The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-09-28
A QUESTION
OF IDEN


the rail and waited for the exordiu
OF the Judge. In that supreme m
ment ! felt that I alone dominate
he courtroom. Every face among N
spectators was turned on mine in no
ror. The senile old foreman was pul
ing his beard. and his lips moved:
knew that he was uttering a prays
Then the Judge commenced nj
speech. ! had been justly convicte
OF a dastardly crime. be said; ha
crept BY night into the bedroom OF In
millionaire sheep owner and blow
AIN into eternity with a bomb A
for my defense Of mistaken identity
mat was TOO contemplate TO requir,
notice. The coward. cattlemen's OF
ganization which had. he did no
doubt. inspired and hired me. might
FOR the moment have escaped justice
But the law, though slow, was sure,
i would track down their leaders a.
Il had tracked me down. / could have
no hope OF a reprieve. and he recon
mended me 70 spend what short time
remained TO me in uaking my peace
With God.
Men under sentence OF death seem.
even to their jailers, to have atoned
already for their crimes and sins. For
the first time since my Imprisonment
began the sheriff evinced compassion.
ate pity toward me as he sat beside
me In my cell that night.
Ny boy" he began, why not CON
Tess and make your peace7 Jim. you
amt never had no case, boy. Jim
amt your name. you say? You Amt
Jim Crawford. but Frank sandford.
and happened along about the time
the explosion occurred. Lad, DIDN'T
they find the giant powder in your
bedroomg Isn't there 80 and more
seoDle in this town Identified youf
Your own brother came all the wav
from Omaha TO disown you, and then
had to admit you. You've been iden.
-ihed by your own photographs and
'humb prints and meaAui ements In
be st. Louis penitentiary, and that's
'nrer than the gospels. Jim. An your
'Wn dog Identified you in the court
oom. Jim. lad. I've never had to
wing q man but he owned up to me
'efore he died. I'd hate to send you
nto eternity with a lie on your lips"
The good old man ambIed away at
ast, shaking his head over my OBJ
tinacy. Well. was prepared to die,
ut never, while the breath was in my
ody, would ! admit that was the
esperado they claimed me TO be. Per.
APPS l, too. had been in the jury
OK, would have convicted. Yet there
7as one person who still believed in |
ne through all, vince the first day Of
1y Incarceration. and that was Mu-
lei, the sherif's daughter. She acl
her father the following
forming when he brought me my /
reakfast and gave me great bunch
Z roses.
Frank, dear. she whispered. as the
ID man turned away from my cell
oor, 4 trust and believe in you. /
now you're not Jim Crawford. but
~ love. And III save you, Frank,
Il save you"
] surmised from what direction the
elp would come. and my next inter
lew with Muriel confirmed my sus.
Icions.
Frank. dearest" she whispered
your friends are going to make a jail
sliyery at midnight. And wher
ou're In the east again and safe from
i danger you must send me word
)mehow and will come to you.
nd I'll wait patiently for months and
onths. or years, If need be; for /
now you are innocent. Frank, and ]
iall love you always"
Il was a night OF horror such as
I've never known. The suspense, al
ays the suspense; the silent night.
oxen by pistol shots, the battering
logs against the prison doors: the
les that resounded through the stone
Ills like rife fire; the long, eternal
,ony Of doubt-and then my rescu.
s, masked men. brandishing their c
ms Ike torches, bursting into the r
rridor to free me with the keys
hich they had taken from the old
eriff. who stood in their midst help
ssly protesting-all this was like the
of dream until at !
ngth, coming to my senses, | found
yself seated upon the swiftcst horse O
Cobweb, leading mare packed {
tn necessities Of life wherewith to /.
oss the desert.
I thrust my feet exultantly inside ?
Q stirrups OF wood; pressed my a
ees against my horses flanks and 0
thered the snafie reins between my b
gers. Then. casting one glance n
| saw Muriels dark eyes
ed upon mine in love such as had
I before come to me.
She had trusted me as few women
d done could not leave her to h
! out her heart through the months Fl
d years Of doubts and hopelessness. 81
could not go to freedom with lie ~
my heart such as ! could have car
d to the gibbet. leaned over my -
idlebags and whispered to her: OF