The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-14

6aoASou leuuoriy UOWn at the Whlf0
face on his shoulder Then he look
ed at the circle Of unrelenting faces
and said quietly: II am innocent.
I'll go back and prove it."
OF course Colonel Ike Stebbins,
as the handspring Of the social ma
chinery Of Lone Star, presided at
the trial It was always he who
stood at the head Of the new made
grave, with reverent face and up
raised hand, while the clods fell dul-
ly on the pine coffin; he it was who
sat with ease and dignity in the
chairman's place at public meetings;
a baile without the colonel to lead
was like the play Of Hamlet" with
that gentleman represented only by
his regrets, and it was admitted
without discussion that no one but
Colonel Stebbins could properly im-
personaEe the austerity OF Judge
Lynch.
From the beginning there seemed
no doubt OF Atkinson'e guilt. Ed
gerton testified 70 the quarzel OF the
morning. and Bill Simpson loqua-
ciously related how he thought
something was up when Bob sold
his claim to him at half it's value,
explaining chat he was in a hurry
to leave. Then Jerry and johnson
told of the meeting on the hillside,
and each OF the posse swore, with
due appreciation Of his own impor-
tance, to Atkinson's guilty actions
when they came upon him in the
fog Hezekiah Smith of the hilltop
clinched the evidence by testifying
that he saw the prisoner standing
before Scroggins' door at noon.
The jurors had ceased whiting
toothpioks and exchanging jokea
Their growing solemnity foreshad-
owed the verdict Colonel Gtebbins
had with a Sigh dismissed the last
witness when Ezekiel strolled calu.-
ly in through tho open door. he
nodded familiarly to two or tlaree
acquaintance and then addressed
the judge.
Colonel" he said easily, 'guess
I'd better straighten this thing out
little. Where dye plane the Wit.
nessasa"
Colonel Ike, surprised, looked ae
him. LET the witness be sworn" +"
ne said. well. what DO you know
about thisa''
II know all about it.
"Who killed Gcfogginss"
II did" said Ezekiel calmly.
For ten seconds there waD ailsnco.
and then smile that broke into q
ripple Of laughter ran around the
room. Ezekiel was maintaining his
reputation. The colonel raped an
grily for order with tho muzzle Of
his revolver upon the head OF the
sugar barrel. IF you are triaing"-
II amt tritlin." protested Ezekiel
earnestly. II never told a lie in my
life. It was jest after dinner, an I
was lookin for jeremiah. AS went
by Scroggins' door he came out,
lookin az smilin az an undertaken
with the toothache. Seed my gal
lately9' sez he, foolin with his gun.
didn't want to hurt his 1eelin's by
tellin him I'd seen her ten minutes
before with Bob, 80 Isez, politelike:
'Sartinly ;saw her last week. Look.
in we'll, amt shei' Std OF. bein
pleased, the old man was riled an
used language that would have
shocked wheat In a harvest field.
But didn't care until he said he
could git more music out'n wealth
erboarded house with a club n /
could out'n my fiddle an bow. Then
Twas mad an talked back After as
surin me that I'd disfigsered the
landscape long enough. only addin
to them plain words some onnsoes-
enry trimmin's, he shot at me an
shot back an this Ia what ] killed
him with. {"
Ezekiel drew out an old horse pis-
toi and handed it TO the foreman OF
the jury. A murmur Of interest gan
through the crowd, and tho jurors
whispered among themselves
just then little red faced man
pushed his way through the crowd
at the door. There he isr' he
shouted excitedly. There's the
man that stole my muler"
we followed mis- tnger with our
eyes. He was pointing at Ezekiel,
who regarded him philosophically.
well, I didn't say didn't. did II"
he asked mildly.
The newcomer threw his hat In
the corner and danced with excite
ment 1T was this way. jedge:
T'other day / tied my mule down at
Ransoms's Ferry while I went inter
Pixies place to git some refresh.
ments When ] come out, little
later, the mule wuz gone, an I new
er seed him again ontil today, when
stumbled on him. accidental like,
at this felier's place up the trail.
Vnnf hin, sroc&od 1,1;o1x