The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-03-19
His White Ham.


After leaving school I studied law
and went to Colorado to practice.
knew enough of ''parnin' and law 10
,nsnire confidence in a mining people
and was eventually elected judge. MY
principal duties were to settle suchs dis
nutes as were not settled by the re-
volver.
One morning a man was broughtsoe-
fore me on a charge Of attempted muir
der. He was a trim built fellow or
twenty-five, Of refined appearance, and
what surprised me beyond measure
was that his hair was white as snow.
There were three witnesses against
him--a miner, Tom Mason, and his two
assistants, Pete Galloway and Steve
Tucker. Mason was a pitiful sight to
behold. His left arm was in a sling.
His right leg, in a splint, was supported
by a crutch. A bandage covered an
eve. Whatever Of his face was not
covered with patches was Of many
hues. The condition of his two assist
ants was not much better.
The prisoner gave his name as Albert
Parkinson. After hearing a statement
from his accusers I called upon him
for his story.
Judge" he said, I'm a mining en-
gineer I spent four years at college
In the scientific department, then went
to Germany to study my profession.
From there l returned last month and
came out here to get some practical ex-
perience This man Mason accepted
an offer from me to work in the shaft
where he is drilling and blasting with
out pay, and the day before yesterday
1 went down with him, watched him
drill, put in his charge of dynamite and
light the fuse. Then we were hauled
up in the bucket by these two men,
got as far from the hose as possible
and waited for the explosion.
after learning the process Of setting
the blast yesterday offered to set and
fire it myself. Mason consented, and
when the hole was drilled he came up.
gave me the charge, and I went down
in the bucket. AS soon as I had light
ed the fuse I called out to be drawn
up. The windlass creaked, and I felt
myself rising. When I was hauled
halfway something above seemed to
be caught, and everything stood stock
cf{1 in a. r
ened voice that the windlass had bro
ken, and he must 60 some distance to
get man to come and repair it.
called to him to pull me up by hand,
but there was no response. 1 could
hear him and one of his men discussing
in loud voices what it was best to do.
'"There l was midway between the
surface and the bottom, with the fuse
suffering below. I started to climb
up hand over hand, but one Of the
men who had been left behind let me
down as fast as I climbed up. I got
back to the bucket exhausted and con-
Guided to drop and put out the fuse.
The man looking from above drew me
up far enough to make my drop ceP~
tain death. l looked over ut the fuse
and saw that it was within an inch Of
the charge. I shut my eyes and waited
to be blown into the air.
II tainted, and when I came to was
lying on the ground beside the wind
lass. Mason and his two men were
standing over me laughing.
foy NJ
warn't no charge in the shell. I TUX
it out and put in dirt
Il saw it ala huge joke 10 initiate
a beginner into the mysteries of min
ing. It was some time before I felt
like rising. I was daZed. Then be-
gan to realize the enormity of these
mems treatment. After that I began
to get mad. The madden 7 got the
stronger I got Presently got up
and made dive for Mason. His two
men came upon me, but 1 seemed to
have the strength of Hercules. After
beating Mason awhile l carried hina
to the shaft and threw him down. The
two men by this time were frightened
and ran. ran after them, caught one,
gave him drubbing, then caught the
other and did the same by him.
when I came to myself feared
that had killed Mason. I went to the
shaft and heard him grooming at the
bottom. l put one of his men in the
bucket and lowered him. He got Ma
son in it, and 1 hauled him up, then
hauled the other up. That's all have
to say, judge. If it is murder, make
the most of it,"
"Mr. Parkinson" 1 said, you seem
to be very young man. How Is II
that your hair is prematurely whjte?"
"White" he said. tits black"
l called for a small mirror hanging
outside in the Mushroom and handed
1t to him. He looked at his hair with
establishment; then his anger returned
and saw that he was about to spring
upon Mason anew.
"Holdv' I cried. II will give youl
t0rmentor the rest of his punishment
Thomas Mason, stand up. The deci
sion of the court is that, while harm
less practical jokes have such a hole
on the people of this country that they