The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-03-05
A TIN CUP VERDICT

The sun was low toward the western
peaks when old Jones and his nephew
halted their teams for the night. Old
Jones and his relative were freighters,
and the crack Of their long, shot filled
mule whips and the crcak of their heavy
wagons had been heard in half of the
camps of Colorado
The four wagons tonight were swung
into the segment of circle, and the
mules were cast loose from the straps in
which through the day they pulled. At
this relief these grateful slaves stood
about and attested their joy in the loud
cries peculiar to their kind, but which
are so unfortunate in thoir lack Of har.
mony. To stop this the nephew went
about giving them their vesper feed
This he placed in morals or nosebags,
which he hung to their hungry heads
Old Jones built little fire and hegan
the compilation Of an intricate but sa-
worry dish known to those happy ones who
have the recipe as "freighter's stew.
Supper over, the two freightors sat
about in the lurking shadows made by
the fires blink and glimmer, smoking
their pipes. All at once there was q
commotion in the band Of mules. Those
patient folk, who had scrambled and
pulled all day over Il rough mountain
trail with wagons loaded on the princi.
pie Of 200 pounds to a mule, and who
now in the proprieties Of mule life
should be at peace with the world, were
charging about and snorting in very
alarming way.
"Injuns!' r. said old Jones, showing
back into the gloom. "lnjuns for
81 900! There amt no animal on earth,
bar Injuns, ever makes mules take on
that away"
The nephew thought so too. Old
Jones and the nephew did not fear at
tack. There were no Injuns about that
were not described as friendly.
What they did fear was that the
mules might be stampeded. Stamped
ing stock is a great aboriginal industry.
The Indian will sneak up, flap blanket,
stampede your cattle or mules and then
claim 81 head for finding them for
you. Thus do these wise sons of nature
fill their Golfers and exact revenue
from those who cross their lands.
Jones nephew took a winchester from
a wagon and began to work his eau.
tious, silent way toward the mules.
These last were still snorting and shy.
ing as if prey to wild alarm. The
nephew disappeared in the darkness.
Old Jones placed his hand over his pipe
bowl so its fiery eye could not be seen
and peered after him into the gloom.
Bang Bang Bangw 1t was the
winchester speaking, 1t told the Indian
policy Of the border, and very suffi.
cient policy it is too. Old Jones at the
sound heaved sigh, but never moved.
After a little the nephew came in to the
fire. He seemed alert, hopeful and unre.
lenting as to the winchester Indian pol.
icy.
did you stretch one;" said old Jones.
81 think most likely l did, " said the
nephew in II sanguine way. 1--WE can
tell in the morning, shore.
The mules were now quiet. Firearms
had no terror for them. They coulG
stand the Odor Of gunpowder, but Of In
dians-bah No mule Of taste coulC
stand it "a second After another halt
hour old Jones and his nephew kicked
out the embers Of their fire and went tC
sleep.
Old Jones and his nephew had visit
ors in the morning. The whole Ute tribe
and their Pgent came to the freighters
camp. The members Of the Jones family
at once seized their wihchesters anC
alacriously prepared for war. The Ute.
ran about, jumping and yelling and de
manding vengeance. Old Jones and his
nephew stood silent and grim hehinC
their wagons and showed their irOL
teeth. The agent insisted ON peace
Would the Jones who had killed the
| Ute the night before give himself up
He would be guaranteed from harm, but
| the UteS insisted on his arrest. They
| the Indians, would attack the wagons
if the criminal did not surrender. Sc
| spoke the agent, nervous little inCOm
petent, as many an Indian agent is.
"Give up nothing, said old Jone!
| ucIlssNtlS' IOu NGll blltlll SlCS u
they want anything round yere TO walt.
in and get it. "
The Utcs howled and danced still
harder and higher at this, and the agen
talked more earnestly than ever. HI
threatened the Joneses with the power
of the government This was too much
They would fight the whole Ute tribe
but they We're afraid of Uncle Sam. Aft
er brief parley the nephew stepped ou
and gave himself up to the agent. He
would have displayed more sense if he
had remained behind his wagon anC
died in the smoke of his winchester.
The agent, the nephew and the Ute'
did not go mile toward the agency be
fore the Indians took the nephew, anC
tying him to pine tree spent severa
blissful hours in torturing him to death
The agent was powerless to interfere.
Jones, the elder, knew the truth the
evelRng of the same day. He turned {
little pale under the 30 years of tai
which Drowned his face, but said moth
ing. As well us he could he managed tC
hitch up his teams and went ahead
MM