Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-04-27


latter might set out also and meet him
there TO hand him over TO the authorl-
ties.
On the 10th OF November Uncle BucE
rode into Frankfort, hitched his horse
in front of the executive mansion and
walked in to call on the governor. The
head OF the commonwealth was I'm
those days very accessible.
Where is your prisoner sir?" he de
manded OF the sheriff, with some as
| perity.
by gummy, he's here or here
/ aboutS," was the response, this by
4 word being the nearest to an oath
that Uncle Buck was ever known to
utter. He then explained how he had
I ridden across the country, while Lane
had walked. unattended.
"You don't suppose, sir, that that
+ man has come here TO get locked up
i for two years when you have given
him such a chance as this TO run
away, do your" asked the governor.
"Of course l do" replied Uncle
Buck, 'and IL you knowed Larkin
Lane as wen as l do you'd think so,
too"
And sure enough. there in the ONCE
of the warden of the penitentiary they
found him. He had arrived half day
before the sheriff. and sat there rest
ing and patiently waiting to be identi-
fied and committed
The governor was so struck by the
singular circumstance that he began
TO inquire into the case,
Uncle Buck was friend Of Lane
and. in speaking of the injury done TO
McAvoy, said:
Folks ginerally thinks he's better
looking sence he lost some o that tiop
lip, though nothin' could made him
much uglier than he was natchelly."
Upon talking with the prisoner the
downright honesty Of the man became
more and more apparent, until finally
the governor was so impressed with
his good qualities that he determined
10 pardon him. concluding that the in
luence of such a man for good in a
community was more needed than his
presence in the penitentiary. And so
Lane walked out of Frankfort free
man. With a fleeter foot than when
he first set out he trudged thankfully
back to the mountains OF Kinney and
the trout streams he loved so well
back to his home and friends, 10 his
wife and children. who received him
with open arms and enthusiastic re-
joicing.
He lived for years TO enjoy his liber-
ty, though he finally met his death at
the hands Of an assassin. He was
found one summer day in one OF his
haunts on the banks OF n mountain
stream. with a bullet in his brain, his
fishing pole in the water, where II had
dropped from his lifeless hands
The perperator Of the dastardly
deed was never found Whether II
was some avenger Of McAvoy OF not
no one ever knew. The latter had died
Some years before.
AS for Uncle Buck. when his term
as sheriff ended he moved to an adj
joining county. where he was made
iailer apd served as the same until
his death
On one occasion when instructed 10
open court during the war he took the
liberty OF giving vent to his loyalty by
calling out: Oyer, Oyer, Oyer. the cir
God save the Unionr' The last words
were shouted with the full power Of
his stentorian lungs. Hearing the
same, the judge. who WAS not alto
gether in sympathy with Uncle Bucks
sentiments, rebuked him and ordered
him 10 change his appeal TO the rPgri-
lation form OF God save the common
wealth." In much feeblsr accents was
the divine protection invoked upon the
state.
This circumstance really took place
many years ago in the dark and
bloody GROUND" among people whom
we. with our FIN dc steele" ideas look
back upon M not enlightened II. in
deed. fully civilized. and yet men wera
TO be found there then who held their
word dearer than liberty. truth sweetrr
thaG freedom from disgrace,