The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-01-10
Killed Hi. Sweetheart by Mistake.

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Last week in a little country church
yard in Cloud county, western Kansas,
old Jack Williams was buried
"Laughin' jack he was called, though
never within the memory Of the young
er generation had a smile been seen
upon his face.
In 1867 Jack Williams appeared in
the town of Clyde. Soon after reach
ing Clyde he opened livery stable
aud commenced trading horses and
freighting.
He was jolly fellow, always joking
and nearly always laughing His
laugh WIS worth coming miles to hear.
II had volume like the roar Of cat
aract.
The cl aim adjoining Jacks was held
by G erman, whose family consisted
of his wife and daughter. The girl
was about y or % years old. She was
fairly good looking and did full
mans work on the farm.
"Laughin' Jack" used to curse the
"Dutch outfit for what he termed
their harsh treatment Of the girl. He
was so bitter that i. finally dawned
upon the rough fellows of the place
that he had more of an interest in the
girl than he really ever cared to admit.
Her parents knew nothing Of these
facts. Her marriage meant the loss Of
a man on the farm, and it was taken
for granted that they would oppose it.
So the couple intended to get married
on the quiet.
Late one afternoon in the winter Of
'69 there came up a terrible blizzard
suddenly, as they always come.
That afternoon a COW had escaped
from the Dutchman's corral, and it fell
to the lot of the girl to find the animal.
When the storm burst, the German
aud his wife sat by the fire, reasoning
that the girl would come out all right.
That evening Jack went to his shack
to spend the night, getting there for
the worst of the storm. He was pre-
pairing to go to bed, when his attention
was attracted by the actions of his dog.
The beast had risen to his feet and APP
peared to be listening.
There came lull in the storm, the
dog gave yelp, and, bounding TO the
door commenced scratching at it. Jack
opened the door, and the dog dashed
out.
The moon was making feeble at
tempt to cast light through the clouds,
but as nothing could be made out, Jack
was on the point of closing the door
when again the yelp Of the hound rang
out Grasping his rifle, Jack advanced
few PAGES from the door. Now he
could dimly see on the edge Of ravine
near the shack grayish body moving
slowly in the gloom.
That it was coyote there could be
no doubt, and. throwing up his gun,
Jack fired. No sound followed the
crack of the rifle, but the object disap-
peared.
When Jack started for town next
morning he walked to the ravine to
see how his aim had been. An awful
sight met his gaze,
Just below the edge of the bank. with
pure white snow all about her, ice in
crusted in her hair, was the body of the
girl he had intended to make his wif.,
shot through the brain by the rifle
which, in his hands, had record Of
seldom missing its mark.
The man was nearly crszed with grief
and horror; yet, he could not be blamed.
The girl, numbed by exposure, was
endeavoring To make her way to his
place of shelter, guided by the light in
his window. Under the circumstances
it was small cause for wonder that he
was frantic with grief.
The father considered that he had a
grievance, and the day following the
funeral he appeared at Jacks stable.
He walk ID over to where Jack was dis
consolately sitting on goods box, and
said that as his daughter had been a
great help to him, and as Jack had
been the cause of her death, be thought
that something should be done to make
it right, and suggested that if Jack
would surrender his land to him he
would call it square.
For minute Jack did not speak,
while the loafers in the barn waited
with hushed breath.
Pale and trembling, Jack rose from
his seat. Pulling a six-shOOter, he lev
eled it at the farmer, and in a voice that
began with choke, he said:
''See here, Dutch! Climb right into
that wagon and hit the trail for home,
and if you ever mention this matter TO
me again swear to God I'll fill your
carcass so full of lead that you can't be
lifted"
What ''Lqughin' Jack" said went;
the old man turned aud left the place.
Jack was never the same after that.
He seemed to have lost interest in life,
and from that time the old laugh was
never heard again.
Having a Great Run on Chamber