Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-01-11
called their city hall. 1t held 200

WI.W E 49,
ple called their city hall. 1t held 200
people. Two hundred were there to
All II. The sheriff at the door had
asked each and every man who passed
to leave his weapons behind. Not a
man had obeyed. Who could say what
would happen before the examination
was concluded?
To humiliate a Doane the Hacketts
had insisted that the prisoner be
brought In handcuffed. Women mad
asked to be admitted. but they were
kept out-all but one. There was no
school that day up in Chestnut Cove.
The schoolmistress had been subpoe-
naed as a witness, but no one knew
what her testimony would be. She had
rome down in the blackboard of a con-
stable. She had talked with the Of
fetal long and earnestly on the way,
Before going to court he had perform
ed an errand for her. This purchase he
had carried into court. with the girl at
his heels. and had placed it ON a table.
When the gil tool; her = ice every one
felt that something remarkably un-
canny was 1T l'"l. The Hacketts had
demanded II warrant and had a wit
ness. He PICTURED himself when he
said that he saw James Doane do the
shooting and run away. The Justice
was a Hackett sympathizer, and he
smiled.
Then the girl was called to the stand
to tell her story. She told 1t In such a
straightforward way that even the
Hacketts believed, but the justice
shook his head. There was an uneasy
stir at this. and men muttered to each
other. IT was then that Tilda Dale
rose up and returned to her place be-
side the table to tear the brown paper
off the purchase made by the con-
stable. Men looked again and still
again and drew in their breath. 1t was
a keg of powder. with one head out.
The girl then took from her pocket
a candle and lighted it and placed it on
the desk two feet away. Not a man In
that room moved so much as a foot.
No one rose, no one spoke. 40 one look
ed elsewhere, but straight at the girl.
"Men, | want to talk to you for a few
minutes" she began in gentle tones,
though every word was audible back
to the door.
Then she gave a history of the
Doane-Hackett feud as she had gath
cred the particulars. She named the
killed and wounded and the living.
She pictured the misery and the heart
aches. She spoke in whitening scorn
of ambushes, Of c%owardice, Of the
burning of buildings and the manning
Of animals. There had been warrants
and summonseS many times before.
Partially had been shown by justice,
and there had been perjury without
stint. She scored the Doanes as we'll
as the Jackets. She scored the gray
haired women on either side, and no
one interrupted her. The sheriff was
there, but he die not advance upon
her. Justice, lawyers, sheriff, the
Doanes and the Hacketts were looking
at that lighted candle and keg of pow
der.
1.-THE man is innocent" said the girl,
pointing to her lover. AT the hour
named ne was miles away. Besides,
was there and saw. Is he to have JUS
tice?"
No one answered. The fame Of the
candle was blowing in the draft of
the window toward the keg. She
reached out and picked it up and held
1t quite over the keg and said:
"Only sixteen people have been kill
ed in this feud lasting fifty years.
That is toe slow work. Here are 200
of us. We are Doanes or we are Hack
etts. Why not all die together and
end the trouble and bring peace to a
neighborhood that has been in turmoil
for half a century,
Men cringed and chilled and chat
tered as the candle swept back and
forth over the headless keg. So it last
ed for two minutes, and then the girl
blew out the light and stood with fold
ed arms.
"The prisoner Is discharged" said
the justice at last.
The Hacketts tiptoed out, then the
Doanes, and the Joan of the mountains
was left all alone in the big room. She
sat down and laid her head on the
table and wept. And by and by an
arm stole softly around her, and her
tears ceased.
Light and Colors.