Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-04-02


i the night, No hesitating
IFTSfN stroke of Schofields' Henry.
no uncertain touch. was on
the rope. a loud. wild. hurried clamor
peaing out to wake the country side. a
rapid cianS. clang! clangi that struck
clear in to the spine. The courthouse
ee& had tolled for the death of Nor
ton, of Garfield. of Hendricks: had
ruaS joy peals of peace after the war
AID after political campaigns. but il
haa rung as it was ringing now only
three times-once when Hibbar d's mill
burned, once when Webb Lands killed
Sep Barjiock and intrenched himself
In the lumber yard and would not be
taken until he was shot through and
through. and once when the Rouen ac-
ccmmodation, crowded with children
and women and men, was wrecked
within twenty yards of the station.
Why was the bell ringing now? Men
and women, startled into wide wake
fuiness. CROPPED to windows. No red
mist hung over town or country. What
was it? The bell rang on Its loud
alarm beat increasingly into mems
hearts and quickened their throbbing
10 the rapid measure of its own. Vague
forms doomed in the cleaning A horse.
maoiy ridden, splashed through the
town. There were shouts; voices called
hosrsely; lamps began to CLEAN in the
windows; half clad people emerged
frosa their houses, men slapping their
braces on their shoulders as they ran
out of doors; questions were shouted
, into the dimness.
: Then the news went over the town.
1t was cried from yard to yard, from
group to group, from gate to gate, and
reached the furthermost confines. Run
ners shouted it as they sped by, and
boys painted il. breathless: women with
seosened hair stumbled into darkling
hambers ard faltered il out to new
Weakened sleepers. and pale girls, clutch
ing wraps at their threats. WHISPERED
1t across fences. The sick, tossing on
ueT hard beds, heard it, The bell
ciemored il far and near; ii spread over
the countryside. and it flew over the
wires TO distant cities The White Cans
had got Mr.. Harklessl
Iige Willetts had lost track of him
out near Briscoes, IL was said, and had
come into town at midnight seeking
him. He had found Parker. the Herald
foreman, and Ross Schofield. the type
setter, and Bud Tipworthy, the devil.
at work in the printing office. but no
sign OF HAIRLESS there or in the cot
tage. Together these had sought for
him and had reused others who had in
quired at every house where he might
have gone for shelter and they had
heard nothing. They had watched for
his coming during the slackcning of
the storm He had not come, and there
was no place he could have gone. He
was missing. Only one thing could
have happened.
They had reused up Warren Smith,
the prosecutor. and Horner. the sher-
IN and Jared Wiley. the deputy Will
liam Todd had rung the alarm. 1t was
agreed that the first thing to do was
to find him. After that there would
be trouble, II not before 1t looked as
II there would be trouble before. The
men tramping up TO the muddy square
IN their shirt sleeves were bulgy about
the right hips, and when Homer Tibbs
Joined Columbus Lands at the hotel
corner and Lands saw that Homer
was carrying a shotgun Lands went
back for his. A hastily sworn posse
gailoped out Main street Women and
children ran into neighbors' yards and
began TO cry. Day was coming, and
as the light grew men swore and saw
agely kicked at the palings of fences
as they ran by them.
Ia the foreglow of dawn they gather
ed in the square and listened to War
zen Smith, who made a speech from
The courthouse fence and warned
Visem TO go slow. They answered him
with angry shouts and hootings. But
he made his big bass voice heard and
oodc them do nothing rash No facts
were known, he said. twas far from
certain that harm had been done, and
no one knew that the Six Crossroads
people had done it, even if something
had happened to Mr. Harkless. He de-
clared that he spoke in Harkless' name
Nothing could distress him so much as
Tor them 10 defy the law. 10 take it
out Of the proper hands. Justice would
De done
Yes IL willr' shouted a man below
I'm. brandishing the butt of rawhide
whip above his head And while YOU
Jaw on about it here he may be tied I'D
Ike dog in the woods shot full of
holes by the men you never lifted
hnser TO bender, because you want