The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-03-08
A KENTUCKY EPISODE.

1
OF character. Climate and surroundings
have a tendency to accentuate their pc
.uliarities, which differ not only among
individuals but in localities. On the
western frontier, they are generally
men who enjoy reputationSfor deeds
OF daring and have been engaged In
perhaps more than one bloody encoun-
ter. In the east where life is held more
precious and perlls are not so frequent
they are brave but are not reckless,
more conservative and thoughtful OF
consequences. The southern sheriff is
unlike any OF his brother officers. He
Us perhaps as determined, but slower
In his methods and more disposed to
view the situation leniently.
While not criminally or unprofession-
ally careless, he Is generous in spirit
and seldom severe, unless there is a
necessity for severity, then he can be
as unrelenting as any of his fellows.
But the southern sheriff of to-CNy diff
fers essentially from his prototype of
ante-bellum renowh In northeastern
Kentucky, long before rival hostilities
were dreamed OF, there lived Uncle
|
very acceptably in the capacity of sher-
iff. On one occasion he was called
upon to escort q certain Larkin Lane to
the penitentiary at Frankfort.
Lane had been sentenced to two
years by a jury of his fellows for bit
ling off the lip of one McAvoy. The
two had engaged in some dispute over
their cups. insults were exchanged and
blows ensued. In the tussle Lane fast
ened his teeth in the protruding under
lip of his adversary, and when the two
were separated il was found that he
had borne away the neither portion OF
lMcAvoy's mouth.
The crowd which had gathered to
witness the fight was summarily dis
Ipersed by the explosion of powder
horn, which some tipsy on-looker, In q
sort Of fiendish fun, had thrown into
the fire.
In due time the case was tried in the
Icircuit court. The defendants friends
notified him that If he would leave the
state and forfeit his bail the prescott
ton would be dismissed. This he most
Ipercmptorily declined to do. So the
case proceeded and as the facts were
undeniable Lane was found guilty
of mayhem and sentenced TO hard
labor for n term OF two years. IL then
Ibecame Uncle Bucks duty to see the
Iprisoner safe, within the walls OF the
Ipenitentihry.
sWhy. Uncle RL:k," said he, "my
Icrop amt gathered. my hogs amt Kill
led aud amt got cord of my winters
wood cut nor hauled. Do you suppose
Pm gwine to leave my family in that
IfixT
"Well. Larkin," replied Uncle Buck,
at does look pretty hard. l tel You
what III do If you'll give me yer word
of honor rs a gentleman to meet me Ill
Frankfort by the middle OF November.
lITI"trust You and let You go home SOS
Won can fix your folks up comfortable.
But mind. you're to be thar. dead GER
tain. on the 18th of November. Ghore
las your names Lane-you promises?
$50 help me God. I'll be thar, Uncle
Buck" And they shook hands over the
agreement
With the aid OF his neighbors Lane
set to work with might and main and
Icompleted his preparation several DAYS
before his allotted time. His friends
Iagain URGED him 10 flee the country,
but he disdainfully replied:
$50 long as I've got blood in my
veins I'll never GO back on my word
nor on Uncle Buck"
His wife with tears and entreaties.
appealed to him. "Larkir.' said she,
spears to me yer think mighty little
o. me and the children TO 60 Oft ana
leave us for two years, besides the dis
grace o. bein' I'm the penitentiary. when
yer can les cross the line into Ohio,
or 60 south fifty miles and hide your
A. a.,- NglNa 1yfI Inn
any the worse for IL IL you do get Off,
and It'll about kin me to see you go
to that place"
"Marthy Jane" said Lnrkin, 'do you
mean to say that YOU and the children
would rnther hev me tell a pint blanl;
lie and stink around like sheep-killinG
dog. afeared ter look people in the face,
hidin' from everybody | know, then 10
take my punishment like man and
keep my word? S'pose | did chaw the
lip off o. that ornery cuss and have ter
go TO the penitentiary for 1t. that isn't
az bad as to turn liar and sneak around
all he rest Of my life! VOW, Marthy
Jane. I'm ashamed TO think you'd want
me to do it-but women never did have
no sense 'hort l,cenin' n contract"
Thus rebuked. the wife wept and
counted tho days as they passed. and
then the hours rs they went ny so
swiftly and relentlessly. And now the
time had come when the goodbyes
must be spoken for, rs he was to walk
across the country, he had to set out
several days in advance of the one
specified for his arrival in Frankfort.
Larkin Lane was a man of splendid
physique, tall, sturdy. mountaineer,
standing six feet two or three inches
in his stockings; strong and athletic,
i'm the full vigor of manhood. Five
counties lay between him and Frank
fort, with hill and dale, forest and
stream, town and hamlet. The au-
tumn landscape was in it's full glory
Of color. nature had put on her most
gorgeous attire. A subtle sense of her
beauty crept into his cultured soul,
and made II conscious, in large
measure. Of the loss he was about to
incrr. Heretofore he had looked on
green fields and wooded hills, winding
creeks and lovely valleys and had the
right to wander when and where he
would. as a matter Of course.
But now all was to b. changed.
These were to be shut out sour walls
would inclose his world, and he, the
free mountaineer, must come and go