Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-09

SAVED BY HIS NERVE.

- y - - = AA.NI ~ AAAV
HgWoN HIS LIRE AFTER THE MOOSE
WAS ROUND Hls NECK.
a Case Where Good. HARD Grit Cap
tsred the Vigilance Committee,
and where Tears ana Plsaaings
Would Have Proved of No Avail.
A mans nerve is good thing to have
with him." said mining expert who has
been oil over the west for the last 80
years, especially when he Is In my busl-
ness. When ! was youngster back here
In the east, always avoided fighting
with other boys simply because didn't
like to fight, and they used to lick me on
all occasions, not so much because
When came west, though, as man
and got into the atmosphere Of scraps I
found that IL man didn't have his nerve
with him he never would amount to any
thing, 80 / braced UP and found could
hold my own about as well as the aver
nge, though I kept out of trouble as far
as could.
The nerviest chap ever saw was a
horse thief in Nevada. 1t was % years
ago at Phoebe, New, which Is of the map
now, guess. and the town was all torn
up over the loss OF horses by the depreda-
tons Of thieves Finally Mike Corey, a
well known Piochan, lost a fine bay mare.
! and Mike thought enough Of her to take !
active measures to get her back IL posi-
BILE and punish the thieves. He sent word
out to nil the camps and settlements, aud
in the course Of several days he henrd of
the mare at Desert Spring, about Is miles
away. A man had bought her over there
from party he did not know,
Mike made all the inquiries he could,
and at last we had a round up'-that is,
we put guards over the town and called
on all the inhabitants for miles around to
come in and be identified. -Four hundred
and fifty men reported, and all were duly
accounted for but three. These three
could not satisfactorily explain them
selves. and they We're locked up until we
could have the Desert Spring man pass
on them. Hc came and at once said that
they were the crowd who brought the
mare to Desert Spring.
.'That was all the testimony we want
ed, and inter trial by picked up jury
the three horse thieves were condemned
to be hanged that same afternoon down
i y
4 procession was formed with the three
prisoners in wagon having high seat
for convenience Mt the hanging, and we
moved off toward the seat Of action in
good order. Arriving there, one man wns
seated in the wagon and driven under the
limb Of the tree with the rope dangling
down from it, and when he was properly
adjusted for the application of the rope
our leader took blank book out Of his
4 pocket and addressed the prisoner:
WHAT'S your name!' says he i don't
mean the name you go by ont here, but
your real name; the one they know you
4 by at home?'
"The prisoner gave his name as re-
quested, and it was not the same by
which lie was known by in the west.
Now your address, continued the
4 leader, after writing down the name, SO
we Gun notify your folks thnt you are
4 dead. Of course we won't say that we
hung You for horse stealing, but will call
it accidental or something like that, SO
they will not feel SO bad over your loss.
Anything else you want to say or word
you want to send will be put down in this
4 book and your last wishes will be attend
ed to rs far as possible. Now, what have
A you got to sayy
The man begged and pleaded to be let
4 go, making all sorts OF promises, the lead
CT in the meantime writing down all the
4 facts he wanted for his final report.
4 Drive on he said briefly to the man
at the lines, and the horse thief was
4 swung from the wagon seat and held up
by the rope around his neck
4 Then the wagon was driven around,
!. and the second man was put in. and
xy.Ia ha ~, A .il
i fixed the leader took out his book ana
I pencil and asked him the usual questions,
Il winding up with. Now, what have you
\ got to say
He told such pitiful story OF wife
and children and temptation aud bad
4 company that the crowd begun to weak
a en-. The leader closed his notebook with
snap. Drive on he commanded, and
Fl the next instant the prisoner was swing
4 ing and the wagon moved around for it's
third aud last load.
This chap was an ugly. little sawed
q off cuss. with face like iron, and he
had watched the entire proceedings with
4 out turning hair He stepped to his
4 place and took his seat like a soldier
facing fort, although his arms md legs
were tied, and he could not move with
much grace. The lender. as we'll us the
4 rest OF us, was more or less moved with
admiration for his nerve, and when the
{ old man took out his notebook and pencil
4 he was quite pleasant in his manner.
"Well, Shirty,' he said, addressing
him familarly, what have you got to
say?'
"'Drive on" said the prisoner as calm
lily as If he had charge OF the funeral, and
the effect was SO startling that the whole
I crowd broke into applause and asked for
stay of proceedings. 1t was a case OF
good hard nerve winning against big
odds, and the prisoner was told he might
have a chance for his life. He didn't
q break down. then, either, but said he
would do nothing or say nothing until we
had released him from the ropes around
his arms and legs, and We soon had him
loose. Then he told us that if we would
let him have any old plug of horse and
ten hours start he wouldn't ask any
odds Of anybody. He got the horse. and
he got the start. and he got out OF the
country quick, and we never henrd Of
him again. but have always thought we
let the worst one OF the gang get away
simply because we had such n high re-
gard for nerve."-Ncw York Sun.