Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-11-14
The STORY Telter.
A POINT OF HONOR.
AN ODD WESTERN SKETCH.

Gravel on the morning of June 23d
1875. Jack Langworthy, local ce.
lebrity, had killed a tenderfoot, and
there was naturally some curiosity
not to say excitement, over the affair
The circumstances of the case were
these: Jack and the tenderfoot were
having a little game of cards, when the
former noticed a slight deception or
the partof his adversary in the way o.
dealing himself from one to four cards
too many, and concealing them in his
coatsleeve. y.
"Sich proceedings are entirely for
eign to the customs of this camp
finally remarked Langworthy; and at
the same time sent pistol-shot into
the tenderfoot. The ball passed dag
onally through the head from the base
of his left ear, and, ranging downward,
made final entrance into the side OF
whisky.barrel, which stood in one
corner of the room.
"Youll lose some of yer whisky il
you don't regulate the hole I've just
made in that ere BARREL" quietly re.
marked Jack to the proprietor of the
place, adding, parenthetically, "and
it's good liquor, too"
AS for the tenderfoot-well, he was
dead.
The rude law of Scotch Gravel took
cognizance of the fact, and also of the
manner Of his death, and Jack was
arrested. A few weeks later he was
arraigned for the murder. and pleaded
guilty. The judge sentenced him to
be hanged. Then Jack made a speech.
Among other things, he said:
II killed the man, I know, and per-
haps it's fair enough that should die,
too. Eeastwise, I don't set up my
judgment ag'in' that of the court.
The laws of Scratch Gravel should be
enforced, but just now I'm sort o.
sorry the inforcement is necessary.
The deal is hard one, and the worst
of it all is that the roughness is not
ag'in' nae alone-oh, no, not ag'in' me,
but Sally and the twins. 1 don't care
fer myself-just as soon go as not
but when I think of the twins l think,
I think, by mighty! I'll have to tell
you I can't stand it. You see, the
twins are boys-both boys-and they
are fine pair an no mistake. l
alters reckoned ON the twins mount
ing to something in. the world, but if
their father is to be hangad-that
settles it. What would the twins ever
amount to then? Now, if could 60
some other way it wouldn't look so
bad-but to be strung up like COM
mon thief, it would be a weight on
them 'ere twins that 'ud keep 'em
down forever. So you see it amt fer
myself that I care-not fer me, and
not fer Sally 80 much, either, although
1 do kinder like the old gal-but the
twins. Well, it breaks me all up to
think of leaving 'em, it does fer a
certain fact. Jedge, when will the
performance take place p"
The unfortunate was informed that
the 10th of July was the date fixed for
his execution, and that he should make
preparations to be on hand at that
time punctually, so as not to delay the
proceedings.
"You see, jack" said the judge,
Familiarity, "we amt goin' to be mean
enough to lock you up, not you-it
wouldn't be right-not with an honor
able man like you. 1t amt fer any
dislike fer you or bad feeling that we're
going to hang you, Jack, but it's the
law, you know, the law. So you'll
make it a point of honor, Jack, to
be On hand when the time comes"
For the next week Jack stayed at
home nearly all the time. Occasional
ly some of his friends would drop in to
ask about his health and the health of
the twins. The slightest mention of
the latter would set his tongue in mo-
ton, and somehow he seemed to think
there were no other children in the
world worth talking about.
"They'll pull way ahead of their
old dad in a fow years." he had often
said. "May5e one of 'em III be an
auctioneer or a Lank president, and
the other a steamboat captain-who
knows? Them twins are smart"
1t was the month of June. Won
derfully bright the sun shone, wonder
fully sweet the birds sang, wonderful
ly gray and bare and cold were the
distant mountains. 1t seemed to Jack
that all creation was smiling over his
misfortune, and mocking him for a
coward who was afraid to die.
One evening, just week prior to
the date fixed for his execution, he
seated himself on a boulder near his
cabin door and took the twins in his
arms. The little fellows climbed all
over him. One of them put his brown
arm around the paternal neck and
pulled the grizzly hair and beard with
his chubby fingers. Then looking into
the upturned face, he said sorrowfully:
"Ther's water in your eyes, daddy.
What's the matter ?
Jack put the child down rather
roughly, and remarking, as he brush
ed his eyes, that the "skeeters war
mighty troublesome on that evening""
ua ,yolL od into tho house