Arizona republican., 1892-12-28
FRONTIER JUSTICE.

Fiddlers was excited, not that there was anything extraordinary in that, for the Flat was in normal condition of eX- citement over one thing or another every hour in the day and vented it in much 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 moment being tried for his life be- fore that most terrible of earthly courts, Judge Lynch.
 It 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 inoffensive creature known as Mud" to the camp. He had no other name that they knew of, and had earned his sobriquet by his unfail ing i'll luck at the gaming tables, and his equally unfailing remark as he rose 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 won 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 player rose from his seat opposite him, the gambler had without word shot him through the heart. The cold fiendish- 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 now for the sentence. Long Smith was the judge. He occupied 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 little 10 his left, guard at either flut bl lIlN ll-NNs luc udNtlll CuDStu jury of twelve sat or stood, and beyond a rope stretched across the room was the silent, eypectaut crowd The evi- 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 longerf l shot Mud and you've determined that must hang Can't you drop this and take me out and hang me and be done with it, instead of torturing me with all this nonsense. You know you're only doing it to amuse yourselves" The eyes of every man in the crowd were fixed on the prisoner during this speech, then turned expectantly to the judge.
 "Pris'ner et the bar, yer bein tried fer murder by the only kin O CT cot this yer kentry hez. Elf there's enythin ye hey ter say yer'll hev CT chance ter say it furder on." There was a murmur of approval from the audience, and coun- sel 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 mo- ment's hesitation returned verdict of guilty,
 The judge arose from his chair and said, ''Nelvet, yer gone in;" there was mo further assumption of judicial digni- ty; it dropped from him as one drops a cloak from his shoulders; "ther boys hey giv' ye a squar deal, which's more'n ye giv' Mud, n yell hey ter go under. What hev ye got ter say agin ity'
 Velvet smiled and shook his head.
 You've got the drop on me, reckon, ' he said, "and l cant kick"
 Just at this moment there was strug- gle as of some one trying to force an en- trance through the crowd at the door, and the shrill tones of a woman's voice could be heard demanding access to the court that was trying the man who had killed hers.
 "Im Mud's wife" she insisted in a shrill, shaliy voice.
 "Oh, l know what yer nicknamed him His n my names Dobbs, n he were good huff man most ways, n want fer see the man what killed him n lief me CT lone widder rite in the prime ,r life.
 The relict of the late Mud was at the bar of the court by this time. She was tai, angular woman of forty or so, dressed il, rusty black, with an i'm, men.e calcO sunbonnet that projected over her fi,ce like section of stovepipe and eTectuGlly concealed her features. The eyes were bright and keen though, and swept quick glances from prisoner to judge and jury.
 The cOuit ordered chair for her in.