The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-04-01

CASTOR tOOh pfl ~ - !
-. I'm savaral hours trying 10 h'lp
- No seemed 10 have settled ih'o .
stnnor from which nothing couio Jus
hin When at length the OLD man ~
ae,aan CASTOR softly closed the door u
,atnrned to his office with a heaNs 50"
,s no neared the centre OF the Town
he heard a low murmur ike the a
moaning OF the wind In the huSn
comes before a storm. II gre" i
o,d louder and became articulate WIN
occasional words that seemed lar 80
and unreal. What could 1t De re n"'
never heard such a sound before. :"
II became clearer and the murhur "as
the tread OF a thousand leel anu -
clatter Of horses hoo!s- not - -
= shout or a word. Silence and hurrylns
feet
All, he knew now. 1t was the searchers
ratnrning a grim swaying voiceless mob
with one black figure amid them. Ihey
were swarming into the court mouse
square under the big oak where IN IN
formal trial was TO be held.
He rushed forward to protest against
a lynching. He could just catch a glimpse
Of the negroes head swaying back anu
forth. protesting innocence in a singing
monotone as though he were already
half dead.
He pushed his way roughly through the
excited crowd to the centre where Hose
Norman. the leader. stood with one end
of a rope in lis hand and the other
around the negro's neck.
The negro turned his head quickly
toward the movement made by the crowd
as CASTOR pressed forward.
1t was Dick.
Dick recognised him at the same mo-
ment. leapcd toward him and fell at his
feet crying and pleading as he held his
feet and legs.
Save me, Charlie, nebber done it,
l nebber done il. For Gods sake help
mel Keep EN- off. Dey gwine burn me
erlive."
CASTOR turned to the crowd. Men,
there's not one among you that loved
that old soldier and his girl as ! did.
But you must not do this crime. If this
negro is guilty, we can prove it in that
court house there, and he will pay the
penalty with his life. Give him a fair
trial"
That's a lawyer talkin' now" said a
man in the crowd. 1--WE know that tune.
The lawyers has things their own way
in a court house" A murmur Of assent
mingled with oaths ran through the
crowd.
l. III lIldi. SIttI tu lioot y nan
snatching Dick from the ground by the
rope. Look at the black DEVILS clothes
splotched ali over with her blood. We
found him under a shelvin' rock where
, he'd got by wadin' up the branch a quar-
ter of a mile to fool the dogs. We found
!, his track in the sand some places where
he missed the water and tracked him
/, kclear from where we found Flora to the
cave he was lying in. Fair trial-hell.
!, We're Just waitin' for er can o. oil. You
go back and read your law books-well
tend ter this devil"
The messenger came with the oil anC
f the crowd moved forward. Hose shout
/, ed, Down by Tom Camps by his spring
down the spring branch to the Flat Rock
where he killed her."
On the crowd moved, swaying bach
and forth with CASTOR in their midst By
, Dicks side begging for a fair trial fol
him. A crowd that hurries and does not
! shout is a fearful thing. There is some.
thing inhuman in its uncanny silence.
f Gaston's voice sounded strained an(
discordant. They paid no more attention
q to his protest than to the chirp of a
cricket.
g They reached the spot where the child's
b body had been found. They tied the
screaming praying negro to a live pine
and piled around his body a great hear
of dead wood and saturated it with oil
: And then they poured oil on his clothes
v CASTOR looked around him begging frs
one man then another to help him fghr
the crowd and rescue him. Not a hanf
O was lifted, or a voice raised in protest
There was not a negro among them. No
4 only was no negro in that crowd or il
4 sympathy with it, but there was not :
cabin in all that county that would no
h nave given shelter to the brute. though
they knew him guilty Of the crime charg.
ed against him. This was the one ter.
rible fact that paralysed Gaston's eff.
= forts.
$ Hose Norman stepped forward to an.
ply a match and CASTOR grasped hi,
. arm.
0 For Gods sake, Hose, wait a minute
r he begged. Don't disgrace our town
5 our county, our State and our claims +,
e humanity by this insane brutality,
e beast wouldn't do this. You wouldn'
kill a mad dog or a rattIesnake in sue,
e a way. If you will kill him. shoot hin
t or knock him in the head with q rock
don't burn him alive!"
Hose glared at him and quickly 70
= marked.
IS Are you done now? If you are sian,
s out of the wayi'
r He struck the match and Dick uttaro,
a scream. AS Hose leaned forward ,nit,
his match CASTOR knocked him dow
It and a dozen stalwart men were unop 49,
y in a moment. nan
KNOCK the fool in the head" on,
n shouted. "
e Pin his arms behind him," said an
other. az
Some one quickly pinioned his arr,
l. with a cord. He stood in HELPLESS raa,
is and pity, and as he save the match 90
e pied bowed his head and burst inf,
~ tears. iHt'
lie He looked up at the silent crowd stand
o ihs tn7ie iihe Voiceless ghosts with re-
n9"eu "onueT al the meaning of it all
ia Under the glare of the Hoht III.
tears the crowd seemed TO mol. ;H'n'
great crawling, swaying creature -, :