Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-03-03

VsSSy no uncertain touch, was on
the rope. A loud, wild. hurried clamor
pealing out to wake the countryside, q
rapid clang. clang. clang! that struck
clear in to the spine. The courthouse
bell had tolled for the death Of Nor
ton, Of Garfield. of Hendricks; had
rung JOY peals Of peace after the war
and after political campaigns, but it
had rung as it was ringing now only
three times-oncc when HiDbard'S mill
burned, once when Webb Lands killed
Sep Bardlock and intrenched himself
in the lumber yard and would not be
taken until he was shot through and
through, and once when the Eouen ac-
Commodation, 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
fulncss, CROPPED to windows. No red
mist hung over town or country. What
was 1t? The bell rang on. Its loud
alarm beat increasingly into mems
hearts and quickened their throbbing
to the rapid measure Of its own. Vague
forms doomed in the cleaning. A horse,
madly ridden. splashcd through the
town. There were shouts; voices called
boarsely; lamps began to CLEAN in the
windows; half clad people emerged
from 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 it. breathess; women With
loosened hair stumbled into darkling
chambers and faltercd It out to new
Weakened sleepers, and pale girls, clutch
ing wraps at their throats, whispered
1t across fences. The sick, tossing on
their hard beds. heard It, The bell
clamOred 1t far and near; It spread over
the countryside. and it few over the
wires to distant cities. The White Caps
had got Mr.. Harkless!
LAre Willetts had lost track Of him
out near Briscoes. it was said. and had
come into town at midnight seeking
him. lie had found Parker, the Herald
foreman. and Ross Schoflcd, the type
setter ard Bud Tipworthy. the devi.
at work il the printing office, but no
sign Of IIarkless 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
if, 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, If not before. 1t looked as
if 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 Mt the hotel
corner and Lands saw that Homer
was carrying shotgun Lands went
back for his. A hastily sworn posse
gallOped out Main street. Women and
children ran into nelghbors' yards and
began to cry. Day was coming, and
as the light grew men swore and say
ngcly kicked at the palings Of fences
as they ran by them.
In the foreglow Of dawn they gather.
ed in the square and listened to War.
rem Smith. who made speech from
the courthouse fence and warned
them to 90 slow. They answered him
with angry shouts and hootlngs. But
he made his big bnss voice heard and
babe them do nothing RASH No facts
were known, be said. 1t was far from
p.rtnin that harm had been done, and
no one knew that the Six Crossroads
people had done ii, even if something
had happened TO Mr.. IIarklcss. He de-
Clared that he spoke in Harkless' name
Nothing could distress him so much az
for them to defy the law, to take 1t
out Of the proper hands. Justice would
be done.
Eyes, it viii" shouted man below
him, brandishina the butt of rawhide
whip above his head. And while you
jaw on about 1t here he may be tied I'D
like n dog in the woods, shot full of
holes by the men YOU never lifted a
finger to bender, because you want
their votes when you run for circuit
fudge. What are we dom here? What's
the good of listening to you?"
There was yell Mt this, and those
who heard the speaker would probably
have started for the Crossroads had
not rumOr sprung up which passed
rapidly from man to man and in few
moments had reached every person in
the crowd. The news came that the
two shell gamblers had wrenched bar
out of window under cover of the
storm, had broken jail and were at
large. Their threats of the day before
were remembered now with convincing
vividness. They had sworn repeatedly
to Bardlock and to the sheriff and In the
hearing Of others that they would do
for the man who had taken their mon
ey from them and had them arrested.
The prosecuting attorney. quickly per-
cciving the value Of this complication
In holding back the mob that was al
ready forming, called Homer from the
crowd and made him get up on the
fence and confess that his prisoners