The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-14
JIM CUMSO DIED GAME.
(Continued from Sixth Page.)


 monotonous signing as Jim Cumso stepped forward to face the crowd, All the glory of summer and all the joy of life lay before him. The sun was gild- ing the valley, and the green of the hills restfully frightened the landscape. For an instant Jim drank In the pie ture. and then he lowered his eyes to the crowd. Neither hesitation nor fear was evident In his tone as he began his simple speech.
 Friends" said Jim, there's been some wrong done here. It ain't Bill Williams fault, and it aint the district judges. It ain't nobody's in particular but one man. Now, friends, I aln't speakin' for myself-you all know about me and how I stand, and I ain't no reason to complain. I've been done right by, and I've got what l deserve. If the truth was told, I oughter been here long ago"
 He turned to the form crouching in the chair beside him, and one strong hand fell protectingly on the young Italians quivering shoulder. "It's here" be resumed. This man is innocent as a baby; why, he don't even know what you're hangin' him for''
 The pushing and jostling crowd ex- pressed its amazement, pressed closer, and finally laughed. The sheriff took 0 step forward. With a gesture of reso- 1ution Jim waved him back, while the determined lines of his face quickly stilled the levity of the onlookers.
 "He's been treated mean Jim went on steadily. Friends, there was man killed down at the tie camp, and in the excitement of yankin' in the party re- sponsible they lighted on this poor, un- offendin' Dago; prob'bly because there ain't much use in tryin' the identtfica- tion process just 10 find one. And not knowin' how to talk natchral like most of us, he don't put in no holler till twas too late for anythin' to be done. Back in Italy this feller's got girl waitin for him. and last night he had her pie ture in his cell down at Bill Williams jail. He was cryin over it, and l asks him what's the row; and then I learns his story, and how the man who did the killin' had imposed on him. Friends, ask you all to believe this story that Pm tellin' you, and give this man a fair shake-'
 At this moment there was a quick movement in the portion of the crowd that had taken up its position directly in front of the scaffold A man was frantically trying to elbow his way through that great mass of humanity and away from the platform. Jim looked at Giuseppe. The latter was staring at the fleeing figure, and dumb- 1y pointing in its direction with a trem- bling finger. Cumso turned again to the crowd.
 "Stop that man. he cried, "or yoL'll be short hangin' in Oxide that'H be really worth comin' to see!" Two dep- uties in the crowd had acted even be- fore Jim spoke, and the interpreter was now struggling with them on the outer edge of the gathering. It was q brief and unequal struggle, ending as might have been expected.
 When you've stretched that indvid- ual,' Jim resumed with good humor, land let loose my friend Giuseppe here, you'll be doin' more for justice than was ever done before in Oxide in one day" Jim turned to the district judge, who was close by: You'll give him a fair show this time' he entreat- ed.
 The judge had been very much sur prised. He had said God bless me- quite three times and that the turn of events was not exactly regular in law. But Jim's story was a convincing one. Besides, there was the other prisoner. The district judge nodded