Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-05
WHY JACKSON LIED.

we DetteT go little farther down."
In this Jackson had knowingly uttered
an untruth. He had seen the fugitive
with his own eyes. had watched him
closely for almost quarter of an hour.
But for all that the lie was a white
one. So very white. that the recording
angel made one of those peculiar mis-
takes Of his and registered it plus in
was this:
Shortly after midnight that night,
the great prison bell of the Alabama
State stockade clamored out the alarm
of an escape. In a moment all was ex-
element. Guards came running, buck
ling their arms about them aud shout
ing out orders to the TRUSTEES" horses
and mules We're saddled and the blood
hounds, one OF the fiercest and best
trained packs in the State, were
brought up from their kennel under
heavy leash. Almost before the bell
stopped ringing there were ten men,
armed and mounted, and thirty dogs.
keen-scented and eager, ready for the
pursuit. The warden addressed the
| group, While Il negro ''trusty" held q
lantern high-up for light. Men, he
said its young Bud Rafferty,. trusty
two-seven. You got to move, 'cuz he's
used to rnnnin' the dawgs. If he gets
to the swamp, make for the river tc
head him eff. Gone since seven an
still in his stripes. That's ALL"
AS if controlled by one rider, the
horses whirled and galloped away
| The hounds, slipped from their chains
scattered with yelps and whines and
trotted in widening circles with noses
close to the ground. Suddenly, far off
| to the left, came ioleful note that
needed no Interpretation; that melan-
| choiy yho-o-o-o-o was the voice of old
| Spot as he told he had found the
trail.
About this time. eight miles to the
southwest. there was a young negro,
stumbling along in the last stages of
exhaustion. Warily he would look
about him. craftily he would seize
upon every opportunity to leave
behind him blind trail. He
had run before the hounds more
than once in daily practice, and
now the training stood him in
good stead. He knew that his
| pursucrs would soon learn the swamp
| could be his only refuge and then his
capture would be a mere matter of
time. He stopped to listen. One min
ute. Two minutes. Then, as his
breathing became more quiet, far of to
the north he heard sound that again
set him plunging forward through the
! water and slime.
That faint musical note that sounds
so sWeetly to one unaware OF its mean
ing, to him had a terrible significance
1t acted upon him like a spur on the
flank of weary horse. 1t was the cry
a bloodhound utters when the trail
| is fresh and warm.
| But the river was not his destination.
SO, when an hour later, the prison
guards had discovered that their hu-
man quarry had entered the swami
they called off the hounds and started
on dead run for the river, there tt,
scatter out and shut Off the escape OF
the fugitive in that direction. But it
happened that young Rafferty, was la
slough, giving never thought to the
| river.
Toward the eastern extremity of the
swamp, near the bank OF little stream
mat served as one Of its feeders, there
lay an old log cabin. Even at that
late hour the solitary window showed
a patch Of yellow light and within
there was sounds Of wakefulness. For
Old Rafferty, lay dying. Born down at
last by the "nlizry" he had fought so
long, partly from exposure, partly from
improper care, the old ex-slave was
going TO his last emancipation. His
Old wife was crying softly at his side
"Ezrry, don yo' cry, honey, he gwine
come" =.
The old mans voice was an but in
audible. Yes, Lo'd, he gwine come y
He gwine come an see his ole pap
py." t'-p
Ain got long. Mos crost Jo'dan
now" The old man opened his ewes
and family smiled. "Ha'k. don yo
heah him comm now--De good Lo d
promise-He promise
| AiAo "iAS equity SLrOkeu back the
gray hair from the black forehead. She
knew his stout old heart had been
broken when Bud had been sent 10
prison for cashing worthless check
FOR two long years he had never men
toned his sons name. These old SER
vitors. many of them. possess ali the
pride and spirit of the patrcians who
reared them. The old man had been
delirious for the last two days, calling
for the absent one. And now could
She tell him he would never see their
child again?
Blessed is de Lam" quavered the
old negro. Randy, hep me up." She
stopped to help him to a sitting pos
ture Again he cried out, now loud
and clear, Blessed is de Lam, fer de
promis' am fulfill" And indeed so it
was, for while he was still speaking the
door opened and in stepped the son.
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