El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-19

him up in hopes of making thing
easier for themselves, but 1 knew tina
it was false charge. 1t wouldn't d,
to say too much to Stebbins. however
Low and contemplate as he was, b,
had pull with the government ant
! did not hesitate to threaten revenge
on me for interfering with his disci
| pline. Neither one of us sent in a re
port. but we were open enemies aftel
! that.
! Not one convict i'm a thousand would
have stood tic insults and degradation
put upon Black Jim during the mex
year. / know he tried his best. but
there was no pleasing Stebbins. He
was always boasting that he had a gen
tlemau convict and that he was bound
to "break" him. and lie spent n good
share of his time worrying the man. II
/ was an almost daily thing for Black
Jim to be logged. and four-fifths of his
days were spent under lock and key
and on II diet of bread and water. My
interest in him saved him somewhat
but as the weeks went by 1 knew what
the end would be. He would either
rise up in his desperation and kill Steb-
bins or he would bolt for the bush and
times when felt vexed with him that
he didn't do one or the other and show
a proper spirit. although it would have
been my duty tn hunt him down in
either case. One day. as l was return
ing with the troop after hunting down
a false alarm of bushrangers. my horse
SHE'D and threw me almost in front Of
Stebbins' house. aud as struck on a
stone and had several ribs broken
was carried in. He was not glad to
see me, but under the circumstances
was obliged to give me bed. Having
got settled, the police surgeon would
not allow me to be removed. The
brute StebbinS wanted to show his in
dependence of the police and prosecute
Black Jim at the same time. and the
insults he heaped on that convict for
three or four days made me itch to
shoot him. On tine fourth night of my
accident four men and three women
arrived for an evening visit. They
were about the only friends Stebbins
had in social way. and he made them
very welcome. My being in the house
was not permitted to interfere with the
festivities. When dinner had been fin
ished and the drink had gone around.
Stebbins sent for Black Jim and or
dered him to dance for the amusement
of the company. The convict respect
fully but firmly refused. and his master
cried out i'm indignation:
you won't dance. eh? Too much OF
a gentleman to give us hornpipe!
Mebbe this company isn't swagger
enough for the likes of Il bloomin muir
derer"'
I protested. but Stebbins went ahead.
The men gave him their assistance and
the women encouraged him. He had
had ropes and pulleys fastened to the
ceiling long before, and it wasn't five
before the convict was faSten-
ed up. | saw desperation in his face
as they laid hands on him. but he did
not resist. His arms were drawn up
till his feet We're clear of the floor. and
had ! been able to reach n pistol |
know l should have killed some one.
The man had been hanging ten min
rtes. and the agony had almost
brought unconciousneSs. when the door
was kicked open and four bushrangers
crowded in. 1t was n complete sur
prise. The women screamed out and
began to cry. but the men. with the
exception of Stebbins. took it rather
cool The bully and coward went white
As death and fell into n chair, and it
was almost pitiful to hear him beg for
his life. He knew those bushrangers
were escaped convicts. and he also
knew that stories of his brutality had
gone to them. While three of the
covered the people with their
pistols. the fourth cut Black Jim down.
Then ho SinnnaI nd
1t me and said he had heard of my &C.
.idcnt and was sorry for it. When
Black Jim had recovered sufficiently to
stand on his feet. the leader of the out
avs put n pistol in his hand, and,
to StcbbinS. said:
'ShOOt him dead i'm his chair. He
deserves mercy from no man
Jim returned the pistol AMI shook his
head Next instant StebbinS toppled
,ut of his chair with Il bullet i'm his
read. and the leader said:
Sorry to have interrupted the fes-
ivities. but il was our calling night.
We We're after Stebbins alone, and the
est of you need not fear. Come, Jim:
We want you
Two of them helped the forger con-
Tict out of the house and upon n horse,
md that was the making of the most
notorious bushranger in all Australia.
lie had a career of five years and then
lied from bullet. and it was two
ears after his death before it became
known that he had let the law
make convict of him in order to
hield brother. l had always be-
ieved him innocent of the crime, and,
moving how he had been prosecuted
md abused by Stebbins. I almost re-
DICED when the bushrangers carried
lin off to make Il leader of him.