The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-09-19
sENrENcEp us son 10 pEATH.
Tragic scene During a Trial for Murder
In the West.

-
Tragic Scene During q Trial for Murder
In the West.
zone of the most tragic scenes / ever
witnessed" remarked a western judge,
occurred in a courtroom in a small
town in n of the new western states.
That is to say, it was new then, but that
has been 40 years ago, and 1 was out
there growing up with the country
and showing people how much law q
youngster Of 81 or % has Mt his fingers
ends The judge was a man of so or
more, and in addition to a most vener-
able and dignified appearance and man,
ner, he was the saddest-faced man ]
ever saw. He had come to town ten
or a dozen years before from the east
and we knew little of him, except he
was IN able lawyer and jurist and his
wife, who was the only other member
of his family, and himself had some
great sorrow which they had sought
some escape from by going into a far
country.
"Ours was a quiet town md the Judge
and his wife seemed to live serenely
enough, but they were evidently grow
ing old and feeble ahead of their time.
One night our town was all torn up over
oFrbhlhery and murder and the capture
rpser nd thief almost in the act.
and there, but nHaaRna lYnched then
as daylight came proceedings were in
stituted against the prisoner, and / WI.
appointed with another youngster to dc.
fend him.
Really there wasn't any defense an5
1 was frank enough to tell him TINT he
might be thankful if we could a v him
from lynching. He was a stranger in
the town, evidently led there by some
stories he lad heard of an old miser we
nad among us, and was man of perbana
80 OF "a, with a most unprepossessinp
appearance. greatly accentuated bv I
weeks growth of rough whiskers. wears
dissipation and hard living. In those
Jays and in such cases the laws DELAY
was not much in force and by six o'clock
Q the second day the prisoner was
standing before the judge to receive
sentence. AS he stood there that dav
? harder looking customer 1 think +
never saw.
you anything to saw WIN
sentence of death should not be nro.
Uunced upon you? 2 said the Judge, after
III the preliminaries were ' e
have, your honor, If you are to
pronounce that sentence replied the
prisoner, with an air of almost i'm.
'ertinence. AT least he added. baIf
-pologetically, possibly under the cir
substances You might not care to pro-
Iounce it,
Ihls was entirely cut Of the ordinary
1 touched my client ON the arm and
aboutt to remind him ofthe customs
I the court when the Judge requested
1e to leave the prisoner to him.
vii you be kind enough tn ex-
iain?' he said, in a strangely excited
1ne.
Vel, your honor responded the
flsoner. without q quaver of voice. .as
m your only ION
But the judge heard no more. II Wa
Vluent that he knew the prisoner was .
'iiing the truth, for with a groan he
Anew up his hands and fell forward
ross the desk in front of him. dead. /
2 little stream of blood trirkled :
his lips. The excitement was ter
n IN the midst of it the prisoner
lsned through a window and would
.ye escaped, but a timely shot from ! 6
IN the hands of a man on the ont /
ae settled him forever. And, best a. :
: ms mother never knew. She lin 4
RED q few months after her husbands !
attn M the entire population of the :
considered it to be a sacred obIi-
llon to he to her about the whole af- :
r-Washington Star.
Youngest Married Couple. =