Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-11


Redeemed over his chin.
Just then the elevator struck the top
and nearly threw me off my feet. Ter
riss drew the woman out on the land
Ing, the boy ran shouting down the
hall, and I was left alone with all that
dreadful struggle on the floor
| Pearson glanced at me sideways and
spoke in hard voice-he was painting
loudly:
81 was just in time. Pull that rope
and run us down. Hurry!' he said.
l obeyed without word. How slow
it seemed to drop. and all the time
Pearson was talking to the moaning
figure under him, whose wrists he held
in the clasp of his strong fingers.
Don't struggle. Dick. Dash K, man.
l had to! Don't you hear me! lie was
going to shoot you. She told me so!
Listen! It's 1. old pal. Pearson! l had
to do 1t! Listen! There, stop! 1 won't
hurt you, Dick! Dick. old boy, he'd
shot you through his coat! Came all
the way from Pinto just to do 1t! My
| God, he doesn't hear mev'
| Roach was moving his hands, still at
tempting to free himself. His eyes
only showed the whites and he was
blowing bloody bubbles through his
teeth.
Pearson looked up at me. "What am
going to do?' he asked. "God help
me- I've hurt him badly.'
We reached the bottom at last with
creaking blow on the woodwork.
There was crowd gathered there al
ready.
Pearson LET go his hold and got up on
his feet. He was so cool and earnest
and appeared so right that no one offer
ed to touch him, and he backed slowly
out into the hall.
Two or three men raised Roach, and
he stood there, swaying, deaf and blind
with the desire to kill, his head thrust
out, as If he peered through smoke, and
his bloody jaw dropped horribly. They
might have known, 1t seems to me, but
the movement was so quick perhaps
they could not have stopped it. The
flash and report came together. 1t
seemed as if something went off inside
my head and burst.
/ saw Pearson lurch forward across
an easy chair, coughing and strangling
There was scattering on the white
tiled floor.
Roach drew himself up with the air
of drunken man who tries to keep
his dignity, handing the revolver to the
bystander nearest him and staggering
away asking for an officer in q husky
voice.
The pistol smoke smelled like nox-
ious gas and nearly overpowered me.
They carried Pearson, or dragged
him, rather, into the nearest Mushroom
and laid him on the floor with some
dirty towels underneath his head.
knelt beside him and placed my cheek
close against his. One of his lungs was
filed with blood, but he could whisper
"Have you a pistol, Tom?'' he said in
my ear. put it in my pocket. It'll go
easier with him If they find pistol-he |
was crazy-meant to save him-stood |
between me and q knife, he did, once |
long ago-cut him to strings" He was
lisptng thickly. MET them on train,
she managed to tell me. Terriss got |
hold of Roach's letter. They were go
ing to clear out-swore to kill him, Ter
riss did. Fight distracted him-she
rve-blabbed-been going on for
years. Oh, Tom, I'm going to die
don't let him know-ride straight!
Pray quick-prayers-O Godv 1 held
my breath while he was dying, the doc
tor fumbling about his chest.
l remember they covered him with a
cloth from the billiard table. A man in
q blue coat took down my name, and I
struggled through the crowd.
l could not think of what had hap
pened and looked stupidity at the heavy
seal he had slipped off his finger into
my hand but few minutes before.
The crest had been defaced, and /
could make out the word "yeritas"
spelled backward.
Perfunctorily I finished the errand l
lad started on earlier in the day, the
ling Of some papers at the courthouse,
ind, still dazed, I heard the newsboys
'alling extra" on the street.
There is the sum of the following
lay and l have finished. did not go
o bed that night. 1 thought should
lever sleep again, and l made all the
for Fearson's funeral aft
r the inquest with n heavy heart. No
ne knew anything of his family or his
'ast. seemed to be his only friend. 8
inc thing knew-he was gentleman.
The second day l slept, and when I ,
woke there was note brought to me
rom Roach imploring me to call and ,
ee him. He was held q prisoner-it ,
ras not his first affair.
For some reason I felt no resentment !,
oward Roach. was still numbed. l
ould not analyze my feelings for him.
did not care whether they hanged
i'm or let him 60 Pearson was dead
So went and found him, not In a ;,
ell, but seated in large cagelike
tructure In the Jail corridor. He APP
cared quite comfortable and was !,
moking.
There was skyllght in the roof
bove, and the place was full Of sun
line. The reality and horror Of the W
hole occurrence struck me more for b
bly,. Up to this time I could hardly n
'alize 1t. n
Not detail Of the place or Of the in :
rview escaped me- | do not believe [ -