Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-01-16
UNDER AMUSEMENT.

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
ST asked him to drink like a gentle
man., said Williams in his defense,
'and when he wouldn't even take a ci-
gar 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 suffi-
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, Methodist,
being a timekeeper in the smelling Office
ON weekdays Williams was tugging at
a 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 a 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,
I,o c. l.
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. Y, 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, 900, 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 hour!
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 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 sudden
glance at his watch, he hurried out of
the office and up to the condemned
man s cell.
Excuse me, padre, he said, "but
wanter speak to Williams minnit on
a private matter "
The little priest bowed, took piece
of chocolate from under his soutane and
went outside munohing it.
williams said the sheriff, grab
bing him by the arm and drawing him
into the farther corner of the cell, ''D'ye
wanter live?'
"Say, Steve, said Williams, pulling
off his boot to hunt for loose peg,
whats the matter with you?"
''Look here said the sheriff 'Did
you ever have an uncle in Troybany?"
eyes, Williams replied, my moth
er's brother, old Cannon Piece He is
river scraper or something of that sort
and crankier than stomps spindle.
'Well, he's dead, said the sheriff,
and he's left you his money"
''How much?" asked Williams calm
X, having found the peg
cover half a million.
"Hully geep' cried Williams. "Why
didn't the old man die six months ago?"
Moreover, upon your decease with
out legitimate ISSUE" pursued the
sheriff, with a fine recollection of the
lawyers letter, 'the property reverses to
your brother Matthew. "
''Io that measly skunk, ?" said Will
liams, Nth many omitted parts of
speech. S\Gee, but that's tough. Say,
sheriff, can't get reprieve for few
weeks and kinder waste the property
from Nat little? I'd blow in the whole
town day ana hight for month -
Cant be did," said the sheriff SEN
tentiously.
''See here, Steve Winslow, what's
your game?' asked Williams, with a sort
Of yelp in his voice.
The sheriff stepred quickly to the cell
door, looked down the gallery at the
dozen or SO fellows squatted in the shade
Of the south wall and came back with
his face shortened a full inch by the
compression of his mouth and eyes.
''Just this, Williams, he said in the
prisoner S ear. "Sw' ar to divvy with me
share and share alike-in your for
tune; sw ar that you hopeyou'l II burn for
ever if you break your word, and I'll fix
the rope SO that it don't kill, and after
ward we'll tote together to Troy bany
and claim the property. Dye sw' arp
"Why, of course I do" said Will
liams.
"Well, sw ar it then. " And Williams
repeated the scorching words. 3
CHOW, said the sheriff, ''I'll go ard
get the rope and fix the coroner. Tvs
pretty nigh drunk anyhow, and has been
for a week and another horn or Two