The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-04
AND HER NAME WAS MUD.
IIrs AT THE FLATS, "MARY'S
EYES WAS THE ATTRACTION.

Was the Juoge-A woman IN the
case-She Marries the Murderer and
saves His Life.
Fyou. the California Magazine,
Fiddlers was excited.
Not that there was anything extrAor-
binary in that, for the Flat was in q nor
nal condition of excitement over one thing
or another every hour In this day and vented
4, in much drinking. loud talking and fight
ing: but on this particular occasion the ex-
element was Of unique order. that in It's
..ill intensity chilled and silsnced the mob
Of men shat crowded In aud closed about
the doors Of the "Mary's Eyes" saloon and
rambling house, the proprietor of which,
Velvet Jack, was at that moment being tried
for his life before that most terrible of
earthly courts, Judge Lynch.
1t was not the first killing at the Flat
This shooting scrape was only one Of dozens
Of others during the five months of Fiddlers
existence, but the victim was a peculiarly
Inoffensive creature known as Mud" TO
the camp.
he had no other name that they knew OF,
and had earned his sobriquet by his unfail-
ing i'll luck at the gaming tables, and his
equally unfailing remark as he rose penniless
names mud agin;" but on this particular
occasion Mud's luck had run his way, and
he had sat hour after hour at the little oblong
faro table since the night before, and
won with unfailing regularity through
every deal.
Velvet himself had the shift at deal
when Mud mad won the last ounce in the
"bank roll, and as the lucky player rose
from his seat opposite him this gambler had
without word shot him through The heart
The cold fendishness of the act was too
much for the nerves Of the Fiddlers, and
the camp rose to a man and cried aloud for
vengeance. They were waiting now for
the sentence.
Long Smith was the judge. He occupied
chair placed on faro table at one end of
the long, low cabin, the identical chair that
Velvet sat In when ne shot Mud.
Velvet sat little to his left, q guard on
sither side; on bis right the hastily chosen
jury of twelve sat or stood. and beyond a
rope stretched across the room was the silent,
sxpectant crowd.
The evidence was all in and Long Smith
wAs setting himself down into q comfort
able position TO listen to the counsel for de-
tense, when Velvet suddenly rose TO his feet
and said:
'See here, boys, what's the use Of going on
with this monkey business any longerl /
shot Mud and you've determined that /
must hang. Can't you drop this and take
me out and hang me and be done WITH it
instead of torturing me with all this nonssnssl
You know you're only doiog At TO amuse
yourselves.n
The eyes Of every man 10 the crowd we're
fixed on the prisoner during his speech and
then turned expectantly to the judge.
'Prisner ct the bar, yer bein' tried fer
murder by the only kim o. er cot this yer
kentry hez. Eff theirs enythin' ye heV ter
say yeru hev yer chance TO say IL furder
on"
THE AUDIENCE APPROVES.
There was q hum of approval from the
audience, and the counsel for the defense
went on with mis- argument, followed by the
counsel for she prosecution. The court
summed up aud charged the jury, which,
without moments hesitation, returned a
q verdict of guilty.
The judge arose from his chair and said:
"Veivet, yer gone in" There was no fur
Their assumption of judicial dignity; it
dropped from him as one drops q cloak from
his shoulders. Ether boys hev Civ yer a
squar deal, which's MORN ye Civ Mud, n
ysr'li hev ter go under. What hsv yer got ter
say again itF
Velvet smiled and shook his head.
you've got the drop on me, l reckon, he
said, land can't kick"
Just at this moment there was a struggle
Of some one trying to force an entrance
shrill tones OF woman's voice could be
heard demanding access to the court that
was trying the man that had killed hers.
I'm Mud's wife," she insisted IN a shrill,
shaky voice
10, know what yer nicknamsd him.
His n my names Dobbs. N n he were er
good nuff man most ways, n want ter see
the man what killed him n lef mer lone
wioder right in the prime or life."
The relict OF the late Mud was at the bar
OF the court by this time. She was a tall,
angular woman of 40 or so, dressed In rusty
black, with an immense calico sunbonnet
that projected over her face like sec5ion
Of stovepipe and effectually concealed her
features.
the bar, and when she had seated herself re-
marked to her:
I'VE never knowed of Mud were mar'd
man, marin; eff we had, we'd shorty hev
waited this trial for ye."
"D' yer mean to say yer've CORN N tried
this yer man for KILN mine "a me not here
ter seel Yer a nice kin o or Judge, | mus
say. Wal yer kin jest 60 on tryTn' I'm rite
over again, now am yere," and the widow
settled comfortably back In her chair and
took dip of snuff.
The court, counsel, jury and spectators
were melted in a moment They were Mis-
sourians, almost to a man, and the zone
SOuCu VI uAbuT6 tuAb UP 6WORe III
them made them the widows slaves for the
moment,
The court. counsel and jury consulted for
a few moments, and the judge intimated to
the widow that they had concluded that her
request was a very natural and, under the
circumstances, a very proper one and that
with the prisoners consent they would COM
ply with 10, but as he had already been tried
and found guilty once they thought it hardly
lair to him to try him again without his
consent
VELVET HAS THE FLOOR.
Velvet aroes, the eyes OF the throng upon
him. He was tall, slight. graceful fellow.
with swagger about him that insensiblv at
EActed men and women alike, and with O
smile that showed his white teeth under the
black mustache, remarked that he was
always delighted to please lady, but that
underline circumstances he could not see
anythingto be gained by 1t.
be had, in fact pleaded guilty In the first
place, and all that remained for the judge
was to pass sentence, but as they had Insisted
upon trying him once 60 please them
saves, they might as well try him again to
please the lady.
There was a murmur Of approval at this
sentiment from the audience, which was
sternlY checked by the court. The widow