The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-10-11

4 III n
szs stroke Of Schodelds' Henry.
zes&4 no uncertain touch. was on
the rope. a loud, wild, hurried ciamor
peaIing out to wake the countryside.
rapid clangi clang! clang! that struck
clear In to the spine. The courthouse
ben had to1ied for the death OF Nor
Ton, Of Garfield, Of Hendricks; had
rung joy neals Of peace after the war
and after Political campaigns, but it
had rung as it 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
fhrough. and once when the Rouen ac-
commodation, crowded with children
and women and men, was wrecked
within twenty yards Of the station.
Whv was the bell ringing now? Men
and women, startled into wide wake
fulness, groped to windows. No red
mist hung over town or country. What
was it? The bell rang on Its loud
alarm beat increasingly into men $
hearts and quickened their throbblng
to the rapid measure Of its own. vague
forms loomed in the cleaning. A horse,
nadIy ridden. splashed through the
town. There were shouts; voices called
hoarsely; 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.
It was cried from yard to yard. from
sroup to group, from gate to gate, and
reached the furthermost confines. Run
ners shouted it as they sped by, and
BOYS painted it. brea thless; women with
ioosened hair stumbled into darkhng
chambers and faltered it out to new
Weakened sleepers, and pale girls, clutch
Ing wraps at their throats, whispered
at across fences. The sick, tossing on
their hard beds, heard it The bell
clamored it far and near; it spread over
the countryside, and it few over the
wires to distant cities. The White Caps
had got Mr.. Harkless!
Lige WiIletts had lost track Of him
out near Briscoe's, it was said, and had
come into town at midnight seeking
him. He had found Parker, the Herald
foreman, and Ross Schofeld, the type
setter. and Bud Tipworthy, the devil.
at work in the printing Office, but no
sign Of Harkless there or in the cot
tage. Together these had sought for
him and had reused others who had in
CURED at every house where he might
hare gone for shelter. and they had
heard nothing. They had watched for
his coming during the slackening 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-
iff, 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. It looked as
sc 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.
In the foreglow of dawn they gather
ed in the square and listened to War
ren Smith. who made speech from
the courthouse fence and warned
them to go slow. They answered hin,
with angry shouts and hootings. But
he made his big bass voice heard and
bade them do nothing rash. No facts
were known. he said. 1t was far from
Rrtatn that bar.p had been done, and
no Que knew tha, the Six Crossroads
people haG done it. even if something
had happened to l1r. Harkless. he de-
ciared that he spoke in Harkless' name.
Nothing could distress him so much as
for them TO defy the law. to take ii
out of the proper bands. Justice woald
be done.
~Yes. it willv' shouted a man below
him. b7andishing the butt cl q rawhide
whip above his head ''And while you
Jaw On about it here he may be tied up
1ike 4 dog in the woods. shot full OF
holes by the men you never lifted q
finger to bender. because you want
their vcles when you run for circuit
Judge. Wat are we doin' here: What's
the goot, Ct listening to you:''
There was yell at this. and those
who heard the speaker would probably
have started for the Crossroads had
not a rumor sprung up which passed
raoidly from man to man and in a few
roo,oor4c had reached every person in