The National tribune., 1894-10-18
GAMMA BETA SAVED HIM.
A Reconstruction Story that all Colleg,
Men will Read.
Mem YerL Tribune

Men will Read.
New York TribuneJ
The 60th annual dinner of Gamma Beta
was certainly great success. At the long
table sat $50 guests, of all ages and from all
| parts of the land. The feast was ended when
the Captain arose from his place near the
head of the board. Straight of figure and
alert of eye, he bore hisi6O years lightly.
Boys" said the Captain 81 haven't been
to Gamma Beta dinner for 40 years-the
last time l went was a Boy in college As
look around me, | ara glad 1 am not the
oldest alumnus here, TOR l feel as young as
any freshman. But came here tonight to
tell you q story, anti if. you have patience
| to hear me l may as we'll begin. Remem-
Der, we old ones are garrnlous at times and
| stop me when you have had enough"
His audience WAS all attention, and the
Captain lighted a fresh cigar, blew out
puff of smoke and began.
81 was the first Northern man to plant
cotton in Arkansas after the war The State
had declared for the Union early in '6f, but
there was plenty of lawless secessionism
about and a Northerner's life and property
were none too safe. Before had been long at
my planting got notice from some OF my
Secessionist friends that / must stop opera
tions or leave the district if / had any re-
gard for my life-in short, they gave me to
understand that if they caught me they
would string me up 10 the nearest tree as
sure as my name was Jim Roberts. Now,
didn't intend 10 stop planting, and l didn't
intend to be hanged, so | went ahead and
told them they could hang me-if they could
catch me.
About month after that / was riding
alone across country one afternoon to get
little bushes done in the nearest town.
As | entered lonely piece of road dozen
men jumped out of the woods, pointed their
guns at my head, and ordered me to halt
and dismount. / saw / could do nothing
but surrender at discretion, so | came down
from my horse and was marched off in 81
lence. In few minutes we turned into
lane that led deeper into the woods, and
kept on until we came to a little clearing.
One of my friends brought out a rope slung
one end of it over the limb Of convenient
tree and had the other end slip-knotted
around my neck in jiffy.
Probably none of you has ever felt a
hangman's rope around his neck, so you
can't appreciate the state of my feelings at
that time. I'll tell you / felt pretty serious
and thought my lease of life had run out
for certain. But man clings to life at
such times, and all at once l had happy
thought. l remembered that / had a
package of excellent cigars in my pocket
and I drew it out
Gentlemen said, with as much cool
ness as / coHld muster, know that have
but a few minutes more to live. l want to
ask one favor. Give me time to smoke out
a cigar before you swing me into eternity.
Will you join me? You will find them
most excellent
my captors grimly assented, and we
lighted our weeds together No one said
word. Well, boys, made that cigar hold
| out, you may depend. But it would burn.
Little by little the ash began to get longer
and drop off until there was just about so
much left" And the Captain held up his
smoking stump, measuring its small re-
mainder critically with his finger.
"' WE'LL thought j to myself here goes
for few more putfs, anyway and was
just getting the very last of them when we
heard horse coming through the trees. A
fne-looking fellow rode up, who seemed to
be q sort of commander of the company
Hello, boys he called out, who've you
got here?' We've gob Roberts, and we're
going to hang him. said they. All right