The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
PRAYER SAVED HIS LIFE.
NoBE sPRACkE7Ts DEMoEsTRA-
TION OF r EFFICACY.
All NiEht re Kpelt In duplication By the Foot
or the Tell Pine at the Head OF tho Canon
ana All the Morning Kept II Up. ana at
49,. A. lnnf nj tEn LEnchnra EleA.

or the Tall Pine ut the Head or tho Canon
ana All the Morning Kept II Up. and at
Noon the LAST or tho Lynchers Ricd.
BIsMARcK, N. D., Dec. 15.-wondcrful is the
efficacy of prayer. Wonderful was the dem
onstration of Its efficacy in the case of Nobe
Spra> EFT, who was to have been hanged by
tho Vigilance Committee, in the carly days of
the grea. stock ranges OF eastern Montana and
westcta Dakota. To this day tho grizzled
plainsman will toll how prayer saved Nobe's
neck from the moose and his soul from n sud
den plunge into the mysterious shades of eter-
nifty, for which transition he was as untitled as
tho average horse thief, who has been caught
red handed in tho commission of that worst of
offences against the law OF the prairie.
Nobe was discovered in the act Of enticing
away at the end of o halter strap tho favorite
saddle horse of Sheriff Weaver. in defence OF
himself he stated. ito his accusers Of the Vigi.
lance Committee that he had purchased a
halter and was carrying 1t home, and that the
horse must have thrust his head into 1t and fol-
lowed after. without his knowledge. Nobo
was q r.sourceful rascal, but the committee.
while commencing the ingenuity of his de.
fence, unanimously pronounced him a liar,
characterized his defence as a 'pernicious ALI
BIZ and sentenced him to be hanged from tho
t~alllpinc, a lone tree on the brow Of a lonelier hill.
Tho Vigilance was accustomed to
ballot on the punishment of offenders against
It's laws. The ballot box was a cigar box, with
n slit in the lid. and the ballots wero poker
chips. rcd and white. The leniency Of any
member of the. committee was indicated by the
deposit of n white chip. A red chip meant a
vote for hanging. The ballot must be unani-
nous, and it may be stated by way of paren.
thesis that the offer of the white chips was
largely n matter Of form.
When tho ballot was spread upon the ques-
ton of Sprackctt's punishment a white chip.
by some inexplicable chance, crept into the box.
1t was q rule of the committee that the pres
ence of q single white chip might be considered
accidental, and the ballot be ordered repeated.
This wise provision had resulted in an almost
unbrokcn series Of convictions, since no men,
Der of the committee, who might have voted for
clemency upon the first ballot, had had the har-
dihood to differ with his fellows a second timc.
The repetition of the ballot in the case of Splac-
kett had the usual result of eliminating the
white chip. Thcreupon the Chairman of the
committee rubbed his hands and congratu-
lated his fellows upon the superiority of trials
by committee, as compared with trials by n
regularly constituted court. such as were oc.
caslonaliy witnessed at the county seat some
miles away.
The formalities of the trial having been con-
cluded and the punishment of the accused hav-
ing been settled upon, the Chairman appointed a
Notification Committee of three to wait upon
the prisoner and inform him of the judgmen
that had been reached in his case.
the Chairman. ,"Nobe may be expcctin' to get
Off with a dressin' Of tar and feathers"
win the , Snar4 "a ion E i;onnr ate ,L provided p0 y e Itself Itself
labelled .whiskcy," whose contents were popu-
larry supposed to be a decoction of sulphuric
acid and scrap iron, fortified itself with three
drinks from the flask, the leader OF tho three
thrust the flask into a capacious hip pocket and
where Sprackctt was trusscd up to an upright
supporting timber by means OF numerous folds
against Ht the b @iS sst Condition on'e of the inu doors a9su aDd
Have a = drink RIM M Mob :: he said "fer it's the
The injunction of his superior officer to break
the news gently was uppermost in his mind, and
to the tactful manner in which he prepared
Sprackett for the worst. Noble seized the flask
without a word and took n drink that left the
greater portion of the receptacle a transparent
emptiness. The spokesman of the Notification
thirst that required SO deep a draueht.
by gosh, you must be dry, Nobe," he ven.
"Therc may be none OF this where I'm agoin',' -
"say, that would be hell" observed one of
the other members Of the committee.
"The committee has passed on your case,
Nobe.' said the spokesman again, after a
loft the remainder of the explanation word.
less and passed his forefinRer about his throat
siFsn nl,sHols by f wsy Of b conclusion 1ss ne omo,,or
"Wheni'' was his only interrogatory.
"To.night.'
"Whercf"
THE tall pine"
There was another pregnant silence; The
another drink. Nobe."T he suggested. Nobe
took it, and the committee filed gravely out.
An unpleasant duty had been performed.
up through a rough and thickiy wooded canon
the members of the committee rode, to visit the
cit, AT the head Of the canon the tail pine
shone, still and spectral in the moonlight. A
trees and an occasional night birds cry broke
tho weird silence. Sprackctt's feet were fas
BEEN passed beneath the belly Of his iisi horse sea and maS .
member OF the committee rode on either side Of
him.. ench holding n bride rein. For q mile
along, up the gradual ascent of the canon tt
the brow of tho hill where stood the tall pine
Here the cavalcadc was halted. the prisoner
removed from his horse, his arms fastened be
hind his back and his feet tied together tightly
Chairman addressed the convicted man, abou
to pay the penalty OF his crime;
Of horse stcal!n' by the committee here present
The same committee h has voted to fix your pun
about to proceed with your punishment. VIVA
have you 70 say before yqu shall be h'istodi'
ering for a few moments in silence. Then h
'Nr. CHAIRMAN, no Saln, Il nave but one re
quest to make before tho execution which |
I about TO take place. My mother; when ! was
lii:lc child, taught me to pray. l prayed at he
: knees, every night, for years, and It would hav
/, been better for me had l kept to tho path i
which she first set my feet. But ! forsook IL
and now ] am here, under sentence of death, an,
, ! would like TO pray again AZ l did when a it'll
/ child. Mr.. Chairman. | want permission I
! pray. and I want your promise that | shall no
a be interrupted while ! am praying"
There We're tears in his eyes when he finished
and his voice tremblcd. The committee wer
. touched by his nlcn. Nobe had n good heart /
q him after all. The Chairman was sorry for hin
? You have the permission of the committee /
4 pray. and no one of the committee will interruI
= you" he snid.
= "You hear. gentlemen said Nobc, 81 am I
4 bO allowed TO pray, and none of YOU are to intel
q rupt me till | have finished"
y There was q nodded assent from all sides. ]
= was a solemn scene. The members of the con
mittee stood about in a circle. and the doome
: man knelt in the centre, and raised his eyes I
r the heavens, sparkling with nyriads Of stars.
n .Oh, Lord" no began. II ask you to listen fC
a little while to mo. a miserable sinner, who ha
4 been sentenced To death. In a little Will
y n Lord, I shall be hanging from yondcr pine ire
~ "a lpn1 man I Shnll bp SWINGING thpra "a hplI