Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-03-04
HIS NAME WAS MUD.

MOL Llidi lllflt " ~ aa''s
ordinary in that for the Fiat was IN Il
normal condition Of excitement over
one thing or another every holr III lhe
dov. and vented 1t in much drinking
fond talking and fighting; bat on inns
particular occasion the excitement was
OF a UNIQUE order, that in It's sun IN
teusity chilled and slenced the mob Of
men that crowded in and close about
the doors OF the Mays Eyes Saloon
and gambling house, the proprietor VI
which. velvet Jack, was AT mat mo
ment being tr1ed for his life before that
most terrible Of earthly courts, Judge
Lynch.
IL was not III first killing at the Fiat
This shooting scrape was Ont one Of
dozens Of others during the five months
OF FlddlcS existence, but the victim
was peculiarly inonenaye creatury
known as Mud TO the camp.
tie had no other name that they knew
of. and had earned his sObriquct by his
.nfaiung illuck at the gaming table
and his equally untaIling remark as he
rose pcnnilcss from his bout with the
tiger. "Wal my names Mud agin;
but on this particular occasion Mud
tuck had run his way and he had sat
hour after hour mt the little Oblong faro
table since the night before, and won
with mfallng regularity through every
deal.
Velvet himself had the shift al deal
when Mud had won the last ounce IN
the bank roll, and as the lucky player
rose from his seat opposite him the gam
bier had. without a word, shot him
through the heart
The cold fcndishncsso + the act was
too much for the nerves even of the
Fiddlcrs, and the camp rose to a man
and cried aloud for vengeance. They
were waiting now for the sentence.
Long Smith was the judge. lie occu-
pied chair placed on the faro table al
one end Of the long, narrow cabn-the
identical chair that Velvet sat IN when
no shot Mud.
Velvet sat little to his left, a guard
al either side; on his right the hastily
chosen Jury of twelve sat or stood, and
beyond a rope stretched across the room
was the silent cxpectant crowd.
The evidence was an in and Long
smith was setting himself down into %
comfortable position TO listen to counsel
herself remarked 10 her.
to his feet and said:
See here, boys, what's the use Of
going on with this monkey business
any longer? / shot Mud ana you've dc.
termlned that ] must hang. Can't you
drop this and take me out and hang me
and be done with II, instead OF tormr
ing me with all this nonsense. You
know you're only doing 1t to umuse
yoursrlycsg'
The eyes OF every man in the crowd
were fixed on the prisoner during this
speech, and then turned eNpeCtamly TO
the judge,
"ritSnur ct the bar yer bom' tried for
murder by the only kin q er cot this
ger kcnuy hcz Ef there's anthiu y
hey ter say ycrll hey a chance to say It
furder ON
Their was mumm of approval
from tic audience, ANA the counsel for
the defense went ON with his argument
followed 10y the counsel OF the prose
oulion The court summed mp and
charged the jury. which, without u mo-
mcnts hesitation returned verdict Of
guilty
The judge arose from his chair and
said; "Yrlvct yer gone in" There was
no further assumption Of judicial dig
nifty; IL dropped from him us one drops
a cloak from his shoulders; "ther boys
hey give yer square deal, whichs
more'n ye give Mud. n yer'u hey TO 81
under What hey yer got ter say agin
az
Velvet smiled and shook his head.
"Nou'vC got the drop on me, / reCk
on" said tc, land | cant kick"
jusU at this moment there was q
struggle as OF some one trying to fore,
an entrance through the crowd at IN,
door and the shrin tones OF a wumant
voice could be heard demanding access
10 the court that was trying the maI
had had killed hers
Pm Mud's wife" she insisted in
shlil, Shaky voice
con. l know what yer nickname,
him uisn my names Dobbs. n h,
were or good enough most ways. n
want ter see the man what Killed hin
and left me lone widow right in thu
Prime or life"
Tho relict OF the late Mud was at tnt
bar OF the court by this time She was
tall angular woman OF forty or So
dressed in a rusty black. with an i'm
mensc calico sunhonuct that proiecte,
yer her face like a section IT stovcpipc
and efrectually concealed her features
lhe court ordered a chair for her in
side the har, and when she had seutc,
Acrseif remarked to her:
we never knowed cr Mud were q
mard man. marin: we had we'd Shor
~ hev waited This trial for We"
Dyer mean to say ycrve guru an,
utrd this yer man for Nuiu mine. an,
me not hero ter socy Yer nice kind b,