Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1893-10-11
LrINe Isl LEE pooRwAY.

me bullt cabin, and ther e we intend
ed Twin while we was dom our
chopin and clearin'. There was lots
of snow that winter, and it came early.
Oh, how l hate the winter The snow
lyiu' out there in the prison yard brings
the hull thing back to me, and how
happy Jase and me was, worl1in' and
tallSin' about what we was goin' to do.
] can most see the cabin now, with the
door open and the snow all around. as
II looked that winter mornin'. Jase
and me was goin' out huntin' that
mornin' l took my gun and started
out, leavin' Jase to follow. l walked
out little ways, and then looked
around TO see if Jase was comm. He
warn't, and l waited and hollered un-
til l got all out of sorts with him. A
crazy idee struck me, and JUS thought
I'd shoot toward the cabin for fun, and
mebbe that would fetch him. God
knows l didn't mean to do any harm.
was JUS gre at big foolish boy, and
got tired of waitin' and thought I'd
shoot for fun, and mebbe that would
fetch him"
looked at the man, and he was as
one in agony. His face was drawn, and
prison tan and made it CHASTITY. His
voice, peurile from the disuse of TWEEN
ty years, had sunk into a hoarse whis-
per He was staring at the great stone
wall in front of him with dull, vacant
eyes. He seemed oblivious of every
thing and kept repeating: II didn't
mean any harm 1 only thought I'd
shoot for fun, and mebbe that would
fetch him"
have looked into nurderers' faces
on the verge of eternity while the
death warrant was being read, in order
that might tell the public next morn
ing whether the lip quivered or the eve
grew dim, but as / gazed at this picture
of weakness and misery on the wheel
barrow in front of me, it made me sick
The victim of an act done in the name
of ''fun'-and this was fun!
The man presently came TO himself
and went on:
As l shot, Jase come into the door,
and when the smoke cleared away 1
saw him lynn just outside in the snow.
face downward. I'member picl1in' him
up and carryin' him inside, and then
startiT out TO Pauldin' for help. After
that 1 don't remember nothin' until l
found l was lynn down on the ground
and crowd of men standin' around
me. heerd one of 'em say: He must
have tripped up on that dry grapevine
and hit his head on the root of the tree.
1t pears asif Washbutn and Scott must
have had n racket-over that gal. most
likely-and Washburn killed Scott I
found out afterward that a huntin'
party had stopped at the cabin and
found Jase YIN on the floor dead,
with my bullet through his heart.
They looked for me, and finally snw my
tracks in the snow and followed them.
They found me couple of miles away
in the woods, lynn at the foot of a tree
where fell.
Some believed my story and some
didn't Them as didn't b'lieve IL said
twarn't likely IL what ! said was true
that / would a tried 70 run away. All
/ know is / meant 10 set out for Pauld-
in, but it pears as if I'd gone wrong
some way.
The jcdRe, as he said, wanted to
low me "a fightin' chance and give me
the privilege Of enterin' a plea of man
slaughter. / said IL was all along Of
my bullheadedness that ! am here now.
and so IL was. My lawyer waited me
TO plead guilty 60 the charge the jedge
offered me. asked him what it
meant Tie said that it meant tsl. I
killed Jase in racket. and then give
me long lingo about malice afore.
thought, or something like that, but /
didn't understand t. ] only knew
they wanted me 70 say I murdered
Jase IN a racket warn't going % say
/ done thing when I didn't I Jared
mp and wouldn't listen 90 nobody I
couldn't see things right Well. tho
trial didn't take long Evervthin'
went cros,vays for me. I told my
story. aud pleaded guilty 70 nothin'
except that : didn't mean anything 7
just shot 20 scare him didn't care
much what they done with mo for that
The other side showed how Jasr had
been found dead in Che cabia. how. 7
was found lTiu' ln thc snow mics f-1n
Pa1idin'. as 10 hadn't been goiu' FOR
help Then they got witnesses who
sworc as how Jasc nnI m- were iraI,rs
bout Mandy. how Id asked her On yo
% n guthcr.n with me and shed gone
with Jts" DO warn't s1. knoved it.
hut DO wouldn't 90 mo- cool for me to
say Dc warn q Mandy and me under.
stood One another. though shore ,varn't
much bct"ivt us then s'pose She
m.Aat have told what She knowed
1b'u. DO on the stand but ] wasn't 90
ing ,o havr DER mixed up boz Che thinv
D lowed they cou.1n't convict mc be-
ca".o what said was t-ic.
The jury fetched in verdict OF
murder ia the second degree. lnd ac.
c'riin t' Ia'r chat meant pr Ufe
lHsy carried Mandy out ofthc court.
ro'm Seem, a- though She tH1u1ht Do
was .or fnu.f SOME wts or rytHer
$50 ir boon trv.n' t1 rat ur out ever
r.n ehe said if it ladut been for
hrr tHev e1uIia.t 20 shown uY motive.
lH. rau'in. t.a sent me for Ife Idont
se- what good that ,eou.d 'a. done when
.i.T ra a,fa ..1 me."
maie note of Nandr. She vas
gr' mater.,' FROM reuortora. stand
paint Whe1 went ont asr,d tac
~-rlcu wnJ Mandy waA