The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-30

and a lie. There is no God!'
Tom, Toni" groaned the Preacher.
II tell you / mean it," Tom continued.
81 don't want any more of God or his
heaven. l don't want to see God. Where
was His almighty power when my poor
| little baby was screamin' for help while
that black beast was tearin' her to
pieces!"
Then he sprang up, his face livid
and convulsed with volcanic passions
| that half strangled him while he Shrek
| ed.
"Oh! if / only had him here, before me
now, and God Almighty would give me
strength with these hands, l would tear
| his breast open and rip out his heart"
When they reached the cemetery the
next day and the body was about to be
| lowered into the grave, Tom suddenly
spied old Uncle Reuben Worth leaning on
his spade by the edge of the crowd. Uncle
Reuben was the grave digger of the town
and the only negro present.
Watt" said Tom, raising his hand
Don't put her in that gravel A niger
dug it, l can't stand it," He turned
| to group of old soldier comrades stand
! ing by and said,
more You'll dig another grave for me-
won't you? 1t won't take long. The
| folks can go home that don't want to
! stay. 1 amt got no home to go to now
but this graveyard"
His comrades filled up the grave that
! Uncle Reuben had dug. and opened a new
| one on the other side of the graves where
| slept his other loved ones.
1 IN ic n nd St0
ed with him several hours trying to help
him. He seemed to have settled into
! stupor from which nothing could rouse
| him. When at length the old man fell
asleep, CASTOR softly closed the door and
returned to his office with heavy heart.
| AS he neared the centre of the town,
he heard a low murmur like the distant
| moaning of the wind in the hush that
comes before a storm. 1t grew louder
! and louder and became articulate with
occasional words that seemed far away
and unreal What could it be? He had
never heard such a sound before. Now
| it became clearer and the murmur was
the tread of a thousand feet and the
/ clatter of horses hoofs. Not a cry or
shout or word. Silence and hurrying
! feet!
4 All he knew now. 1t was the searchers
returning. a grim swaying voiceless mob
| with one black figure amid them. They
were swarming into the court house
square under the big oak where an in
| formal trial was to be held.
| He rushed forward to protest against
a lynching. He could just catch glimpse
of the negros head swaying back and
| 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 his 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 slnO-
ment, leaped toward him and fell at his
| feet crying and pleading as he held his
feet and legs.
Save me, Charlie! l nebber done it!
/ nebber done it! For Gods sake help
mel Keep em 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 l. 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
man in the crowd. 1--WE know that tune.
| The lawyers has things their own way
in court house" A murmur of assent
mingled with oaths ran through the
crowd.
| Fair trial!' sneered Hose Norman,
snatching Dick from the ground by the
| rope Look at the black DEVILS clothes
| splotched ali over with her blood We
| found him under n 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
| clear 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-we1l
| tend ter this devil"
| The messenger came with the oil and
| 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 herr!
| On the crowd moved, swaying back
and forth with CASTOR in their midst by
| Dicks side begging for fair trial for
| him. crowd that hurries and does not
shout is fearful thing There is some
thing inhuman in its uncanny silence
Gastons voice sounded strained and
| discordant. They paid no more attention
| to his protest than to the chirp of a
| cricket.
! They reached the spot where the child's
body had been found. They tied the
screaming praying negro to a live pine
and piled around his body a great heap
of dead wood and saturated it with oil.
And then they poured oil on his clothes.
Castor looked around him begging first
one man then another to help him fight
the crowd and rescue him. Not a hand
was lifted, or voice raised in protest
There was not negro among them. Not
only was no negro in that crowd or in
sympathy with it, but there was not a
cabin in all that county that would not
have given shelter to the brute, though
thew knew him g1Iilty of the crime charo