The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-01-15

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"Who en- look into yer min en-
tell ter minute how lawng it takes
yer furgit dat las rs cents he Dor
rid en- den step right up en- borry
ernudder one? Nickydemus. En-
now who ken be spar'd de bes en-
missed de less? Nickydemus!"
The magistrate, who for some
time had been extremely busy trim
ming the knots from the grapevine
with his pocketknife and twisting it
into suppLeness, now paused and de-
livered the following charge:
"Gentermuns OBJ de jury, you's
hyeard enough to hang er whole
cupper (cowpen) full er niggers. I'm
all I'm got to say is dat pulI'n fod-
der time put nigh hyere en- dis is er
mighty good chance to git riddeT
Nickydemus.
"Gentermuns oh de jury, is yer
egreed ?" demanded Squire Bolden.
eve am, sab, came in digniiied
tones from the frame.
'What is de wordick? ?" solemnly
demanded Uncle Cephas.
ODE wordick, sab, am it nebber
I won do to let slip dis chance er git
tin ridder Nickydemus, " was the re
ply.
per0uous order Of the magistrate to
the condemned, who had been
standing up from the first. "You's
done plenny harm in dis worP fer
one niger, en- sides you's had er
far trial 70 yer Teller citizens.
Now, it's de Judgment er dis court
dat yer be hung to de biggis' lin
avn Pop Castle oak wilder grape
vine, Gaze t'ud be bad luck to use er
rope after it been bout dead folks,
en- dat de jury is debbytized to do
de hangin'"
"Hold on'' I shouted, thorough
ly aroused by the groans Of the
prisoner and the screams Of his
wife and children. "Do you know
that you are about to deprive a hui
man being Of life against law and
| justice? Why, not even a witness
has appeared against him! Mind
what you do.
ODE gentermuns in sto' cloze," re
piled the magistrate sternly, ''will
pease don't bodder de exscusion-
ments er dis hyere court De cha'c-
ter er Nickydemus WagstalT is
knowed fur as de train goes ef not
er liz furder. De whole yearth en-
ev'ytheng in it b'rs witness ergin
him. Gentermuns, do yer July"
While | was struggling desperate
ly to force my way through the
! throng and reach the spot the ropes
were stripped from the prisoner, a
slip moose in the grapevine thrown
around his neck, and he was dragged
away to the designated spot. One
end Of the vine, weighted with a
small stone, was thrown over a
huge limb. The jury seized it as it
fell and pulled with might and
main.
The doomed man rose, wildly
kicking and struggling against the
background Of blue sky. He was
already several feet in the air when
a hitch occurred. The jury gave
jerk. With snap the grapevine
broke, piling them in heap on the
ground.
In an instant Nicodemus was
making for the woods, descending
the hill twenty feet at bound, with
half the grapevine standing cut
straight behind him and the whole
crowd, Uncle Cephas in the van, in
headlong pursuit.
Before 100 yards were covered it
was clear that Pop Castle would
witness no hanging that day, and in
half an hour the breathless, baff1ed
crowd was back again, seeking what
consolation the cool spring water
could afford
Whether it was an accidental
break in the grapevine or whether
the shrewd old man while trim
ming and Ssooplin'" gave it nick
it was impossible to say, although
there was plainly twinkle in I'm
Gle Ceph's eye when his gaze met
mine Oh his return from the chase.