The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-12-18

Johrson's wife. nnd then be said. Judge
YOU saved two OF my brothers. Badly and
Tom Now ! want you 20 save me-. And
then he sat down as calm as you please.
and with Johrson's wife right across the
room, putin IN a word now and then, no
told me the tale.
1T wasn't a nice story. and Il didn't
DO credit either to the halfbrecd or 90
poor Lots wife. But. as Tor that matter.
murder r. never Eentecl. Here's the gist
OF what Jim LlRhtbrd, the halfbreed. told
me that night. with the moon risin' high
or and gnDr. ami spreadin whittier and
ghastiicr about the room every minute:
II seems that lin was doin' bit OF
work for Farmer Johnson. and took a
great fancy 70 Johnson's no-acoount wife.
lie mace I'd 20 her quite lot when the
old man wasn't around. and she cotton
ed 60 him a good bit. Things went on that
way for a couple OF months. and then
the two OF en- began to fdget 20 get the
old man out OF the way. They had 20 be
careful and on the lookout all the time
with him around. even though he was
such an innocent ana unsuspecun' OLD
man. Finally. they got impatient, made
up their minds TO put the old man unaer
che sod, ard then run the place TO SUIT
themselves They didn't stop 10 look
ahead or plan the thing out carefully.
They lust went along without waitin' for
anything
Jim. he rode over TO the next town and
rot a big wad OF strychnine and he helped
Johnsons wife mix u in with the COZ
Zee. Then. when the old man came u.
for dinner the next noon, his vile gave
MIN a Dig bowl OF coffee chockful OF the
poison. Poor old Lot thought u tasted
kind OF queer. but he was hungry. and
gulped q all down without sayin any
thing. IA
"In about i've minutes tho poor Old
sucker was rol.ln' around the floor, gfoah-
I'M TO beat the band. and in terrible as
tress. Just as soon as she saw the poison
begin 10 get IN its work, Lots wife "eHs
10 the door and blew the horn Tor the
halfbresd. for that was the signal agreed
on. Jim vas hangin' around In the next
lot. and he trotted righs In.
The two OF 'em hfted the poor on
farmer on the bed and then sat down 20
watch him die. Johnson was already IN
a state OF collapse. for the strychnlne
was buruin' his insides up, ana ne was
In the agonies OF a regular hell thltst he
kept moauln' for water. SO what did mat
brute halfbreed do but chuck lot more
strychnine Ia a pail OF cold water aha
then begin hdlin' this out TO the poor
old sufferer. who had never done MIN any
harm. Il was dreadful cold-blooded ana
neafAleh&s bAh MAPS ~ va
ful 10 end the old man quickly rather
than let him die slowly. But he would
have died quick enough anyway.
Meanwhile. the wife had sat by fhe
bed. and with never a tremor or sign
had watched the agonies OF the kind ODD
man who had raised her from poverty
and always been as good as father 10
her
well the old man swelled up pretty
bad, and la an hour he was dead Then
Il was and then for the first time. that
the halfbreed and the woman began 20
realize what they had been about They
had gone into the thing blind with un-
provoked rage az the old farmer. and they
hadn't left a single bridge 20 escape by.
They couldn't have proved an slibi even
II they had known what that meant.
with the bloated body right before them,
they got scared thas an officer would polk
his head Ia the door any minute and
string 'em up before they could say a
word.
so. az soon as sunset. OF they posted
10 me and there l was with as pretty
patr OF rnurdcrers on my hands az ever
eut n throat. and the moss cruel and
atrocious killing TO defend that / had ever
dreamed Of"
That Is an Is it?' eageSly Inquired the
group around the judge.
"ANr' he said. well. I sho1ld say nor.
That was Just the beginnln' OF the
trouble. I have had some pretty tough
cases IN my time. and don't account my
self chicken hearted. But vow would
have turned those two scoundreis right
down n Il hadn't been for one thng.
Tbat was that the haifbreed insisted on
sakin' the whole fault on his shoulders.
lie declared n 1t came to draggin' the
woman up 20 trial. he'd so on the stand
ana swear he'd done the whole murder
he'd swing. ne said. before he'd let the
law touch the girl
wow. that seemed pretty square TO me.
for the woman did the real murder her
self. So. as / shouldn't have 20 defend
hcr. and the halfpreed was only second
hand al the Job on the old man. / agreed
to take up the case. ] made toe two OF
EN- clear right out fof Home. ana told
'em 20 take quietly the arrest thar wac
sure to come pretty quick.
There's no use goin' into all the de-
tails OF how I prepared for that trial"
pursued the Judge. but anyway, 20
make a long story short u was IN less
than a month that the case came up. and
; was IN the courtroom defending Jim
ISghtbird for murder IN the hrst degree.
-Four Of Jim'E halfbreed brothers were
IN the little etufiy courtroom which was
uuFEen ana latltutH EsfNtNtNA hht'ft
Jim was guilty ell right but then every
body knew I wasn't likely 10 let my rep
utntlon as = criminal lawyer suffer II
could help e.. People came ridin' over
from all parts OF the country and I'll
bet that Il you go down there now any
body can tell, YOU how old Lot Johnson
was murdered and how Jim Llghtbird,
the halfbreed was tried for n.
wei, Jim made an IDEAL witness. He
was as cool and glum as crocodile. and
ne had his story down pat. The distric;
attorney, who was as smart q chap as
you're likely 20 run against, and after
ward attorney general for the state. laid
about fifteen traps for the halfDreed. but
Couldn't catch him. !. seemed altogether
best 20 me 20 put Lightbird on the stand.
because he told ais fake story so straight
and made a good impression on the jury.
arhe upshot OF Il was that there was
no one point on which the jury could
convict. and as the trial was DRAWN 90
a close began 20 feel that my man was
safe.
but there was one thing hadn't reek-
oned on. and that was the prisoners ru-
persfition. and that was where the dis
trict attorney got me Those niggers and
half breeds In che Kentucky mountains
an wear a charm bag around their neci<s
that u practically their whole religion. II
was on the last day OF the trial and, as !
said 7 was beglnnin' TO feel safe, when
the prosecution suddenly leaned over "a
the prisoner and said. 'Jim IAghtblrd
let's have that charm bag OF yours
'tJim started back like he was shot and
-i,.seh.d - hla breast where the charm