating, but it is a
wonderful sensation, as If all the world
were melting away from you. That is the
way | felt when ] saw that mans pale
face aud his dark eyes and his white teeth.
1t wasn't that | was was afraid he would
do me any harm. 1t wasn't that | feared
him as an enemy; but scene which don't
like to recall came back to me with a rush
that made me dizzy. lie did not recognize
me, and we never came close together. but
that first night l could not sleep TO save my
life. l don't know what he does. l don't
knOw-but let me tell you a story
I'VE were pretty rough lot that fall
and winter. don't know just why it was.
Most Of us were steady-gOing men usually,
but there was an element among us that
kept the whole town in fermeDt, and you
know that was dangerous out West In those
days. There was too much fighting and
to much lawlessness to suit some Of US,
and SO we got together one day and talked
it over. Our verdict was that the next tim
man named Drake-a gambler he was
got into a shooting scrape we would take
him out and hang him, for we had come to
the conclusion that Drake was al the bottom
OF every fight. We also resolved 10 inform
Drake Of our decision.
This Drake WAS wonderfully cool fell
low. When we told him of our verdict he
shrugged his shoulders and smiled dryly.
80 All right he said easily, I'd better
be careful, then
"N0w it happened that for several days,
perhaps two weeks, thecamp was as orderly
as a church meeting and our vigilance COM
mit,ee was congratulating itself on the sue
Cess Of lis action. But one night had
got well into the winter nowhere WAS
a terrible fight in the Diamond saloon.
Spotty cripple, and two half-bTeeds were
killed outright, and half dozen men got
bullet or two in them. One Of the wounded
men was Drake. He had been PLAYING in
the game. and had undoubtedly drawn his
revolver and fired, for all the chambers were
empty.
"When we got to Drake he made no
resistance. He was a little paler than
usual, but not muscle Of his face
twitched | remember how We marched
out of town up to tho hillside. a light
snow had fallen that night aud the moon
was out-nearly rounded. We went out In
single file, leaving narrow black ath be-
hind US on the white-cOvered ground. No
one SAID anything.
''Up on the slope the first man stopped,
anu VIC Sf'ihO ~ ehA ~iO9CN - SAlNANB CihhC
in the center
"'Drake,' said the Chairman Of the COM
mittee, you have made he'll out of this
camp. We gave you fair warning. Now,
have you any message which you want to
send TO any OneY
~ have no message said Drake firmly
Is there anything that you would like
to saw?
Yes, answered Drake, looking the
chairman in the eye, want to say this.
I've no doubt that | deserve to be killed
I've made lot Of trouble here. | knew
what 1t would cost me TO shoot Tonight.
and did II deliberately. But | don't want
you 10 hang me. All | ask is that you shoot
ME. | give you my word OF honor, gentle
men, aud he smiled as If lie expected rs to
doubt him, that the shooting Tonight
was not my fault. ! was not In that hand
at all. / bad thrown down my cards. SpOtty
caught one of the half-bTeeds holding out
cards, and before he could get the yellow
devils wrist the other one had MS six
shooter out | saw that it was all up with
SpOtty, ana / fired, knocking the half-breed
out of his char. But the other one had got
the drop on SpOtty, and he killed him just
as / pulled and shot BIN through the head.
Then TWO or three turned on me and hlaZed
away. aud we settled 1t there. ! couldn't
help 1t. 1t was two 10 one against SpOtty-
a cripple-and 80 fired
Every one thought that il was n lie, but
we held a whispered consultation. Then
some one remembered that he had heard
after the fight that Drake did not begin the
trouble We decided not to hang him, but
to shoot him.
zone of the men came forward with the
rope. just then the moon. which had been
hanging behind the snOw-cOyered branches
of a tree, came out and shone full in brakes
face. He turned deathy white when he
saw the rope, but he stood without making
a motion.
promise you, gentlemen, that l haven't lied
about this scrape.'
1--WE are not going to hang you said the
chairman IN low tone. we only want TO
pinon your arms to this tree
"Drake did not say a word. No one
spoke as the rome was twined around him
and the tree. Finally it was knOtted. The
moon was shining clearly, andisome of US
looking at brakes face began to breathe
hard. His eyes looked straight before him.
Then he made slight effort to move within
'Gcntlemen,' he said slowly. please I'M
tie the rope it hurts my arms
"NO one answered him or moved.
I'm not afr id of bullets, he said, with
a smile that WAS almost a sheer; please I'M
fasten the rope. l won't stir
1T was "A fearful moment for US. He was
so cool and calm that some Of us, looking
into one anOtheT's eyes, began to doubt If
=
say the word. Drawing our revolyers. we
stood out in line. Drake did not vince.
He did not close his eyes even. but looked
steadfastly at US. My arm was shaking.
know that our arms must have trembled,
for a moment later we got the count and
our reyOyers rang loudly along the hillside,
but when we ran up TO Drake his eyes
were open and he was breathing between
clenched teeth.
Finish i: up he said, with a gasp;
you haven't killed me, but some one cried,
Cut him loose; this is too much like muir
der We cut him away ana carried him
down to the town. lie had seven bullet
wounds"
The little grOup around the table was ST.
lent. Some one lifted a glass to his lips, and
every one else followed him.
We'll you see," said the Colonel, zone
doesn't like to meet man at whom he has
shot under such clrcnm stances. propose
a nightcap. IN. Y. Tribune.