The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-26
che aa1iefita Daily eagle: gridau ornimo au g. 1898

her were her runaway boys racing toward
me for a moment, and 1 half turned
about with a qua-m. not unlike seasick-
ness. and just then the distant shouts OF
men, minglel with the shriller notes OF
the boys, were borne TO me. and the mere
gravitation of curiosity hurried me on.
As 1 passed through the streets. I no
ticed that some Of the householders were
hurridly closing their shutters. and the
places ordinarily animate with life. looked
mute and frightened. II reminded me Of
the shopkeepers in Paris and CONSTANT
nople, who hasten TO barricade their
places of business when there comes a
rumor. OF a street fracas. But none OF
these householders apprehended any per-
sonal danger. TThey were in fact pulling
down their domiciliary wells SO as not 10
see or TO be seen. Ust as does the sensi-
tive girl when her modesty or her fears
givethe alarm.
mi very short space of time the con-
sciousness of an impending horror had
seized upon the whole town. I found my
self il mob OF rough men, men in but
ternut, gaunt. saIlow, hard-jawed men,
and in the center the victim. From this
nucleus extended concentric circ.es of
some of them saying 1T must not be-
eagerly and helplessly; others shouting
out, Burn him-burn him" Here and
there a pale-faced woman, swept there by
some forle that she could not comprehend
staring up into the spring sky os if God
would surely interfere at the proper mo-
ment, on account of her nerves, and put
a stop to II.
But God did not interfere. The clank
OF a heavy ox-chain, mingled with oaJhs
and laughter, sharply marked each
strople of this internal preparation, ard
presently the victim came marching at
the head of a motley column, the whole
town speeping in at his heels The one
glance 1 caught of him showed him TO be
brawny brute, very little removed from
the status of an animal But an agony of
fear was already Transforming him from
that which had been at least a semb.ance
of humanity. The shirt-collar around his
neck was sodden with blood flowing from
a wounded face One eye had been struck
out. and the other rolled and cleaned
with protuberant agony and fright, emit
ing a bale light as it swept over the faces
of his tormentors In dumb. wondering
ing the two minutes that I saw this
CHASTITY and revolving figure. it was struck
twice in the face with missiles thrown
from the crowd, and both blows elected
shouts of emulation. I confess that the
| sight completely unnamed me- Shame
and an Unreasonable upwelling reproach
made me sick, and I had to hold fast to
a friendly tree for a moment.
While 7 clug there mob of men, women
and children swept past me that only
Dante could describe. The human phan-
tasmagoria was made up of afrites of ter
ror and drunken gouls. All the basest
impulses of the insensate demon who
boasts that he is made in Gods image
seems 10 have burst into an emotionable
debauch Somewhere, somebody with a
| venerable face and white flowing hair was
making a feeble appeal for law and order
| from the tail of a cart. Between him and
| the surging crowds there We're centuries
| of separation. Save a half-score of pa,e,
| determined mon, who stood near him try
ing helplessly to represent society itself
| in this crisis of deviltry. no one gave the
slightest heed to him. II was foregone
! conclusion that once started this orgie
II.
Of these spectators wanted to have a place
at the spectacle. Men with vehicles were
! selling seats. Boys. both white and back
were calling to each other as on a holt
| day, and women. with their faces dis
/ tOrted with an obscene curiosity were
| lifted up on boxes and barrels that they
might see the dishgured features of the
| human animal as it passed. In this tenn
| porary di.irium all rational processes We're
/ suspended. Man Mad agglomerated and
| transformed himself into a pack 81 rabid
wild bearsts.
| I did not see the actual burning. because
my nerves revolted. but I followed the
| crowd 10 the place. AAnd now my pen
/ refuses to repeat what heard In their
| uneashed rage of vengeance, these men
mutilated their victim before they burned
| him; they pressed up close to the fame
| and gloated over the convu'sive writings
/ and cheered his agony as If every add
| tional pang were a pleasure to them, and
| they hung over the embers and calcined
! bones as if the excitation of their miser-
! able emotions had enchanted them TO the
| spot Then. when there was no more of
! the poor quivering flesh To feed their pas
sions, they hung their heads and SUNK
away.
! On my return from that scene sud
denly found myself in front OF the little
| church again. Its doors were open and
! the sound IF prayer came like a murmUr
| from the inside But for the first time in
my life the house OF God, as the people
called il. wore to me an inexpressisle air
| Of impotence. As 7 turned the corner Of
/ the street. the cupola Of the court house
came in sight, and on il was flying the
/ banner Of the republic 7 thought II wore
for the first time a monstrous Aristo-
phanic irony, as It iazily unfolded Itself
to the spring sunshine in graceful undu-
lations. was sensible Of a new desire e
go away somewhere and hide my genus
among the kindly beasts % the field. This
strange complex Of devil and angel that
we call a man somewhere in his life shud
ders 70 look himself in the face.
For severa, DAYS after this mob rlur'
der the town hung its head down. There
was 10 repentance in It nor remorse; the
reaction was suIien. gruff and defiant
Some few frrepressiDle bragEar5s. who II
a measure had recovered from hthei1
fendishness. undertook The easy condone
ment u their own fury ~ the alleged ne
cessity Of protecting their wives az
bones. one simply wondered If men WI
delight in torture and give way TO IN
q foalest qualification II private vengesnc'
are the best protectors Of women.
= One such experience IN lifetime
enough. Tee scar n & remains iu n
memory ever after Ike an Internal tattoo
The orieina. wound rea he'd very deep. q
s the divi5Ing asun5er q soui and spirit ar'
: 81 the joints and uarrow. some tWitcne
~ f. ~ come hack through the years