Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-04-01
A Chief Justices Story.

The Alamo plaza, in San Antonio, is a
pleasing spot at all times; but at night
when the electric lights are ablaze, it is,
especially attractive.
One evening the chief justice and I
were walking across the plaza.
"Do you know" he said shat man we
Just passed reminds me of Mann"
Now I had never heard of Mann, so
naturally asked:
"What about Mann.
''To be surel You are stranger in this
| part of Texas and this rare bit of tragedy
has never reached you. Let us be seat
ed"
In every we'll planned place for rest and
recreation there are seats or resting
places and the plaza is no exception.
The chief justice chose very comfort
able one under a huge banana tree, and,
after lighting his cigar, continues:
"Mann was postmaster in the little
town of Matteen, Ind. He had consump-
ton and when his term expired he came
down here to San Antonio. He left his
wife and little boy in Indiana. Of course
he liked San Antonio-everybo does
and sent for his family. They lived in a
little house near San Pedro springs and
very happily, it seems.
AT that time I was practicing law One
day Mann came into my office. l had met
him before, but had paid little attention to
him. That day his lace fairly startled me.
The poor fellow was wasted and withered;
his eyes glowed like Goals and he was yellow
as saffron. He was SO weak it was all he
could do talk above whisper.
"'Judge,' he said. I'm in trouble
"Tell me about it, said.
"There's man. he went on, lives neal
me. His name is Chase and he runs brick
yard. He's a big fellow and handsome. Not
like me-
"When Mann said this he held out his
bony hands and looked at them. They were
SO thin you could almost see through them.
"'He's widower. He used to come around
my house good deal, and l treated him
kindly. Sometimes l would come home and
find him there. He liked my little boy and
would trot him on his knee. l us I'd to 20
that, but lately haven't the strength
and with an effort. Suddenly his voice
grew higher, his cheeks grew pink, his eyes
famed, and he said:
"'He fell in lovo with my wife, and
they've run off. am going TO kill him.
pray God to let me live long enough to
kill him.
''Then he was seized with coughing
ft the blood bubbled from his lips, and |
thought he would die then and there.
poured some whisky down him, and pres
emily he was better. I advised him to go
home and let his wife run off as often and
as far as she wished.
"Judge,' he said, and his whole soul
was in the words. I'll kill him--kil him
like dog!' With that he went away.
Several days later I met MIN in the
plaza. He was looking more wan and
more meager than ever, but his eyes were i
unnaturally bright.
"'She came home, judge he said |
came home day before yesterday. was
out, and when l came back she was lying
on the bed, stark dead. She was dressed |
all in white-her wedding dress. She
looked SO sad and pitiful I could almost
have forgiven her. Poisoned herself-and |
until she fell. We'd been married ten
years.
II could see he had been miserable
beyond expression, and so weak he tot
tered. He came very near to me; his face
almost against mine.
"Judge,' he said, I'm laying for him.
Killings too good for him.
"With that he broke down, and, what
with his coughing and strapgllng, came
near sinking to the ground. I called a
cab and sent him home.
"That was the last l heard of him for
two weeks. Then one morning looked
at the paper and read in big letters:
Another Murder John Ma IN killed WILL
lam Chase etc. He had crept up to
Chase's brickyard early one morning. He
WAS too weak to carry gun, but he hired
Mexican to carry it for him-a big.
double barreled shotgun, loaded with
buckshot. When Chase came to work
Mann rested the gun on fence and shot
him dead.
"That's ell of it only that they tried
Mann and I cleared him. Next day he
died, and I'm raising his boy."-Samuel
L. Kingan, in the San Francisco Argonaut.