Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-07-28
THE REPRIEVE CAME.
BUT NOT OVER THE WIRE.
a Pictnresqus Tale of Colorado Man's
Marrow Escape From Hanging.


Up to the present time have hesi-
tated about speaking Of this matter,
for did not wish one set of people To
call me a ridiculous and fantastic liar;
neither did l desire that another por-
tion of humanity should consider me as
a daft fool gone wrong because OF
much heat and extreme altitude. BUT
last night talked with the man who
preached the sermon when we buried
Jerry Armitage two weeks ago-that
good man who won the esteem OF us
railroad men by the kindness OF his
tnlking-and before the conversation
was concluded he had heard the story
of Pierce Cartons respite. and hear
ing II from me he did not laugh nor
pity me. He said that great many
things that men count as mysteries are
but the working of an inscrutable provi-
dence, and he recommended me to be
easy Of mind and tell that story when
ever and wherever l might choose, FOR
l was witness Of heavens wonders.
As to that do not know. / am not
n religious man. / am n telegraph op-
orator. Some people have told me th'it
1t is never necessary TO use the first
and negative sentence when l employ
the second and positive one. This may
be. There are probably not many
church enthusiasts among telegraph
operators, but | guess the average OF
reputable behavior VIII not suiIer
greatly by comprehending the men
who pound brass. II there Is any ar
gument in the fact of man being
within hailing distance of death for
years, ought to be pretty proper
sort of an Individual, for l came out
here to Colorado in 1894, given up TO
lie by our home doctor and wearing
pair of lungs that were full Of pune
lures. They told me IL anything would
postpone death the Colorado climate
would do the trick, so my superinfen-
dent of telegraph, who rather liked
me- got me n job on the Midland and
sent me away with half n dozen first
class letters In my pocket. l found
that, although the altitude was good
for my lungs, 1t was dreadfully bad Tor
my heart, for the least eXertion or eS-
element set that ratified old organ tc
humping like Il box car with NAT
wheel. For Instance, on the day OF
the Welland murder l was nearly
prostrated and my heart beat against
my ribs as though It wanted to get out
and meant to do so. 1 suppose the
real reason for the shock to me lay in
the fact that almost rs soon as the
crime was made public popular slspi-
cion fell upon the very man who had
occupied by position as operator be-
tore came-Pierce Carton.
The reason people hit upon Pierce
Carton MS the probable murderer was
that 1t was known that he had n
grudge against Colonel Welland, whose
influence had been used TO bring about
his discharge. Few knew the begin
ming of the trouble. but all We're aware
that for three months nearly the two
men had been ready to shoot. 1t was
natural, therefore. when the body of
Colonel Wclland was found, broken
and battered, mt the foot Of the dump
of No. 9, that the marshal and the sher-
iff should become interested In Pierce
Carton.
1t doesn't take lifetime to bring n
man to trial in southern Colorado, and
within two weeks the jury had decid-
cd that Carton must hang. and the
court, in sentencing him. named the
first Friday within the time limit al
lowed n man to get ready for death.
With the trial and the testimony my
story had nothing to do, so l shall not
tell you how hard II fight Pierce made
for his life or upon what grounds 9TH
er than suspicion the prosecuting attor-
ney claimed his conviction. His own
lawyer, Major Fersuson-he's judge
new, and good thing. too-woried like
hive of beavers to save him. 1t was
hue and cry, though. and that's the
fact of it. Popular opinion could read
only one solution of the Welland mys-
terry, and that was the guilt of Carton.
l myself felt convinced that Pierce had
made the killing, for l knew the tenn
pers of both men. Carton had once sig
nified an intention of waiting till l got
well enough to make an interesting
whipping, when he promised he would
get square for my taking his job. As l
say. l guess Major Ferguson was the
only man who believed in Pierce, and
he exhausted every effort to have the
verdict set aside and new trial grant
ed, and failing in that he went TO the
governor. The majors fight had inter-
ested all Grigginsville, very naturally,
and counter petitions We're got up
against his plea for n commutation or a
respite. FEELING was high and interest
great, and aside from the ordinary
gambling bets of the local establish