The Penn's Grove record., 1894-09-07

the rest" 49,.
'Boys," exclaimed the jailer, 'thi'
amt right. The prisoner amt beer
proved guilty. Go of an let me dc
nv duty"
Murray was trembling 10 violently
that the rattling Of the chain on the
, door could be heard. Laid coolly
! cooked his revolver. A dozen othel
weapons clicked.
"Hold oni Give i'm a minute" ex.
! claimed Ladd, The j~ailer's hand sud
denly came out into the moonlight.
A bunch Of keys ratified in his fingers
and fell juggling upon the stone step.
II wash my hands Nv ye," the jailer
taltered.
Iadd unlocked the door, and the
men entered. They gathered around
,largc cage Of iron In the middle OF
The room, in which they saw, by the
light of the lantern, a handsome man
about twenty-five years old.
Il see what you want" said the
prisoner, '.but Ill swar I'm not
guilty I didn't kill that man
[ don't know anything about it."
.'Tell that to some other gang O.
white caps" said Ladd, coolly un-
locking the cage and leading the man
,ut, '.You needn't bother to spend
our wind-you'll need it after
awhile. Tie lis hands, Ike, and put
the rope round is neck"
Most of the band were awed by the
prisoners cool department. A sud-
den look of angry fearlessness seemed
10 sweep over his young face.
"All right" he said in a tone of
resignation, mixed with contempt.
"Tli show yer how an honest man kin
ile when he's oyerpowered by a mob
Of towards. Lead the way"
Ladd preceded the prisoner and
Ike down the stairs; the others
brought up in the rear. Silently they
crossed the shaded courtyard, passed
ont into the open moonlight in the
street, and entered the woods.
Presently Ike stopped the prisoner
beneath a large oak, and looked round
with a question in his cleaning
eyes.
This on'll do" said Ladd, in an
uneven voice. Then, at his COM
nand, Ike hung the rope over the
lowest limb of the tree.
"If yer hev any prayer ter pray, say
1t fore l give the ORDER said Laid.
"My prayers are said, thank you"
said the young man; ''but Eve got a
straight request to leave behind me,
If theirs one among yer that 'ud like
to see justice done"
"Out with it, then" said Laid.
As he spoke he let the rope fall slack.
Awe done said I'm innocent, so |
won't go over that. But I've tramped
all the way from Texas to do some
thin for a dying man, an this hangin'
will prevent it. That money $3.50,
at the sheriff took from me, an which
he intends TO hand over to the dead
mans wife, don't belong ter her, and
never was in the possession OF the
man that was killed.
Eye all low I'm guilty, case l had
that money, an couldn't tell the
mans name | was fetchin'it to. Now
| went away out on the prairie in
North Texas, twenty miles from a
white mans house, when run acrost
a young man by 'isse'f in cabin, Jest
about to die with a fever. Thar
wasn't nobody in reach, SO l couldn't
get hep. Jest fore he died he give
me that money an made me promise
to take it to his father.
'.He said he owed it to i'm fer a
horse he drownded, and he'd promised
to pay for, He had just told me that
his father lived in this county, an
started to tell his name, when he TUX
a ft o coughing, and died 'thout
maxim it known.
81 buried i'm thar, an tramped all
the way here, 'ca'se I had no money
O. my own. But St many young fel.
lows has gone West at l couldn't find
the father O this one. All I want to
ak is that some O. you will try to see
that justice is done, in case anything
turns up ter prove me innocent after
4 III SULCs HOm L III lCuu9s
: Every eve in the group wasdirected
towards Jacob Ladd. He was lean
ing against a young tree, as pale a
death.
"What was the boys name?" he
2asped, staring the prisoner in the
face.
II tol' yer l didn't know" replied
the other.
8 'Did he have red hair an blue
eyes?"
ayes, an a red birth-mark on hi
cheek"
Ladd was quivering in every limb
and feature. The men had dropped
the rope as if it had stung their
hands. The whole forest seemed
hushed in suspense. The prisoneI
began to look round him in astonish-
ment but he could meet nobody's eyes.
Ips, and no staggered towards the
bound man. SIS he dead?"
"Who?"
"Ihe boy that give you the money"
Eyes, an under the ground. ]
buried i'm the bestI could. Do you
known anything about him?"
"He was my son."
Almost without a word the young
man was released, The mob gradually
dispersed, and Laid was left alone
With him.
Come along with me-" said Ladd.
"lll see you clear with the sheriff.
want you to tell the boys mother
lbout it"
By-and-by they reached Ladd's cot
tage. The light from a Kitchen fire
'hone through the window.
"She's up already" said Ladd
"You wait here till l go and sortel
break 1t to her."
He leaned YEARLY against tht
fence, and Ladd staggered across the
potato patch and entered the door.
The stranger listened, expecting tt
hear some sound of grief from the
house, but 1t did not come. In a few
moments Ladd emerged from the
house and came slowly toward him.
'She takes it mighty quiet" HI
said, "an' hain't a word to say 'tou'
our treatment o. you. But that'l
come after she's oyer t'othpr shock