The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-10-10


I had not seen him for a year. There
wero only two of MS left was among
strangers, lonely and ho1nesios. so I pack
ed my trunks joyf lily and started, resolv-
ed that the place good enough for my
brother was good enough for me, and that
the visit" should be a long one.
When my eager eyes looked out, az the
last railway station, for the pale, slender,
'swell set up" New Yorker for whose
sight 1 wearied, my heart sank. He was
not visible.
Suddenly a long bearded Arizonian, in
a broad sonbrero, slightly modified cow
boy in appearance, detached himself from
a group Of his peers, rushed into the still
moving car and claimed me with reRu-
lar bear hug.
What a transformation But, after the
first shock of surprise, what happiness %
see my brother SO well againi And then
he had the confident air of a capitalist
81 tell you, said he, ''there's milliona
in it as sure fate. -
We had had a pretty hard time. The
wolf had not only been at the door, but
within it, and 1 felt perfectly conrented
to DO a millionaire's sister.
AS tho great, unwieldy stage was driv-
en- up toward the hotel / thought that
Tombstone must indeed be " booming -
into a riot Crowds Of men-all men
opened a way for as to pass and then
closed ia around the stage poering curl
ously in at the one solitary woman. Such
a swarm Of human beings, surging TO and
fro. shouting, swearing gesticulatingi At
was Perfect pandemonium-
''What can be the mattcr?" i asked.
Jack raised his eyebrows, with an air
OF surprise. Matter with WHAT be said.
II hose dreadful men. There must Doc
a riot"
"Riotl" and he laughed why ito
always so.'
"Always?'
Eyes, always. Streets always fun.
tell you were all alive here. no stagnant
waters in Tom bstone.
What a night followed Eleven O'Clock,
IL, 7. 2. The streets were crowded, the
noise louder, shouts curses, pistol shots;
the air full of hideous sounds. ] dared
not shut my eyes TO sleep, but dacE
laughed at my fears when I raped at hia
door.
What is the matterff' / insisted
''Oh, half Of them liave lot "a money,
he answered, ''and tho others want to gai
it away. Some Of them do-'t like it, you
see y
felt in the morning as if had passed
through several circles ct the inferno. but
my purpose to remain as long as Jack did
WAS only strengthened. The more awful
the place the more reed Of my presence.
The hotel was out of the question. $50 we
hastily fitted up little adobe house uenf
the mouth of Jack s mine, found un lri-h
maid with cooking knowledge Of bLticr.
milk and potatoes, yet willing TO work t.r
the wages of a chef, and IN few days be-
gan really TO live again.
We had been housek eeplng about
month when my brother WAS Obliged o. 81
to Tucson on legal business-sometlin
about the "other claimant = I believe.
who always appears when mine begins
to pay anything-and remained over
night.
! was just sitting dosyq the nest morn
ing to a late and solitary tr-ak Case when
suddenly the whistles IN all directions bc
gan to blow wildly.
looked out. Men -ve-a pouring out of
the mines as fast as they could come up
The crowds which srrged through the
streets day and night .e rushing on TO
joi. Them their faces distorted like de-
mons with some evil passion.
Tramp, tramp, on they rushed like
dark river with cries whose horror was in-
describable. 1t was not the voices Of hu-
man beings, but moro like the cries OF
wild animals, the screaming of cmragcd
hyenas, the snarling Of tigers, the angry,
inarticulate cries of thousands of wild
beasts in Infatuated pursuit. of their prey,
yet with something in it more sinister
and blood curdling, for they were men
and added a human ferocity.
Nora burst open the kitchen door pale
a sheet, and dropped at my feet.
Mother Of God, she cried, and is Sc
the end Of wur-rldf"
On they rushed from north, south, east
and west, eyes aname, faces distorted, the
brute latent in every human being conn
ing out from his lair to blot out tho man.
the awful cries rising, waning, waxing.
as the mob gathered around the jail and
battered in the door.
1 tried to leave the window, but terror
stricken, could not move, and the crowd
surged back
In their midst, half running, half drag
ged by rope knotted about his neck, they
brought a man "a murderer, himself
about to be murdered.
The hands which drew the rope were
too eager, the feet too swift, and, half
strangled, the victim fell before my eyes.
The thirsty executioners halted lifted him
up, loosened the rope and gave him time
to get his breath.
He was a grand man physically-tal.
straight, deep chested, every fiber fun of
that life so soon to be quenched Lucifcr
just about to be cast out from heaven
could not have thrown around a glance Of
more scOrnful pride. Thousands against
one, - it seemed TO say sCowardsl'
What might not such a man have been,
if-but il was too late.
run fair boys" eaid the prisoner
calmly, run fairl You keep up your end
of the rope, and I'll keep up mine. "
The crowd moved on a little more slow
ly, and saw the tall form keeping up"
its end without trenor Of hesitation AS
they neared the telegraph pole, with its
outstretched arm, / summoned mp my lost
strength, and grasping the curtain pulled
it down TO shut out the dreadful sight.
Then came moment of sudden ominOua
silence ] sank upon my knees TO pray
for the passing soul.
Then a thousand voiced cry Of brutal
triumph arOse-nOt to the skies. so Vllo "a
thing could never find that heavenly blue;
it must have fallen TO the regions of the
lost-and they who had hunted man oi6
of life hurried of TO hunt for gold.
Whom I looked mn TO and fro on tho