The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-05
HIS DECEPTION.

ing for Denny Murphy. The sheriff's
sudden appearance ocoasioned no surprise,
for q warming of the same had preceded
him fully three hours, and, as direct re-
suit, Mr.. Murphy, one of the best cowmen
In the whole outfit, rode calmly over the
border and into the land where subp@nas
came not and warrants lost all their va
ndity.
A few days before the fugitive had been
on one of his periodical tears down in the
little settlement OF Quirtville and had been
far more turbulent and violative OF the
peace and dignity of Brcnoho county than
usual. He had dubbed the piano player
In French Pete's dance hall nearly to
death with the butt of his six shooter, had
shot out all the lights and window panes
in the resort; also three fingers from Pete's
good right hand, and then had ridden
away, defiant, vociferous and unscathed.
The afterclap was now present In the
Three Sevens camp in the shape of the
sheriff and those documents that begin so
sarcastically with the word greeting.
During the winter just passed some of
the cowboys had been visiting civilization
down in Fort Worth and had attended the
theater. Their minds being still filed
with the glorieS of the experience, they d.
verified the campfire talk after supper to
things theatrical. This brought out the
sheriff strong, for he had in his day been
all over the country and never lost an OPP
portunity of attending the playhouse.
''Boys" said he, sit was q 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
chance of his getting away, him being
convicted of murder and waiting for his
day to come to be hung in. 1t was a
mighty mean, low down murder too.
Jury wasn't out more'n five minutes over
it. His lawyers had tackled all the courts
he could got into, but it was no go, and
the fellows time was sure coming-only
a couple of days off, it was; I think even
right then old man Dunn and his carpen-
tors were out in the jailyard working
away on the gallows.
'Well, on this day, when you could hear
them carpenters knocking and saving
back in the yard, who comes into my Office
room, where was sorting out some pa
pers, but this feller's lawyer and little
old lady dressed in black clothes She
was a mighty nice looking old lady, lean
ing 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's
been loose from her good lot of years,
and she wasn't certain 1t was him, but
she'd took up the notion somehow and
wanted to see to make sure.
notion was right. These here women
folks is what makes hangings mighty
tough for sheriffs. When a man thinks of
q feller's mother, it gets right next to
him, sure.
"Course couldn't do nothing but agree,
and I went with them, unlocking the
doors and feeling bad. When we got to
the cell, there was the Teller sitting on
stool reading a book in the light that sift-
ed through the bars of his little window
hole. The two deputies were right there,
too, one on each side, looking glum and
sour, for this guardian business is a
tough, mean job.
1.-the Teller was big stout man, over 8
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 taken any care of himself,
so he had a shaggy, animal sort of look
about him.
sit wasn't much light in there. and
there wasn't much room. The guards
stood 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 tremble and staggered
toward him, her poor old shaking hands
stretched out She was saying:
"tGeorge, Georgel My poor, poor boy
It's your old mother come to you.
''I'H never forget to my dying day how
pitiful her voice sounded. There come
big lump in my throat right there. But
the man kinder drew back and looked at
her sorrowfullike for a second or two. His
face never gave him away nor his voice
either. He says:
- Madam, there is one happiness still
left me. I can convince you of your mis-
take. Some likeness there might be, but
1 am not your son. I never saw you be-
fore in my life. Ny mother died years
he, haa ha in If
ing me here, as you can also go away
lieved of the thought that your son is as I
am
He talked so steady, so sure, so natu-
rally 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 her lawyers arm,
saying:
:" 1t has been SO long ago. 1 am very
feeble and don't see we'll. The voice seems
like, yet unlike. I must be mistaken.
Poor fellow, am indeed sorry for you and
will pray for you'll
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.
"It was all lie. It was his mother.
He begged, as never heard a human beg,
for me and the deputies not to tell, to save
his mother from such q truth and her
heart from breaking. We never told her
nor nobody else. She's dead herself now,
SO it's no difference.
'Gentlemen, that was acting. Think
of man pulling himself together, meet
ing her SO sudden, and then fooling his own
mother, without any preparing or nothing.
That feller's nerve was iron, tell you.
There must have been some sort of good
streak in him anyhow. He died plumb
game too. 1 was a heap shaker at the
hanging than he was. 1 hated to do it,
but had to. '-Philadelphia Times.
Paris Not All French.