The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-12-08
SELECTED STORY.
An Electrical Slip.

fenced to be hanged by the neck until
he was dead, and might the Lord have
mercy on his soul. Everybody agreed
that il was righteous verdict, but no W
that he was sentenced they added,
"Poor fellowp
Albert Prior was young fellow who
had had more of his own way than was
good for him. His own familY-father,
mother, brothers and ssters-had given
wav 10 him so much that be appeared
to think the world at large should do
the same. The world differed with him.
Unfortunately the first to oppose bis
violent will was woman-a girl al
most She would have nothing to do
with him and told him so. He stormed
of course, but did not look upon her
opposition as serious. No girl in her
senses could continue TO refuse young
man of his prospects in life. But when
he heard that she had become engaged
to young Bowen, the telegraph opera
tor, Prior's rage passed all bounds. He
determined to frighten Bowen out of
the place and called at the telegraph
Office for that laudable purpose, but
Bowen was the night operator and was
absent. The day man, with smile,
not knowing what he did, said Bowen
would likely be found at the Parker
place, where Miss Johnson lived with
her aunt, her parents being dead.
Prior ground his teeth and departed.
He found Miss johnson at home, but
alone. There was stormy scene, end
ing with the tragedy. He fired four
times at her, keeping the other two
e. l.; inf hn q
coward and cur at heart, and when it
came to the point of putting the two
bullets into himself he quailed and
thought it best to escape. Then elec-
tricity did him its first disservlce. 1t
sent its description far and wide, cap
turing him thirty-two miles from home.
He was taken back to the country town
where he lived, and lodged in Jail.
Public opinion, ever right and all
powerful, now asserted itself. The
outward and visible sign of its action
was an ominous gathering of dark
browed citizens outside the Jail. There
were determined mutterings among
the crowd rather than outspoken anger,
but the mob was the more dangerous
on that account. One man in its midst
thrust his closed hand toward the sky,
and from his hand dangled rope. A
cry like the growing of a pack of
wolves went up as the mob saw the
rope, and they clamored at the gates of
the Jail.
Lynch himl Jailer, give up the
keysl" was the cry
The agitated sheriff knew his duty,
but hesitated to perform it.
D..t 81 Nha
clamor had ceased. A young man with
pale face and red eyes stood on the top
of the stone wall that surrounded the
Jail. He held up his hand, and there
was instant silence. They all recog.
nized him as Bowen, the night oper-
ator, to whom she had been engaged.
Gentlemen" he cried, and his clear
voice reached the outskirts of the
crowd, "don't do it. Don't put an
everlasting stain on the fair name of
our town. No one has ever been
lynched in this county, and none in
this State 80 far as 1 know. Don't let
us begin it. If 1 thought the miserable
scoundrel inside would escape-if 1
thought his money would buy him Off
I'd be the man to lead you to batter
down those doors and hang him on the
nearest tree, and you know it,"
There were cheers at this.
"But he won't escape. His money
can't buy him off. He will be hanged
by the law. Don't think it's mercy I'm
preaching, it's vengeance!" Bowen
shook his clinched fist at the Jail.
since he heard your shouts. He'll be
in hell, for he's bastard, until the
time his trembling legs carry him to
the scaffold. want him to stay in his
hell till he drops through into the other,
If there is one. l want him to suffer
some of the misery he has caused.
Lynching is over in moment. 1 want
that murderer to die by the slow, merci-
less cruelty of the law"
Even the worst in the crowd shud-
dered as he heard these words, and
realized as they looked at Bowen's face,
already inhuman in it's rage, that his
thirst for revenge made their own seem
almost innocent. The man with the
rope threw it over into the Jail yard,
shouting to the sheriff:
"Take care of it, old man; you'll
need it,"
And 80 it came about, just as Bowen
knew it would, that all the money and
influence of the Prior family could not
help the murderer, and he was SEN
fenced to be hanged on September 81,
at six A. NJ. And thus public opinion
was satisfied.
But the moment the sentence was
announced and the fate of the young
man was settled curious change be.
gan to be noticed in public opinion. 1t
seemed TO have veered round. There
was much sympathy for the family of
course. Then there came to be much
sympathy for the criminal himself.
People quoted the phrase about the
worst use man can be put to. Ladies
sent flowers TO the condemned mans
cell.
After all, hanging him, poor fellow,
would not bring Miss johnson back to
life. However, few spoke of Miss
Johnson; she was forgotten by all but
one man, who ground his teeth when
he realized the instability of public
opinion.
Petitions were gotten up, headed by
the local clergy. Women begged for
signatures and got them. Every man
and woman signed them-all except
one. and evan he waa uruad IN aiun hv