Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-10-11

She Son and the Holy Ghost, I adjure
you. save my life, claim me IN mar
riage."
The girl stood there trembling with
emotion among her companions. Hear
ing herself thus addressed by name by
the prisoner, she became convulsed
with agitation; almost unconsciously,
half moved by pity, half melted by
her n~eighbors, she approached the slb-
bet without the police daring TO pre-
vent her.
'Oh. Loyse," repeated the prisoner
ardently, Il am innocent. I swear It
By my eternal salvationl Demand me
in marriage. and you will have saved
my llfei'
She did not know one word to say.
she had so lost her senses, but she ex-
tended her hand, which the poor devil
seized with avidity. Seeing this, the
people in all direction began to a
"a marriage, q marriagel She has
claimed hlml Cut the cord, hangman;
cut Il, cut itF'
The executioner did not cut the rope,
but he let It drop. undecided as TO what
was most expedient for him to do, and
as the crowd continued to below and
even become threatening the officer OF
the provostshlp, judging It IN oppor-
tune time for a delay, led the condemn
ed man back into his cell In order to
submit his peculiar case to the law.
And the people dispersed content, be-
lieving the man from that moment to
be saved.
But the stealthy cats did not so cas-
lily let go one whom they held in their
claws. They had a man to be hanged,
a pretty little man, a mar over whose
hanging they licked their lips, and
here how people pretended that he
was taken out of their graspl And
why, I ask you? Under the most fool
ish Of pretexts, In the name Of some ri
diculous custom, some Illegal p%retense
which granted grace, full, free and i'm
mediate, to any condemned man whom
a woman declared in public to desire
In lawful wedlock. Who e had
heard Of an equal subterfuge?
But, ali, traditional or written, the
law is the law, and the case in ques-
ton had to be clucidatedl Unwillingly
rather than willingly they opened an
Inquest upon the matter In hand TO
learn whether or not so unreasonable
n usage had ever at any period had
power by law, which inquest finally es-
tabiished that no similar case had been
presented since the time OF the con-
quest in Calais, but that previous to
that date there had been many such
cases, more particularly in Flanders
and In Artois than in Picardy.
In consideration Of these indecisive
conclusions the enemies OF Dullart urg-
ed the magistrates to override the law,
and the magistrates did not demur. 1t
was the governor who placed an OBJ
stacle before them in view of public
opinion, which had become greatly agi-
tated over a controversy which had
at stake the life of a man made in the
Image Of God. Suddenly that dignltary
called to mind the example of prudence
offered Of yore to the world by that
worthy magistrate Pontlus PLATE in
order that he might avoid thrusting
his own finger between the tree and
its bark. In place Of announcing his
fears in public he appealed to his mas
ter. King Edward. the fourth Of that
name, to decide the matter according to
his own good pleasure.
The monarch judiciously estimated
that one man more or less upon the gal
lows was Of small value in enhancing
his glory and bespoke clemency for the
case under consideration. He ordained
then that the old usages should be con-
formed with and that full pardon be
awarded the condemned man, under
the condition, be it well understood,
that the solicitor Of his love hold him
duly to his engagement,
So it came to pass that the good jesse
had the rare and marvellous fortune to
espouse a gentle and well favored maid
en- after the approved fashion instead
of the cold and grimaclng death and
TO be indebted to his wife for that
which ordinarily men owe to their
mothers only-that is to say, his life.
4 similar occurrence took place a
short time afterward unexpectedly at
the city of Rouen. As a certain thief,
a native of Hautvllllers, was conduct
ed to his fate, a loud old woman step
ped out of the crowd below and declar-
cd that she desired him In marriage.
The prisoner, astonished, considered a
moment; then, remarking that the
aforesaid person was a hOmely bag,
shook his head and pursued his way to
the gallows, observing to the execu-
toner:
The wench, / don't want herg'
And in a moment he was welded to
the gallows.-Chicago Tribune.
Fled to the wolves