The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-16
BUCKSKIN JUSTICE.
The Miners Make Her Widow and
Then a Bride.


One day a lank. lean, ornery looking
stranger arrived at Buckskin Flats to
buy such provisions as he could of the
miners. 1t was while haggling over the
price of a piece of pork that hot words
passed, and he pulled a gun and shot
Jim HeOworth dead in his tracks. That
meant a hanging It wasn't ten minutes
before the shooter found himself under
a tree with rope around his neck. Joe
Taylor bossed the proceedings. and
when all was ready he said.
WAL. stranger. this is one of our
busy days. Don't want to rush things
too fast. but if you could say what you
want to and have done with it we'd
like to finish up this job and get back
to work Jest draw a long breath.
brace up. and let's hear what you've
got to say
"He-he called me a liar" stammered
the stranger in reply.
Very likely Jim was an impulsive
critter, and was always blurtin' out
things. Theer wasn't excuse huff fur
shoOtin' him. however"
"He-pulled the gun first
But he wasn't w arm one. you see.
Better take some other track. stranger.
| This performance ar bound to come off
accordin' advertisement. and you'd bet
ter be savin' farewell words to them
you ar goin' to leave behind. You don't
seem to be much of a critter, but mebbe
/ you'll be missed by sumbody or other
/ Got any farewell MESA ges? ?"
Not a blamed one" growled the
stranger. This is jumpin' in on a Teller
without givin' rim a fair show but 1
amt goin' to work up no tears over it,
/ If it's got to be, then go ahead"
The crowd went ahead The stranger
was hung as gently as the rope per-
mitted, and i'll due time was buried
with all the MARKS Of respect. 1t was
a day later when a rawboned woman.
smoking an old clay pipe, entered camp
and said TO Toe 'TaVlOr.
Look here now; I'm Mary Ann john
son. My old man left the wagon yester-
day to come up here and buy meat and
flour, and suntbin' must have gone
wrong with Kim.
She added that they were pioneer
family on the way to Blue Grass valley,
and when she had described her miss
ing husband joe said:
Yes. Wilder Johnson. such a critter
as you mention was here yesterday.
and I'm sorry to say we felt obleeged
to hang him in that tree over thar. The
grave wherein his mortal remains re-
pose is lust to the left of that scrub
pine, and the bows went down plump
| four feet"
What was the occasion of the hang
in'?' quietly asked the woman.
He shot one of our crowd"
You don't say! A great change must
hev come over him all of a sudden. fur
/ EnOs was a man without sand. I've
known of his bein' licked seven times a
week by a Chinyman. and it ar need
less to observe that 1 bossed the roost.
can't make it out"
How many children called him pop?"
asked Joe after bit
Nary one" replied the woman as she
rehlled her pipe and sat down to talk it
out, but l can't go over to the valley
and stake out a claim all alone"
You won't have to. ma am. l don t
think that critter of yours was much
of rusher. Struck me that he hadn t
much ambition about him."
NO Enos was no rusher Back thar in
Missouri he let it rain in on the bed for
five years sooner than nail a coonskin
over the leak in the roof He was the
best I could pick up, though. And now
I'm all alone in this cold world"
Jest keep right on smokin' ma am. and
I'll see what can be did, said Joe, and he
called up the men nearest him and stated
the case
IT'S this way. boys he explained
The man we hung yesterday was her
husband. We had to do it. He was a
mighty poor critter, but he was all shs
! had Havin did the right thing by him
we must now do the right thing by her
Who of you will marry her?''
A hundred miners passed the woman
IN review, but she was gaunt and home
~ and had a fault finding look, and nc
one wanted to be No. ?. When two hours
had been wasted. Joe sent for a miner
named Dave Tucker and said:
Dave, did you leave your wife back in
the states?''
i did, replied Dave. yes, I left an OLD
woman back in Indiana. It's jest possible
that she's died since / left but she was
one of the kind to hang on fur spite.
was drea:nin' only last night about seem
her agin, and the sfust thing She did was
; to fetch me a wilack with the broom.
stick"
How long ago did you leave Indiana? %
Ten years or so.n
Ever goin' back to your wife?" ri
Not unless I'm obleeged to. She helped
: me on with a kick when I started aRc
hoped she'd never see me ag'in. What's
that objict over there2-
; woman. Dave-a woman. and a wild
der You was one of the crowd who pull
ed hardest on the rope yesterday and
I made her wilder. She's got an outfit
down below, and it pears to me you'd bet