San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-24

suurus IRE neIgnoOrnooa I'll uey dop
know dar heels from dar head2 Ergin
| axes yer who owes ev'body in twelb
miles er dis place er furder eff he ranges
furder? Who en- looks into yer min en-
tell ter minute how lawng it takes yer
furgit dat las % cents he borrid, en- den
step right up en- borry er nudder one?
Nickydemusl En- now who ken be spard
de bes en- missed de less? Nickydemus"
The magistrate, who for some time
had been extremely busy trimming the
knots from the grapevine with his peck
etknife and twisting it into suppleness,
now paused and delivered the following
charge:
"Gentlemuns OBJ de jury, you's hyeard
ernough to hang er whole cuppen Cow
penn full er niggers. En- all I'm got to
say is dat pull'n Fodder Time putnigh
hyere en- dis is er mighty good chance to
git ridder Nickydemus.
"Gentlemuns oh de jury, is yer egreed:'
demanded Squire BOlden.
I'VE am, sah," came in dignified tones
from the frame.
What is de wordick?i solemnly de-
manded Uncle Cephas.
DE wordick, sab, am it nebber won
do to let slip dis chance er gittin ridder
Nickydemus," was the reply.
Stan up, pris'ner," was the superfiu-
Gus order of the magistrate to the con-
i 10, LoI or Iiyc
the first. "You's done plenny harm in
dis worr fer one niger; en- sides yous
had er far trial TO yer Teller citizens.
Now, it's de Judgment er dis court dat
yer be hung to de biggis' linn avn Pop
Castle oak wilder grapevine, Gaze t'ud
be bad luck to use er rope after it been
bout dead folks, en- dat de jury is deb
bytized to do de hangin."
Hold on l shouted, thoroughly
aroused by the grOans of the prisoner
and the screams of his wife and children.
"Do you know that you are about to de-
prive a human being of life against law
and justice? Why, not even witness
has appeared against him. Mind what
you do"
'De genterman in sto' cloze," replied
the magistrate sternly, will please don't
bodder de eXscusiOnments er dis hyere
court. De chac'ter er Nickydemus Wag-
staff is knowed fer as de train goes, eff
not er liz furder. De whole yearth en-
ev'ytheng in it b'rs witness ergin him.
Gentermuns, do yer juty.'
While was struggling desperately to
force my way through the thrOng and
reach the spot, the ropes were stripped
from the prisoner, a slip moose in the
grapevine thrown around his neck, and
he was dragged away to the designated
spot. One end of the vine weighted
with a small stone was thrown over a
huge limb. The jury seized it as it fell
and pulled with might and main. The
doomed man rose, wildly kicking and
struggling against the background of
blue sky. He was already several feet
in the air when hitch occurred. The
jury gave jerk. With a snap the grape
vine broke, piling them in heap on the
ground. In an instant Nicodemus was
making for the woods, descending the
hill 20 feet at a bound, with half the
grapevine standing out straight behind
him, and the whole crowd, Uncle Cephas
in the van, in headlong pursuit.
Before 100 yards were covered it was
clear that Pop Castle would witness no
hanging that day, and in half an hour
the breathless, baffled crowd was back
again seeking what consolation the cool
spring water could afford.
Whether it was an accidental break
in the grapevine or whether the shrewd
old man while trimming and ''sooplin"
gave it nick it was impossible to say,
although there was plainly twinkle in
Uncle Ceph's eye when his gaze met
mine on his return from the chase
David Dodge in Kate Fields Washing
ton.