The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-16
THE LEOPARD SPOTS
Continued from Page Mined


Can tell, take her 10 the house
quick
They laid her across the bed in the
room mat mad been made sweet and tidy
for the bride and groom The mother
bent over her quickly with a light. Just
where the blue veins crossed in her DELI
cate temple there was round hole from
which scarlet thread was running
down her white throat.
without word the mother brought
Tom, showed it to him and then fell into
his arms and burst into flood of tears
Don't cry so. Annie! 1t might have
been worse. Let us thank God she was
saved from them brutes.',
The next morning when Tom Camp
called at the PARSONAGE to tell the
preacher Of his sorrow and arrange for
The funeral of his daughter he found
him in bed. r.
Why, what's this, preacher? A ban
dage over your eye, looks like some
body Knocked you in the head?"
''Oh! nothing much. Tom
III tell you what happened, cried
Mrs. Durham, standing erect with her
great dark eyes flashing with anger
AS ne came home last night from
visit to the sick, he was ambushed by
gang of negroes led by white sAoun-
dTei, Knocked down, bound and gagged
ard placed on a pile of dry fence rails.
He was tied across the heaps of dry
wood to two stakes. They set fire to the
pile and left him 10 burn to death. They
poured oil on the rails and it made such
blaze 1t attracted the attention of old
DIR. Graham. who was passing. He got
TO him In time TO save him"
You don't say SOL" IS.
I'm sorry, Tom. I'm SO weak this
morning / couldn't come to see you. L
know your poor wife is heartbroken
Yes. sir, she is, and il cuts me to the
quick when / think that / gave the or
derS to the boys to shoot hut, preach
err, I'd 4 killed her with my own hand
IL | couldn't saved her no other way!
I'd do it over again thousand times if
! had to-.
i don't blame you, I'd have done the
same thing. ] cant come to see YOU to-
day, Tim, I'll be down to your house to-
norrow u few minutes before we start
for the cemetery. / must get up for
dinner and prevent the men attacking
these troops. They'll not dare to try to
sell your place today. The public
square is full of men now and its only,
nine o'clock. You go home and cheer up
your wife. How is Hose?"
Hes still in bed. The doctor says
his skull is broken in one place, but hell
be over ii in a few weeks"
Tom hobbled back to his house, shak-.
Ing hands with scores of silent men on
The way.
The preacher crawled to his desk and
wrote this note to the young officer In
command of the post:
My Dear Captain: In the interest of
: peace and order i would advise you to-
tpiegrahh to Independence for two COM
panies OF white regulars to come inn
mediately on a pecial, ana that you
start your negro troops on double quick
marching order to- meet them. There
will be thousand armed men in Ham
bright by SHUTDOWN, and no power ON
earth can prevent the determination Of
that negro company if they attack them
! will do my best TO prevent further
bloodshed but I can do nothing if these
troops remain here today
Respectfully,
JOftN DOR Nj.
The commandment acted on the advice
Immediately. The negro troops We're
marched double quick out of town, and
met the troops on the way to Hambright
from Independence. The two new COM.
pahies marched into the court house
square. The commandant had an inter-
view with the sheriff.
MIR. Sheriff, you will postpone your
sale OF lands for taxes today. Your
functions are suspended until / see fit to.
restore hem
II was the week following before the
sales began. There was no help for it.
The town and the county were doomed
To ruin more complete and terrible
than the four years Of war had brought.
independence had been saved by skill
full movement of Gen. Worth, who
sought an interview with Legree when
his council first issued their levy of 80
per cent for municipal purposes.
MIR. Legree let's understand one an
other" said the general.
''All right. I'm a man of reason"
"A bird in hand is worth two in the
bush!'
Every time. general"
Well, call off your dogs, and rescind
your order for a 80 per cent tax levy,
and I'll raise 10000 in cash and pay it
10 you in two days"
Make 1t 100000 and it's bargain
Agreed"
The general raised $4,000 in the city,
Went North and borrowed the remaining
$4,000.
Legree and his brigands received this
ransom and moved on tor the next town.
Poor Hambright was but a scrawny
little village on a red hill with. no big
values to be saved, and no mills to inter-
est the commercial world. When the
day of martial law expired, the auc-
toneer lifted his hammer! e.
Orr.IorUp f~IT