Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-04-07


felt their hearts go out to him.
One sultry afternoon the parson of
South City was sitting in his room. a
prey To the deepest depression. With
all the eagerness that youth and zeal
could supply he had done his best to
raise his people, and he had failed, and
he knew il. lie saw his miners, at first
shauaefacedly and then openly, stay
away from his little church, and his
heartwas sick within him. He was won
dering if it were worth while stay
ing on when his door was suddenly
opened and a woman, disheyeled and
wiid-eyed, rushed in.
''Oh, parson. save my boy!" She
gasped, and sank on to a chair, breath
less with her haste.
why, Mrs. Mace, what on earth is
the matter?-is your son ill?" he asked,
eagerly
NO, sir, he amt i'll, but he's worse
nor that; the men are soins to hang
him
What for? Surely he hasn't been
tried What has he dope?"
We'll, sir waited the woman, hes
got into bad company lately. and a
man accused him Of horse stealing, and
and" looking fearfully around, its
true, sir"
Young and inexperienced as he was
in the ways of frontier camp. the par
son knew that horse stealing was one
of the deadly sins, ana his face grew
pale as death.
I'm afraid, Mrs. Mace. that if the
men have decided to hang your son no
word of mine would stay them
And you. a minister. to say that to
me, mother-why, it's none the less
murder, and you know it. oh, sir!" she
pleaded, there's vet time to catch
them up-for Gods sake whose word
YOU preach, try and save my boy. Will
no one help poor mother?" She wept
bitterly, whilst the parson. in mag
nation, felt himself defying the mob
and also in imagination saw the CHASTITY
tragedy that would ensue on his inter
ference.
Come, Mrs. Mace, let us go and hur-
~. and perhaps we may do some good"
Selling his hat, he ran from the room
and followed the crowd of miners whom
he saw We're making for some trees
about half mile out Of the town.
When he finally caught them up all the
grim preparations were made for the
execution The rope was around the
shirering YOUTHS neck. Six stalwart
men held the loose end ready at a sig
nal TO launch the criminal into eternity.
With his boyish face flushed with ex-
element the parson pressed 10 the
front and stood side by side with the
man about to die. 4 silence fell on the
throng, broken by Texas Joe. who said:
"Now parson, this amt no place for
you. Judge Lynch have had his say,
and Jim Mace is going to he hanged.
and that's so"
And who are you to take upon your
SELF to judge and to execute? Don't
scoNl at me and finger your gun. for
I'm ali rnarmed man, and You know it,
Have rot you enough blood on your
hands already without killing this boy
who has broken your laws? Give him
one moro chance, and You may be glad
Yourself of il one day"
The Berseker fury that occasionally
comes over men of quite meek DISPOSE
tions was on the little man who stood
defying the whole mob. His look
seemed 10 daunt even the men who held
the rope. and it hung loose about Macc's
neck.
Joe saw his authority trembling in
the balance, and, with pistol raised,
said: Clear him out Of the way, boys,
or I'll shoot him where he stands"
NO, YOU won't. joe said the par
son. mdauntedly. You know that
would be murder, and they don't love
you too much, even here, to stand
that"
No one spoke for moment; then the
Cornishrnan, Treieavau. shouted out:
~ life for a life! IF the parson wants
Mace to live, let him be hanged in