Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21
HE WAS AN AM ERlCAN
Dufiield Orsbt ne 10 Harper's Weekly.

Duffeld Orsb6ire 10 Harpers Weekly.
He was a long. lanky, ungainly looking
chap. with a thin face a shock of sandy
hair, very bright eyes. and an indefinite
suggestion Of physical strength and mental
assurance. The sheriff of Schwartz county,
Ill, had called for extra deputies to repress
the lawless mobs of strikers that were
dominating the. state in eral, and
Schwartz county in particular; and Ezra
Hawkins. late OF Connecticut. had present
cd himself with an old army musket of
about the 1850 Pattern on his shoulder.
Sheriff Mangom glanced at the recruit
Here, swear this man In ne called to a
clerk at a neighborins desk Sheriff Man
gam seemed bored and unhappy
Hold on a minute. there" drawled Ezra.
s'pose Their ain't no objections to a little
confab fore eniistin'. is there?'
The sheriff looked even more annoyed.
~, Wel?. ne said. Il thought you wanted to
be sworn In? We need men and arms"
"Mebbe do. an mebbe 1 don't. What
was a-Soin' to ask was jest what sort of
Job l was engagin' fer Th'ain't no sense
In 1umpin inter things blind"
You engage to obey my orders in putting
down lawlessness." said the sheriff curtly
YES; a-course.| That's Jest 1t; but what
I'm a-gett!n' at Is jest how yer a-goin' ter
What do you mean? That's my bust
ness"
"Cert'inly; cert'inly." said Ezra. apclo-
getically; AN reckon it's my business
whether I'm goin' to help er not"
The sheriff wanted recruits and guns
badly. for the governor had been criticising
him, 30 ne smoothed out his rumpled dig
nity, while Ezra continued:
fe see. IL We rally be a-goin' ter have
the laws obsarved. an put down The chap;
what's breakin' UNI, me an Mol Thunder
Is with yer; but II yer cal'late ter stand
US up ter be a-s.oned an shot at an slug
it, -
an calm on the law-abiding citizens
dent banker after the job"
Inc sheriff looked aghast, but Ezra went
I've bin a-readin' bout these strikes.
an II kinder seems ter me 's!f the sherlffs
an rlilishy was a tarnal sight too tender
them fellers. an let UNI take away Their
guns an things an dew most anything
trey want ter. Meow I'd sorter hate ter
lose Mol Thunder. cause tn old man an
sa.s carried her all through the p'nin-
ieo M. an ] REGION it'd kinder hurt her
I rs II she was give up 'thout ever bein'
We must not forget that the men who
,nrs on s.Iike are our misguided fellow
80 was the" rsbs,'' said Ezra Then he
-uTeu' pose you mean they're voters p
Inc sheriff "a, but he was still con-
clietory. and, besides he now felt 1t nee
essary 20 rebuke this would-be sycophant
of wealthy mine owners and souiless cor.
pora tons.
This is no tyrannical monarchy" he
said. I'VE don't shoot down citizens of a
free country. except in cases Of the direst
neces sfty.''
Il used ter, thipk 1t was a free country
said Ezra, reflectively; but when I'm a.
hearin' all the time Of mobs a-biockin' rail-
roads. an burnin' an BLOWN up property.
an beaffn' an KILN. men Jest cause they
wants ter or has ter work fer a Twin, I'm
81 n % l.
rot-.eeptin' for these yere labor agitaters
an other furriners. AS fer not shootin till
It's necessary, mebbe you'll be so good as
yer tell me what You call necessary?
fer bout two weeks back. II we're a-goin'
ter have any free country left"
The sheriff felt somehow that he wasn't
giving quite so much reproof as he was
getting.
Perhaps you don't know" he said stiffiy,
that called on the governor for troops
week ago. and he replied that must first
| exhaust my own power
| Ezra leaned forward and his eyes shone
s'4 Vas Jest st a,.t6inkin. that there's where
! The trouble IS Your an the guvner's pow
was both IN perry much exhausted
lection. an ye're each bin tryin' ter shove
/ yer dooty on tn other. Meow. look a-here
What I'm a-coinin' few is 'fyou want d
sa an isr stand saeThd an ,p ertsnd
IL
hurtfh' law breakers, I guess yer don't
want me. cause e I'm by when the free,
citizens Is bifsy BLOWN up mines an pound.
m honest worktp. -Wsp ter death. it's NOR n
likely Moil Thunderh go off an blow the
huh head off some peaceable. laws bidin'
| spectator in the front rank er the mob
H'H6ud' set"nse and yourself indicted for
| murder" exclaimed the horrified sheriff,
Il guess likely, said Ezra calmly That 9
| what happeps when theirs a district tern .y
| raound who wants ter run fer jedge-an'
! most Of UNI dew"
Il haven't got time to talk to You" said
| the sheriff. at last losing patience even
| though he lost a vote with It. I'm RofnR
- run my business. and you can either
| swear in or get out"
| With flushed face he proceeded to busy
| himself rather SYSTEMATICALLY about other
matters Ezra stood near the door and
thought hard; At last he shouldered the
| old gun. @"''"" >
mine" he said. 81 s'pose a 'Merican can
def, I'd himself r q tarnal furriner tries ter
| XIII him Ter workin, can't her
The sheriff vouchsafed no answer, and
| Ezra Hawkins went swinging up the dusty
road with the .'Pninseler musket' over his
| shoulder. There was q look on his face that
made the Polish and Hungarian pickets
| lower their clubs and let him pass on to-
ward the beleaguered property.