Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1896-05-15
HIS DECEPTION.


Late one afternoon the sheriff of Bron-
cho county came riding into camp, inquir-
ing for Donny Murphy. Tho shoriff's
sudden appearance occasioned no surprise,
for warning of the same had preceded
him fully three hours, and, as direct re-
suit, Mr.. Murphy, one of tho best cowmen
in the whole outfit, rode calmly over the
border and into the land where subpHnas
came not and warrants lost all their va.
lidity
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 Broncho 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 tho resort; ;also three fingers from Pete's
good right hand, and then had ridden
away, defiant, vociferous and unscathod.
The afterclap was now present in the
Three Seyens 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 tho
theater. Their minds being still filled
with the glories of the experience, they di-
verted the campfire talk after supper to
things theatrical. This brought out tho
sheriff strong, for he had in his day been
all over the country and never lost an op-
portunity of attending the playhouse.
"Boys," said he "it was good while
ago, just after they first got to electing mo
sheriff. / had man in the jail, and two
deputies were staying right with him all
the time, cause VIC couldn't take no
chance of his getting away, him being
convicted of murder and waiting for his
day to come to bo hung in. 1t was Il
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 60, and
the fellows time was sure coming-only
couple of days off, it was l think even
right then old man Dunn and his carpen-
ters 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 l was sorting out some pa
pers, but this feller's lawyer and little
old lady dressed in black clothes. She
was mighty nico looking old lady, lean
Ing considerably against the lawyer, like
she was nervous and tired. The lawyer
tells mo she has an idea that the feller 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 sec to make sure.
"Boys, / was broke up. sorter felt her
notion was right These here women
folks is what makes hangings mighty
tough for sheriffs. When man thinks of
feller's mother, it gets right next to
him, sure.
''Course couldn't do nothing but agree,
and ! went with thom, unlocking the
doors and feeling bad. When we got to
the cell, there was the feller sitting on a
stool reading 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
eouA, Aol on.o Su"hoAt'n ousiaoo' -
tougn, mean Jop.
me Ieiler was pig STOUT man. over Q
ioot hlgh. re had thick whlsKers over MS
jaws ana ohlh. Ihey were plaoK as a
crow, and his face had the prison bleach
on. He hadn't taken any care Of himself,
SO he had shaggy, animal sort Of look
apoub MN.
III WASN'T Inuch ilgh1 IN there' ana
tnere WASN'T much room. me guards
stood lttle 70 one side, ana inc man
stooo up as we come lh' looking mlghty
curious at the iittle oia laay.
ohe was an III trempie ana staggered
toward MN, her poor old shaking hands
stretched out. she was saying;
lCs your olu nlotner coiho 70 you.
~ never !oreeo 70 my Lying uay now
pltllul her voice sounded. Inefe come q
Dig lump ID my throau rlght tnere. but
tne man klnaer ureW pack anu !ookeu at
ner sorrow1ulllKe ior a second OF TWO. HIS
race never gave MIN away nor MS voice
either. lie says: J.,
Madam, there IS one happiness still
left me. ! can convince you OF your mis-
take. Some likeness there might be, put
am not your son. l never saw you be-
fore IN my life MY mother died years
ago. She has been spared the pain OF see
ing me here, as you can also go away re-
lieved of the thought that your son is as
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 !
felt relieved and glad for her sake. SShe
drew back and caught her lawyers arm,