The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-04-08

k stroke OF Schodelds' Henry.
yj no uncertain touch. was on
the rope. A loud, wild. hurried clamoT
pealing out TO wake the countryside, n
rapid ciang, 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 II
had rung rs IL was ringing now only
three times-once when Hibbard'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 Rouen 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
fulness, 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
to the rapid measure OF its own. Vague
forms loomed in the cleaning. A horse,
madly ridden, splashed through the
town. There were shouts; voices called
hoarsely; lamps began TO gleam 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 10 group. from gate TO gate. and
reached the furthermost confines Run
ners shouted IL as they sped by. and
boys painted II. breathless: women with
| loOsened hair stumbled into darkling
| chambers and faltered II out to new
Weakened sleepers. and pale girls. clutch
/ ing wraps at their throats, whispered
/ II across fences. The sick, tossing on
| their hard beds. heard it. The bell
clamored il far and near; II spread over
the countryside. and It tew over the
wires to distant cities. The White Caps
had got Mr.. HarklessI
Lige willetts had lost track OF him
out near Briscoe's, II 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 Tlpworthy. the devil,
at work In the printing office, but nc
sign OF Harkless 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 fol
his coming during the slackening oi
the storm. He had not come, and there
was no place he could have gone. III,
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. vii
liam Todd had rung the alarm. IL wa
agreed that the first thing TO do wa
to find him. After that there woult
be trouble. IL not before. 1t looked a.
| IL there would be trouble before. Th
men tramping up TO the muddy squar
I'm their shirt sleeves were bulgy abou
the right hips. and when Homer Tibb
Joined Columbus Lands at the hote
corner and I.andis saw that Home
was carrying n shotgun lands wen
back for his. A hastily sworn poss
galloped out Main street. Women an
children ran into neighbors' yards an
n began TO cry. Day was coming, an
y as the light grew men swore and say
= agely kicked at the palings of fence
as they ran by them.
In the foreglow OF dawn they gather
ed In the squara and listened TO Wal
len Smith. who made a speech frpr
q the courthouse fence and warne
e them to go slow. They answered hil
d with angry shouts and hootings. b.
a he made his big bass voice heard an
I bade them d0 nothing rash. No fact
were known. he said. II was far froI
5, certain that harm had been done. ar
= no one knew that the Six CrossroaI
% people had done il, even il somethii
had happened TO MIR. HarkleSs. He
clared that he spoke In Harkless' nam
Nothing could distress him so much
for them to defy the law, To take
out OF the proper hands Justice won
10 be done.
"Yes. IL willr' shouted a man belo
him. brandishing the butt Of a rawhi
whip above his head. And while Y,
jaw on about il here lac may be tied
like a dog in the woods, shot full
U holes by the men you never lifted
finger to hendsr. because you wa
their votes when you run for circ'
Judge What are we doin' here: Wha
the good OF listening to your'
There was yell at this, and the
who heard the speaker would probal
have started for the Crossroads ID
not a rumOr sprung up which pass
rapidly from man To man and In a 4
moments had reached every person
n the crowd. The news came that
- two shell gamblers had wrenched a |
on out OF window under cover OF |
res storm. had broken Jail and We're
nts large Their threats OF the day bef,
were remembered now with coayinci