Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-07-07
FROsTBURG, MD, SATURDAY, JULY Z, 1900.

tended that the man had been in
subordinate and even threatened his
life, and some Of the cOnvicts backed
him up in hopes of making things
easier for themselves. but | knew that
it was Il false c..:;gr. Ii wouldn't do
to say too much to Stcblins. however
Low and contemplate as he was. he
had IA pull with the government and
did not hesitate to threaten revenge
on me for Interfering with his diSci-
plinc. Neither one of us sent iii a re-
port, but we were open enemies after
that.
Not one convict in thousand would
have stood the Insults and degradation
put upon Black Jim during the next
year. | know he tried his best. but
there was no pleasing StrHbinS. He
was always bOaSting that he had Il grn-
tleman convict and that he was bound
to break" him, and he spent Il good
share of his time worrying the man. 1t
was an almost daily thing for Black
Jim to be tloG%cd. and fOur-tifthS of his
days were spent under lock and k"y
and on Il diet of bread and water. My
interest in him saved him somewhat,
but as the weeks went by knew what
the end would be. He would either
rise up in his desperation and ~ Stcb-
bins or he would bolt for the h' III and
join a gang of rangers. There were
times when felt vCNcd with him that
he didn't do one or the other and show
proper spirit although it would have
either case. one day. as WAS return
ing with the troop after hunting down
a false alarm of buShran@crS. my horse
SHE'D and threw me almost in front of
StcbbinS' house. and as | struck on a
stone and had several ribs broken |
was carried in He was not glad to
see me, but under the circumstances
was obliged to give me Il bed. Having
got settled. the police surgeon would
not allow me to be removed. The
brute Stcbbins wanted to show his in
dependence of the police and prosecute
Black Jim at the same time, and the
insults he hCapcd on that convict for
three or four days mad" me itch to
shoot him. On the fourth night of my
accident four men and three women
arrived for an evening visit. They
were about the only friends StcbbinS
had in n social way, and he made them
very welcome. My being in the house
was not permitted to interfere with the
festivities. When dinner had been fin
shcd and the drink had gone around,
StebbinS sent for Black Jim and or
dcrCd him to dance for the amusement
of the company. The convict respect
fully but firmly refused. ana his master
cried out in indignation:
"YOu won't dance, ch? Too much of
a gentleman to give us a hornppe!
Mehbc this company isn't swaggcr
enough for the likes of a bloomin muir
dcrcr!"
I protested but Stcbbins went ahead.
The men gave him their assistance and
the women encouraged him. He had
had ropes and pullpyS fastened to the
ceiling long before. and it wasn't five
minutes before the convict was faSten-
ed up. | saw desperation in his face
as they laid hands on him. but he did
not resist. His arms were drawn up
till his feet were clear of the floor, and
1
know | should have killed some one.
The man had been hanging ten min
utcs, and the agony had almost
brought uncOnciOuSncSS, when the door
was kicked open and four buShrangers
crowded in. 1t was a complete sur
prise The women screamed out and
began to cry, but the men. with the
exception of Strbbins. took it rather
cool. The bully and coward went white
as death and fell into Il chair, and it
was almost ptiful to hear him beg for
his life. He knew those bushrangcrs
were escaped cOnvictS, and he also
knew that stories of his brutality had
gone to them. While three of the
rangers covered the people with their
pistols, the fourth cut Black Jim down.
Then he stepped over aud took look
at me and said he had heard of my ac-
cdCnt and was sorry for it, When
Black Jim had recovered sufficiently to
stand on his feet, the leader of the out
laws put pistol in his hand. and,
pointing to Stebbns. said:
'Shoot him dead in his chair. He
deserves mercy from no man"
Jim returned the pistol AMI shook his
head. Next instant Stebbins toppled
out of his chair with bullet in his
head, and the leader said:
Sorry to have interrupted the fes-
tiviticS. but it was our calling night.
We We're after Stebbns alone, and the
rest Of you need not fear. Come, Jim;
we want YOU"
Two of them helped the forger con-
vict out of the house and upon Il horse,
and that was the making of the most
notorious bushranger in all Australia.
He had career Of five years and then
died from bullet, and it was two
years after his death before it became
publicly known that he had let the law
make Il convict of him in order to
shield brother. | had always be-
lieved him innocent of the crime and,
knowing how he had been prosecuted
and abused by Stebbins, l almost re-
joiced when the bushrangers carried
him off TO make leader of him.
Cheap Love PotiOns.