Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-04
SOME REAL ACTING.
A Prisoner Who Denied His Mother
to Spare Her Pain.

From the Philadelphia Times.
Boys" said the sheriff Of Broncho
county, I've seen a Teller called Booth
play the part of a devil named Iago SO
that my fingers ttched to get holt of my
gun. I've seen a dago named Salvini play
a play named The Outlaw all in dago talk,
but didn't have to know that lingo to find
out he was a worse used man than any
that ever set foot in these whole United
States. There's woman, too. Clara Nor
ris: she gave me a chill that lasted week.
But I've seen man, a common, plain man
who could lay over them all. I saw him
DO just one piece of acting, AMI right after
had to hang him.
TT was good while ago, just after they
first got to electing me sheriff. had a
man In the jail and two deputies were
staying right with him all the time cause
we couldn't take no chances of his getting
away. him being convicted of murder and
waiting for his day to come to be hung IN.
1t was mighty mean, low down murder,
too Jury wasn't cut more'n five minutes
over it. His lawyers had tackled all the
courts he could gee into. but it was no go.
and the feller's time was sure coming; only
a couple of days off, 1t was. 1 think even
right then old man Dunn and his carpen-
tiers were out in the Jail yard working away
on the gallows.
"WcH. on this day. when you could hear
them carpenters knocking and saving back
in the yard, who comes into my Office ROOM
where l was sorting out some papers, but
this feller's lawyer and a little old lady
dressed in black clothes. She was a mighty
nice looking old lady, leaning considerably
against the lawyer, like she was nervous
and tired. The lawyer tells me she has an
idea that the Teller We were going TO hang
was her boy. He'd been loose from her
good lot of years, and she wasn't certain
it was him, but she'd took up the notion
somehow, and wanted to see to make sure.
Boys, l was broke up. 1 sorter felt her
notion was right. These here women folks
is what makes hangings mighty tough for
sheriffs. When a man thinks of 4 feler's
mother it gets right next to him, sure
Course, l couldn't do nothing but agree,
and l went with them, unlocking the doors
and feeling bad. When we got TO the cell,
there was the Teller sitting on a stool, read
ing book in the light that sifted through
deputies were right there too, one on each
side, looking glum and sour, for this guard
ing business is tough. mean job.
THE Teller was big, stout man, over
six foot high. He had thick whiskers over
his jaws and chin. They were black as a
crow and his face had the prison bleach
on. He hadn't been taking any care Of
himself, so he had shaggy, animal sort
of look about him.
TT wasn't much light in there and there
wasn't much room. The guards stood a
little to one side. and the man stood up as
we come in looking mighty curious at the
little old lady.
''She was all in a tremble and staggered
toward him, her poor old shaking hands
stretched out. She was saying:
George. George! My poor poor boy. It's
your old mother come to you
"I'll never forget to my dying day how
pitiful her voice sounded. There come a
big lump in my throat right there. But the
man kinder drew back and looked al her
sorrowful-like for second or two His
face never give him away nor his voice
either. He says:
Madame. there is one happiness still
left me. 1 can convince you of your mis-
take. Some likeness there might be, but
I am not your son. / never saw you before
in my life My mother died years ago. She
has been spared the pain of seeing me here,
as you also can go away relieved of the
thought that your son is as I am.
He talked so steady, so sure, so natural
ly sorry for the little old lady. too, and yet
so like the gospel truth, that you bet I
felt relieved and glad for her sake She
drew back and caught the lawyers arm,
saying:
1T has been so long ago. 1 am very
feeble and dent see well. The voice seems
like, yet unlike. l must be mistaken. Poor
fellow. l am indeed sorry for you and will
pray for YOU
Even at this the Teller never turned a
hair. Then we all turned and went out,
leaving him and his guards just as they
were before.
ut was all lie. 1t was his mother He
begged as never heard human beg, for
NE and the deputies rot to tell; to save his
mother from such a truth and her heart
from breaking. We never told her nor
nobody else. Shes dead herself now, so
it's no difference.
Gentlemen, that was acting. Think of
man pulling himself together, meeting her
SO sudden, and then fooling his own mother
without any preparing or nothin' That
fellows nerve was iron, 1 tell you. There
must have been some sort of good streak
in him anyhow. He died plumb game too
was a heap shaker at the hanging than
he was. hated to do 1t, but had to-"