Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-29


type dancing and leaping before me.
7 1t took some hours for It to seep in
even after that, and for years / re.
called every word Of the ID lie
as IL 1t had been branded on me with
hot irons. They called 1t a shocking
crime, the most brutal murder Cali
fornia had ever known, and in the
headlines was my name in letters that
struck me between the eyes like
hammer. Mrs. Dan Bennett had been
foully murdered by me In fit Of sud.
den jealousy, and had disappeared
with the baby! The husband had re-
turned Unexpectedly to find her dying,
so he said, but too far gone to call
for help and with barely sufficient
strength to tell him who did it and
how! Then the paper went on with
the tale of my counting her and her
turning me down for Bennett. 1t told
how I had gone off alone up into the
the hills, turning into a bear that mo-
body, man or child, could approach
1t said l had brooded there all Tits
time till the mania got uppernnst and
so came down to wreak my vengeance.
They never even did me the credit of
calling me crazy. was fend incar-
nate, beast without soul and a lot
of things like that-and, remember, /
had never harmed living thing in all
my life. However, that wasn't what
hurt. What turned me into dull,
dead, suffering thing was the knowl-
edge that she was gone. For hours I
couldn't get beyond that fact Then
came the realization that Bennett had
done it. for I reasoned that he had
dragged hint of the truth from her
by very force Of the fear he held her
Inland sla' 4 her. God! The awful
rage that came over me! But there
was nothing to do. I had sworn to
guard the little one, so couldn't take
vengeance on him. couldn't go back
and prove my innocence, for that
would give the child to him.
''What night spent! The next day
saw had been indicted by the grand
jury and was wanted man. From
distance watched myself become an
outlaw; watched the county put price
upon my head, which Bennett dsu-
bled; watched public opinion rise to
such a heat that posses began to scour
the mountains. What noted In partic-
ular was statement in the paper that
the sorrowing husband takes his be-
reavement with the quiet courage
which marks brave many 1t hap
pened that the Mexican woman
couldn't read and talked little. Still, 1
knew they'd find me soon-it couldn't
be otherwise-so made another run
for 1t, swearing an oath, however, be-
fore left that I'd come back and have
that gamblers heart.
at was, lucky I went, for they I'M
covered my sign the next day, and the
country where I'd hidden blazed like
field Of dry grass. They were close on
my heels, and they closed in from ev-
cry quarter. But, pshaw, know the
woods like an Indian, and the wild
things were my friends again, which
would have made it play If I'd been
alone, but girl child Of three was
harder to manage. So I covered and
skulked day after day like thief or
the murderer they thought me, work
ing always farther into the hidden
places, travelling by night with the lit
tie one asleep on my bosom, by day
playing with her in some leafy glen,
with my pursuers SO close behind that
for weeks never slept, and my love
for the child increased daily till it be-
came almost an insanity.
I eve had close squeezes many times,
but finally won, in spite Of the fact
that they tracked us clear to the edge
of the desert, for l had hit for the
state line, knowing that Nevada was a
wilderness and feeling that I'd surely
lose them there. And / did. But in
doing it nearly lost Merridy. You
see, the constant travel and hardship
was too much for prattling baby, and
she fell sick from the heat, the dust
and thirst.
II was bound for the nearest ranch
or camp where woman could be
found; but, as luck would have It, I
went through without trying. had
gone farther from men and things,
however, than thought, and this re-
turn pursuit was a million times worse
than the other, for couldn't 90 fast
enough to shake Death, who ran with
his hand on my cantle or rode on my
horses rump. 1t was then found
Alluna. She was with hunting party
of Pah-Utes. who knew nothing of me
nor Of the white mans affairs and
cared less, and when saw the little
squaw rode my horse up beside her,
laid the sick child in her arms, then
tumbled out Of the saddle. They had
harder job to pull me through than
they did to save Merridy.
THE little one was playing around
several days before got back my rea-
son. Meanwhile the party had moved
north, taking us with them, and, as 1t
happened, just missing posse who
were returning from the desert
when was able to get about told
Alluna that I must be going, but as l
told her I watched her face and saw
the sign I wanted. The white girl had
clutched at her like she had at me, and
she couldn't give her up, SO l made
dicker with her old man. 1t took all
the money l had to buy that sauaw.
but knew the kiddie must have a
Woman's care, and the three of us
Sto rto6 ont coor, = 49,,