The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-02-05
UNDER ADJUSTMENT.

Away out west a man was about to
be hanged 1t will not do to be very ex-
act as to names or localities because the
question is not yet settled. The mans
name may pass as Peter Williams, which
is altogether unlike,what it really is
As to the place, let it stand at San To-
paz, in Orefornia. That the man de-
served hanging there is no valid doubt,
although his excuse for the crime kept
the jury out whole summers after
noon. He had made quite little pile
from the sale of an improved smelling
process to the Python copper mine, get
ting about per cent of what the inven-
tion was worth, and turning from the
express Office into the Silver Palace sa-
loon, which was conveniently near, he
asked everybody to drink All but one
man stepped forward That man was
the victim.
II asked him to drink like a gentle.
man., J." said Williams in his defense,
"and when he wouldn't even take ci-
gar 1 said he should take something
anyway and flung the whisky bottle at
him. "
Unfortunately the whisky bottle was
a decanter weighing something less than
ten pounds, and it cracked the mans
skull like last seasons butternut.
What puzzled the jury was whether
a refusal to drink with man celebrat-
ing his luck could be Construed into sufi-
cient provocation until one juryman
happened to recollect that the offending
that is, the refusing-party was deaf
and blind. That settled it, and the ver-
dict of murder in the first degree was
brought in two minutes after.
Well, the man was about to be hanged,
very quietly, too, for with excellent
business tact the Python copper mine had
made this its pay day. Padre Gombrillo
was in the murderer's cell saying few
prayers in Spanish Latin, the other
clergyman of San Topaz, a Methodist,
being timekeeper in the smelling Office
on weekdays Williams was tugging at
new pair of red topped boots, and
Sheriff Stephen Winslow was leaving
his Office for the scaffold, when the post
masters little daughter brought letter
addressed to the prisoner, in care of the
postofice Winslow weighed the letter
In his hand for few moments, ponder
ing whether there was any use bother
ing Williams with correspondence when
his address would soon be the dead let.
ter Office Being a man of much origi-
nality of action, he opened the letter,
and he read it his red face grew redder,
and when he had finished it he smote
the Office table until the old crack in it
ran an inch.
"Well, I'm jing swizzled, he cried.
And well he might be, for the letter
was from firm of lawyers in Troy
bany, N. z, informing Williams of the
death of his uncle, J. Cannon Piece;
also of the existence of will, by the
terms of which he was left the old mans
property, valued at something near
5000, 600, the property to go to his chill
dren born in wedlock, if he had any,
and to his brother Matthew if he died
without legitimate issue.
Winslow's face grew positively pur-
pie with the blood forced into his head by
hard thinking. Williams millionaire
and to be hanged inside of an hourl
Should he comfort his last few moments
by informing him that he would step
from goldbags here on to the golden
stairs up there? Or would the news COM
fort him at all, especially as it was cou-
pied with a proviso that the money in
an equally few minutes would belong
to his brother Matthew, whom the sheriff
remembered to have heard Williams
cursing with most fraternal fervor
Then the sheriff thought harder than
ever until his temporal veins seemed
likely to burst, and then, with a sudden
glance at his watch, he hurried out of
the Office and up to the condemned
mans cell
Excuse me, padre, he said. "but
wanter speak to Williams minnit on
a private matter. I"
The little priest bowed, took a piece
of chocolate from under his soutane and
went outside mu1ching it.
William" said the sheriff, grab.
bing him by the arm and drawing him
into the farther corner of the cell, ''D'ye
wanter iye?''
Say, Steve, said Williams, pulling
off his boot to hunt for loose peg,
what's the matter with your
Look here, =" said the sheriff. 'Did
you ever have an uncle in Troyhany?"
Eyes, Williams replied, my moth
er's brother, old Cannon Piece. He is a
river scraper or something of that. sort |
and crankier than stomps spindle. A"
well, he's dead, said the sheriff,
''and he's left you his money"
''How much?" asked Williams calm.
Ey, having found the peg.
lover half a million.
"Hully geep' cried Williams. "Why
5idn't the old man die six months ago?"
Moreover, upon your decease with
put legitimate ISSUE" pursued the
sheriff, with fine recollection of the
lawyers letter, 1.-THE property reverses to
your brother Matthew -
ITO that measly skunk, +" said Will
Iiams, with many omitted parts of
speech. Gee, but that's tough. Say,
sheriff, can't l get reprieve for few
weeks and kinder waste the property
from Mat little? I'd blow in the whole
town day and night for month. -
Cant be did,, said the sheriff sen.
Sentiously.
"See here, Steve Winslow, what's
Four gamer" asked Williams. with sort