Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-07-02
4 G0[DE AIR CASTLE
BY HAROLD OTIS.

- = - = -
BY HAROLD OTIS.
[copyright, 1909. by American Press Asso- |.
ciation.l ss*
About the middle of the last century
two men, Edward Coyne and John
Warner, prospected for gold in Colo
RADIO. Coyne was visionary fellow
who had left his sweetheart in the east
and gone to Colorado with his head
full OF golden air castles, promising to ]
return later with a fortune and cele-
brate their wedding. Warner was old !
er, married to shrew and as anxious
to keep away from his wife as Coyne
was to go back to his betrothed.
The partners sank number Of holes
In different places without finding anyal
thing worth mentioning. Coyne had
had little money at the start, but it
had all been spent. Then one evening
he told Warner that he should make
an effort to raise funds for the further
prosecution of their work. The matter
led to quarrel, which was heard by
prospectors In the neighborhood. New
ertheless the partners continued to
work together for another month, at
the end Of which Warner disappeared.
When questioned as to his partners
whereabouts Coyne said that he had
gone without notice.
It was about this time that horse
stealing and other crimes became so
unbearable in the region that vigil
lance committee was organized to hunt
down and rid the people Of the Grim
inals. Having been created for pur-
pose, the committee entered upon that
purpose with zeal common to newly
organized bodies. No crime being i'm
medtately reported, they busted them
selves at looking for crime. The pros
between Coyne and Warner reported
the fact to a member Of the commit
tee and that Warner had disappeared.
One day when Coyne was sitting on
stone near hole he had been dig
ging, bis elbows resting on his knees
and his head on his hands, the air cas-
ties he had built tumbling about him,
the committee approached him and
accused him of having murdered his
partner. Coyne protested his inno-
cence, but as he could give no account
Of Warmers whereabouts it looked
very plain to the committee, whose
members were especially bent upon
making an example of some one, that
Coyne was murderer. A rope was
procured, one end of which was put
about the young mans neck, the other
thrown over branch of tree, which
was bent down and held by two of the
committee. -...
: Contest" Numbered the leader. =.
II have nothing to confess" replied
| Coyne.
At signal the men holding the
branch let 60, and it flew up. carrying
, Coyne with it. But it was pulled down
i again, and Coyne, after being revived,
was given another opportunity to con-
F, fess. It seemed to him that his only
, chance was to do so. He might thus
/ gain time, and time might save him.
He therefore told the committee that
! If they would guarantee him fair
trial in a court Of law he would con-
TESS. After conference they decided
to accept his proposition and, removS-
ing the rope from his neck, took him
to the nearest jail. ....- =
1t was now evident to Coyne that
i there was but one chance for his life
! to find Warner. While awaiting trial
i he wrote to newspapers in Denver and
Colorado Springs informing the edi-
tors Of the situation, begging them to
! insert notices which he hoped would
come to Warmers attention The edi-
tors inserted the letters received.
Meanwhile Coyne was tried and con-
victed on his own confession. The
| newspaper notice had been widely
copied by eastern papers as an item
/ Of interest, but Of this the condemned
man was ignorant. he was preparing
himself for death and was engaged In
writing an account Of his situation to
his betrothed, whom he had thus far
kept in ignorance of it, when the door
/ Of his cell was opened and in walked
his ex-partner. Coyne tainted.
While at work at the diggings War
ner had received word that his wife
had learned his whereabouts and was
coming to join him. He at once re-
,, solved to leave without communicating
to any one his intention, his reason or
i, where he was going. Thinking that
If his wife came west he had best go
east, he did SO and there saw the no.
tice Of the trouble he had brought upon
Coyne.
Coyne upon his release was filed with
desire for revenge upon those who
had so nearly sacrificed him. The COM
mittee had been made up Of the most
prominent men Of the section. All
had means, and one was millionaire
mine owner. Coyne at once brought
suit against them individually for dam
ages, but the case was never tried.
Sensible Of the wrong they had done
and DESTROYS to hush the matter up, the
committee made up purse amount
ing to the claim, $4,000.
When the money had been maid him