Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-04
FULFILLED THE LAW.


1875. Jack Langworthy, local celebrity
d had killed "A tenderfoot from Pennsylvania
4 and there was naturally some curiosity, il
not to say excitement over the affair.
The circumstances of the case were like
, this:
Jack and the Pennsylvania were hav
j ing a little game of cards when the former
noticed slight deception on the part OF
his adversary in the way of dealing him
self from one to four cards too many and
concealing them in his coat sleeve
"Sich proceedings are entirely foreign
to the customs of this yere camp" finally
remarked Langworthy and at the same
time he sent bullet into the tenderfoot's
head.
The rude law of Scratch Gravel took
cognizance of this fact, and Jack was ar
rested. few weeks later he was arraign-
ed for the murder and pleaded guilty.
The judge sentenced him to be hang
ed. Then Jack made speech. He said:
81 killed the man, know, and perhaps
it's fair enough that l should die too.
Leastways don't set up my Judgment
| ag'in that of the court. The laws of
| Scratch Gravel should be enforced, but
| just now Pm sort of sorry the enforcement
is necessary. The deal is a hard one, and
the worst of it all is that the roughness is
not ag in me alone-oh, no, not ag in me,
but Sally and the twins
II don't care for myself-just as soon
go as not-but when think of the twins
tell you I can't stand it, You see, the
twins are boys-both boys. They are rat
tling pair, and no mistake. / alters reok-
hp txvi irc 'v,,or toe l.,
in the world but If their father is to be
hanged-that settles it, What would the
twins ever mount to thenp
Now, If could go some other way, it
wouldn't look so bad-the twins might
pull throughput to be strung up like a
common thief, it would be a weight on
them ERE twins that 'ud keep 'em down
forever. So you see, it amt for myself
that | care, not for me and not for Sally
SO much either, although l do kinder like
the old gal, but the twins. Well, it breaks
me all up to think of leaving them, it
does for certain fact. Jedge, when will
the performance take place?'
The unfortunate man was informed
that the 10th of July was the date fixed
for his execution, and that he should make
preparations to be ON hand at that time
punctually SO as not to delay the proceed
ings.
"You see, jack said the Judge famil-
iarly, 1--WE amt going to be mean enough
to look you up; not you-it wouldn't be
right-not with an honorable man like
you. 1t amt for any dislike for you or
bad feeling that we're going to hang you,
Jack, but it's the law, you know, the law.
So you'll make it a point of honor, Jack,
to be on hand when the time comes"
For the next week Jack staid at home
pretty much all the time Occasionally
some of his friends would drop in to ask
about his health and the health of the
twins. The slightest mention Of the lat
ter would set his tongue in motion, and
somehow he seemed to think there were
no other children in the world worth talk
ing about.
"They'll pull way ahead of their old dad
ina few years, " he had often said. "Maybe
one OF emil be an auctioneer or bank
president and the other steamboat cap
tain-who knows? Them boys are smart"
One evening, just a week prior to the
date fixed for his execution, he seated HIM
self on bowlder near his cabin door and
took the twins in his arms They were
little fellows and climbed all over him.
One of them got his little brown arm
around the paternal neck and pulled the
grizzly beard with his chubby fingers.
Then, looking into the upturned face, he |
said sorrowfully:
"Theres wasser in your eyes, dad.
What'yr matter?'
Jack put the child down rather roughly,
and remarking, as he brushed his eyes,
that it was mighty hot that evening he
walked into the house.
The 10th of July arrived. In the MORN
ing, quite early, Bill Drake, an old time
friend Of Jack, came to see him.
Seems to me thar ought to be some
way to get out of this, remarked Bill
''You wouldn't slip away, would youp'
II don't want to shoot you, Bill" he
said fiercely, but I'll do it, sure, If you re-
peat that insult. Thought you knew me
better than that. Pm ashamed of you'll"
But you don't understand me!' ex-
claimed Bill excitedly. "Listenl The
jedge sentenced you to be hanged the 10th
of July, but he forgot to name the year!
The 10th of July ten years from now will
do, or longer. He only said the 10th of
JulyW
DuU uo tOuty, Sttlu JACK, uT6m-
bling in every limb.
But he didn 'tsay it. You may suit your
own convenience about the year, Jack.
For your own sake, and for the sake of the
twins, skip!'
There was much disappointment that
afternoon among the citizens of Scratch
Gravel when it was discovered that Jack
was gone. Search was made of his cabin,
but there were no signs of Sally, Jack or
the twins. They were gone for good.
And now comes the strangest part of
the story. The 10th of July five years
later gray old man, bent nearly double,
thrust his shadowy form into the presence
Of the chief magistrate of Scratch Gravel
and demanded hearing.
II am Jack Langworthy, he said, "and
have come back, according to my prom
$50, to be hanged. You see the twins are
iead-both dead-and Sally, she's gone to
run away with another man, and now
I've come back to meet the requirements
If the law. There has been some delay,
III admit, but was bound to come back
'ome time, and here am"
The laws and customs of Scratch Gravel
lad changed somewhat since Jack depart
I'd the place five years before, and as the
flair in which he was interested was no
onger sensation sf the day he was SIM :
,ly told to leave the town us soon as pos !
ible. He went at once, and when last
cen alive he was tramping slowly out of !
own, with his face toward the setting
un. ,
A little later in the year, when the
ushes began to shed their leaves and the
ines that tumbled over the gray rocks
7ere touched with frost, the ileshless
rame of a man was found suspended from
rock over deep ravine. 1t was Jack
Failing to find an execu- f
Ioner when he wanted one, he had taken r
be matter into his own hand and hanged 8
imself = Exchange. t,