The herald., 1896-02-04
HANGMAN's ROPE WAS TooLoNG
Expedient Of the Texas Sheriff to Over
come the Difficulty.

come the Difficulty.
"Hangings," said the man from Texas
talk about hangings-there's no
country in the world can beat the bor-
ders of the Rio Grande for neck pull
in. Capital punishment out there is as
common as pig tracks. They look on
hanging out there like every other hab-
it of life and it don't make no more ex-
citement than man getting drunk
does in Atlanta. The people 60 long and
mind their business and wouldn't step
out of their path to see a man swung
up. The first year was out there the
population decreased so rapidly on ac-
count of hangins that half the farms
were left uncultivated. The first day
I got there a little rope party was OH
deck. made up my mind to see 1t, as
always had curiosity about such
things, and saddled my mule and rode
over to little settlement where they
said the feller would be swung up. 1t
was the Quietest place L ever saw.
expected to see the people comm in
from miles about, but the place looked
dead as a door nail, and l was maxim
up my mind that the thing was off an
turned to ride away, when seed fel-
ler with a slouch hat on an a big key
in his hand comm down the road.
asked him bout the hangin', and when
it was goin' to be.
"'Soon as can git to the jailhouse,'
sez he.
"'Can witness it?' sez I.
In course yer cam sez he, perrin
at me curious like.
"'An' won't have to git no special
permit from the courtY sez I.
"'Court be burned. I'm the ruler of
this ranch. Can't you tell a sheriff
when you meets one in ther road?'
ut was all right then, SO 1 jes' tied
mule an followed long behind. We
went by one or two houses an the peo-
pie looked at me kinder pitiful like, an
heard one feller say had a long neck
for a moose. They thought the sheriff
was goin' to swing me up.
That Jail was the funniest place I
ever seed. 1t didn't have but two
rooms an they didn't have no windows.
The gallows was out to one side in a
grove of live oaks. went out there an
took my seat 'gainst one of those trees.
1t was as still as death. There warn't
nobody to be seen nowhere. The wind
/blOwed kinder mournful bout the gal
lows an Topped the rope ag'inst the
sides. stayed there about ten min
utes an was bout to give up the game
when the door opened an the sheriff
comes out leadin' a pale, lean lookin'
individual with big rope tied about
his hands. Another man that said he
was the Jail keeper an the sheriff's dep
uty came on behind. They told the po'
mortal to git OH the scaffold. He got up
there tremlin an quiverin', an pale
as sheet.
Got anything to say?" sez the sheriff.
1.-THE prisoner shook his head.
"'Want to make any confession" the
sheriff said agin.
But the prisoner didn't say anything
an jes' shook his head.
"'Want to say yer prayer? said the
sheriff again.
1.-THE man kept on shakin' his head.
"rhen the sheriff tole the deputy to
come up, an they tied q towel about
the mans eyes.
Commend your SOUL" said the sher-
iff. Let her 90, Bill!'
'"The trigger was knocked out, but,
by holy thunder, when the man shot
down his feet touched the ground an
lie stood there kinder tipto-like, jump
in an jerkin' almost tainted but that
sheriff stood there an didn't move.
"'Bill,' sez he, bitin' off chaw of to-
backer, go up to the house an git
shovel
II didn't wait to hear no more. rot
on my mule an went back home as fast
as l could. That country bout the Rio
Grande is the blamedest country fer
hangin's ever seed."-Atlanta Consti-
tIItiOn