The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-03
HARKET VALUE OF NERVE.
Grit Better Thar Cans In the Case Of This
Convicted Horse Thief.

III y NON
Convicted Horse Thief.
"A mans nerve Is Q good thing TO have with
him. said a mining expert who has been all
over the West for the last thirty years, 'es-
pecially whom he 10 In my business When l
was q youngster back here in the East always
avoided fighting with other boys simply et ause
I didn't like to fight and they used to lick me
on all occasions, not so INCH because 1 could
not fight a. because I would not. When l
came West though. a Q man. and got into the
atmosphere Of scraps I found that II . man didn't
have his nerve with him. he never would amount
to anything. 90 ! braoed up and found ! could
hold my own about a. well - the average.
though ! kept out Of trouble a far a / could.
Tit nervtest chap l ever saw was a horse thief
in Nevada. II was twenty-five years ago at
Phoebe. New. which IL off the map nov. ! guess.
and the town was all torn up over the loss Of
horses by the depredations Of thieves. Fin
ally Mike Corey. a well-known Piochan. lost a
fne bay mare and Mike thought enough Of her
Ia taxa active measures 70 get her back !! ccs-
sible and punish the thieves He sent word
out to all the camps and settlements. and in
the course Of several days he heard Of the mare
at Desert Spring, about seventy-ive miles
away. A man had bought her over there
from a party he did not know, Mike made al.
the inquiries he could, and at last we had a
round up, that is, We put guards over the town
and called on allthe inhabitants for miles around
TO come in and be Identified, -Four hundred
and fifty. men reported and all were duly &C.
satisfactorily explain themselves. and they were
locked up TIL we could have the Desert Spring
man pass on them. He came and at once
mare TO Desert Spring. That was all the tes-
timony we wanted and after a trial by a picked
up Jury, the three horse thieves we're condemned
70 be hanged that same afternoon down at Big
formed with the three prisoners in a wagon
having 3 high seat for convenience at the hang
ing. and we moved OF toward the scene of ac-
ton in good order. Arriving there one man
was seated in the wagon and driven under the
limb OF the tree with the rope dangling down
from II. and when he was properly adjusted
a blank Book out OF his pocket and addressed
. What's your manner says he. I don't mean
fns name n. y cns 60 e. y know SSs S SsseI BY Su =, { home fs'l
The prisoner gave bis name as requested
and IL vas not the same By which he was known
Now your address, continued the leader.
after writing down the name, so We can notify
your folks that you are dead. or course we
wont say that we hung you for horse stealing.
that, so they will not feel so bad over your loss.
Anything else yop want to say or WORD YOU
want TO send will be put down In TINS DOCK
far az possible. Now what have you got to
sayY,.
the meantime writing down all the facts he
wanted for his final report.
Drive op, he said, briefly TO the man at the
lines, and the horse thief Yves swung from the
Then the wagon was driven around and the
the limb and the rope fixed. the leader took
out his book and pencil and asked. him the
usual questions, winding up with, Now what
He told such a pitiful story Of wife and
children and temptation and bad company
that the, crowd began TO weaken. The
leader closed his notebook with a snap
slant the prisoner was swinging. and the wagon
moved around for It's third and last load
This , chap Wa an ugly, l 1t les Sa wo
the entire proceedings without turning a hair.
He stepped To his place and took his seat like
a soldier facing a fort although his arms and
legs were tied and he could not move with much
grace, The leader, as well as the rest of US.
was pore or less moved with admiration for
his nerve. and when the old man took out his
p%otebook and pencil he was quite pleasant in
Well, shorty he said, addressing him ia
miliarily. what have you got to a
II he had charge Of the funeral, and the effect
was SO startling that Che whole crowd broke
into applause and asked ior a stay of proceed
ming against Big odds and the prisoner was
told he might. have a chance, for his life; lie
didn't break down, then, either. but. said he
ysIsaseS 90 b n9'f f4om Or th say yo pesh1 a1sn %miii bi we a1 nad
se ,q ,sdfs is A tSa, " L we Sso% Rq aad I E'm hi IEN1 have i aeH
SlS HidlHS S sss a an. nSrs ed dsd Of zen an9 9SSds. Si as s ns
the horse and he got the start. and he got out