The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-09
WAS HANGED BY SOLDIERS.
'Bushwacker Tom," Caught Murder
ing a Messenger, Pays The Penalty.

From the Chicago Tines
he stands at the door OF a tumble down
log cabin, "a long barreled rifle on his arm.
and LOOKS up and down the path which winds
through the woods like the trail of a serpent
The rifle has been freshly cleaned and
loaded. The man is ragged, long haired,
and old. The locks falling down from
the edge OF his coonskin cap are almost
white. His eyes have dangerous CLEAN in
them, but his face shows neither smile
nor frown. 1t is stonelIke-unreadable
Let him but close his eyes and the face
would seem to have been carved by some
rough hand from flInty rocks
"Gwine, Tomg
1t is woman who steps out doors and
utters the query. Her face is sallow, her
frame large and bony, and her eyes rove
about ana rest nowhere for more than two
or three seconds at a time. She asks the
question without interest or anxiety He
answers without seeming to be aware of
her presence:
YES, reckon to CO."
A child looking up into their faces would
instantly shrink away. A physiognomist
would stand aghast An unfortunate way
farer would look in vain for a trace of pity,
charity, or even mercy. Faces of stone
hearts of iron.
''Gwine to kill mo- of emp
Reckon to-"
She sat down on log leaned her elbows
on her knees and rested her chin Ga bar
hands and looked away into the woods.
He dropped ais rife 10 the earth, crossed
his hands on the muEzle, and looked swaY
down the path toward the mountain road.
The squirrels chartered 10 the trees about
them, the wild bees buzzed in the June sun
shine, and the drumming of partridge
sounded loudly from the hill behind the
cabln, but neither man nor woman seemed
to be alive. Ten long minutes pessed away,
and then the man raised his head, lifted up
his rife, and disappeared down the path
without look or a word.
"Him's gone" she whispered TO herself,
but without turning her eyes or moving
her head.
Ten minutes. walk took the man to the
junction Of the path and the highway He
turned TO the right, followed the road about
twenty rods, and then secreted himself in a
thicket. That road was little used by
soldiers. Couriers and mail carriers who
wanted to save distance came that way,
and III the dark ravlne at the bush whac ker's
back two corpses were now lying unburied
'Drat 'em!" growled the man as three or
four great buzzaFds came flying 80 close to
him that their wings brushed the top Of
the bushes, but after a moment he knslt
down behind decaying log. rested the
barrel Of his rifle across it, snd gave the
buzZards no further attention. Five, ten
fifteen minutes passed away. There had
been only three or four Of the great birds
at first: their numbers increased until there
seemed to be thirty flying above him.
Not one of them uttered q sound There
was swish" Of wings as they circled
about the thicket, but never a croak or CRY.
1t was a still hunt The man was waiting
for the living-the buSzards seeking to
locate the dead.
Clickety clickl Chckety cliok! 1t is the
hoof beats of horse up the road-ths sound
of his iron shoes striking against the stony
surface. The buZzards lift themselves fifty
feet higher aud break their circle, but the
man settles down and places his cheek
against the rife. II is a single horseman
riding at a lope. He comes nearer and
Dearer and the buzzards pause in their fight
to look down on MIN. OF sudden flash
of fame, sharp report, cry, and the
horse gallOps madly away.
"Got one mo- fur suah!" mutters the
bush whacker, as he drops his rifle and steps
out to view the dead man and drag the body
into the cover.
There is q rush Of feet, fierce yell, and
no is surrounded by twenty soldiers,
who cry out for his life 1t Is a detail who
have been searching and watching, and
they have him at last He has not a word
to say-betrays no fear. They tie his arms
behind him and march him down the road
to the path and 10 the path to his cabin.
The woman sits there in the same position
except that her eyes are on the path and
the body Of men. She knows what has
happened-what will happen.
''Tom's bin gotm she whispered, but she
does not betray the slightest excitement.
She does not even rise to her feet until the
officer in command looks her over and asks:
do you want to see him hanged?"
"Reckon not"
Then gop'
She is bareheaded and barefooted, She
does not enter the cabin, but steps into the
path, turns to the right, and the men
wat ,h her out of sight. There is no good
by" no tears, not even a back ward look.
She is hardly out Of sight before the cabin
is fired and rope is about her husbands
neck He does not beg for his life; he does
not defy them: he makes no sign. 1t is
only when the men have tailed on TO the free
end of the rope to pull him up and he is
asked if he has anything to say that his lips
are parted to utter the brief sentences:
Reckon notm
Dead from straightforward from a
dozen bullets-dead and swinging like a
pendulum in the smoke and flames of his
roof-tree, and as the woman, still trav ers-
ing the path and half mile away, heard
the volley, she whispered to herself:
Toms buzzard meat now"