Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-08-29
BY WILL N. IIARBEN.


. whats cotton bringin' today:" he
asked. I've got big white bale ready
fer the GIN
Seven and three eights." answered
Hillyer. and he walked on. On the
main thorOu2hfare of the town he had
to pass several brick stores where the
clerks and merchants stood amid the
heaps of their wares on the narrow
brick sidewalks. and many of them
asked about the Buc.Iey trial. Hllyer
made short hut considerate replies a nd
hastened past. On q corner of one of
the streets running back to a railroad
sidetrack. in the rear. stood his ware
house. Here he found his negro porter
busy with rattling floor trucks loading
a box car with bags of grain. The of
flee was commodious room cut off
suIIen faced. snd just now more an
CRY, it was thought. at certain neigh
bors who had testified against him
than chagrined at the verdict of the
court. He glanced at his wife, who
sat against the railing behind him. and
then sta red steadily at the floor till
the sheriff came and led him back to
Jail.
Later in the afternoon he was
brought back to receive his sentence.
The judge. tall, powerful man, dark
of hair and eye and as brown as a
Spaniard, was about to order him TO
stand up when Hiram Hillyer, a well
to do cotton and grain merchant Of
the town. rose and begged permission
to speak to the judge in private before
| the prisoner was sentenced.
"Well, | reckon we've got time, Mr.
Hillyer, the judge said pleasantly.
IF it's anything in BucSley's favor I'd
like to hear it. I've been on the bench
seven years. and | don't think ever
had q man efore me that was painted
as black by his neighbors.'
Making his way through the cluster
of lawyers and students of the law
| around the stove to one Of the vacant
F! jury rooms, the merchant waited for
the Judge to join him, and when he
came Hillyer, neryously pulling at his
short. gray beard. faced him, an eage2
look in his mild blue eyes
I'm afeard it amt nothin' in the
! old mans favor, Judge Moore" he fs.i-
tered. "'The truth is. I'ul a-,hinkiil
about his son. Judge. eff Thar ever
WAS finer. more honest an upri&i.t
boy than George buckley. ! hain't nev-
er run across i'm
"Oii. you cant tell me anything abo1l
George" said Judge Moore. He and
| are friends He voted for me and
legged for me in the Upper Tenth dis
trict. Nh. so lie sent you to me-. dc
he: Well. what does George want?
was glad he wasn't in court to hear
ell that stuff against his daddy
You see. we thought mem George
both thought that maybe You mought
Justice mouGht he carried out by I'M
resin a pretty heavy fine, an -
"Dld Buckley isn't able to pay a
cent" broke in the judge. "I've made
inquiries. and if his little farm is sold
it Viii leave his old wife without any
means Of making a support No. the
.iigs up with him
"Rnt Georges heen savin' money for
the last five years" said Iiillyoi' anx,
iously. i've got ii borrowed from i'm
at regular rates | can lay my hands
on The money at moments notice.
ieS, he can raise a reasonable amount
! All right"
.j3l,i.e Moore frawneei. thrust his
sands into IT," pn:.ae:s of Ii; trousers
nd turned 10 !: window N.trh looked
nut oa the courtyard, Were IA few
s!iers lay 90 the grass near the hitch
Ing rack.
I'm not going to be the medium
through which deserving innocent peo-
pie suffer for the guilty.. he said
firmly. I've thought it all over. l
| was afraid George might ask this but
it's no go, I've made up my mind on
that score"
"Oh, judge, don't say that" pleaded
Hillyer. The boy simply cant he;s~
it. You see. Judge Moore, since i
tuck i'm an sent i'm off to school he's
been sorter away from his home. an
the feller's got as much feeln' as any
body else. Then when he got through
college an | give i'm a place in my
business he's stood with the best folks
in the town. an it would 60 hard with
into have his own daddy at the coal
mines"
Il know all that. Mr.. Hillyer. I've
thought Of il twenty times during this
trial. hardly slept last night trying
to make up my mind what to do in
case the jury didn't recommend Buck
ley to mercy. Well. they came down
III i'm like load Of bricks, an I'm not
xo;ng to let George suffer for him
,Nhy. the ol1 rascal can't be cured of
is dishonnAry. Didn't you hear what
."adley said ahout his constantly steal
H. from his nes'ibors. many of whom
.efaf. made a9Y charge against him out
4 respect 70" Mrs Buckley and George:
u. sir: his son. who is my friend, shall
st sacriii'e His Strings for him"
''Ii.cn II! pay II. Judge; you know
.n q ~'e.
i A.