The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-08-06
X THE FACE HE KNEW ~

l snail say. I shall not fear to meet
him with those words upon my lips
The day before yesterday l
mean left New York city at 3 CLOCK
in the morning This is the first time
have been over twenty-five miles from
New York in four years.
This afternoon - yesterday, l sup
pose 1t is nOW-I got off the train az
Corn Center went TO the motel
pick had reckoned too much on the
silence with which the crowd had MS
tened 10 his beginning He Dulded tco
much on their possessing some sense OF
fairness
Perhaps they might have owned to
sEcn a sense at ordinary times. But
now they were worked up TO a muFr
deTouS frenzy where their sole desire
was Tor blood. Maybe they had hOped
TO kin a confessed murderer. Certainly
they intended To kill.
He was allowed TO 60 no further. A
heavy hand was brought across his
mouth from behind him. Cries arose
once more to drown his words.
He won't COnfess-burn bim!' seemed
the burden of their cry.
Amid howls and curses, renewed and
TedOubled now, the fagOts were piled up
as high as his waist More and more
We're heaped about until they reached
his shoulders.
'Heah. you-aIl,'' one Of the leaders
protested, you make that pile so nlBh
you won't see nothin' of his face.
The wood was haulded down until II
formed a wider circle about him and
left the upper half of his body exposed.
The writings of a dying man In tor
ture Werl too choice a spectacle for
these men to miss.
Then a hushed silence fell upon the
mob as the torches were applied to the
edges Of the pile.
Not a man stirred nor uttered a word.
They seemed hushed and appalled,, as
swiftly the flames formed a glarine
circle about Dick Blake Quickly their
heat scorched his face and hands. The
smoke was whirled into his nostrils.
He cloked, gssped, strangled.
Soon he realized how quickly IL was
going to be over. Already a dullness
was coming over him. Long before the
burning had become an inward pain,
he would have lost consciousness.
He felt himself sWaying upon the
strong rope shat bound him to the
stake. once he nearly toppled into the
flames. Another such loss Of balance
and all would be over, Somehow the
love Of life to its last bitter moment
held him upright, kept him from allow
ing his weight to drop him into the
burning rim of thelcircle.
And then the silence was brokcn-not
by a renewal of He curses OF the men,
but by sharp, clear. commanding tone
of a richly musical, feminine voice;
you Jack Moreheadi You, Bill Marshi
You, Tom Williams, quick! Pull those
sticks awayi"
Dick strained his scared eyes to see
the mems jaws drop beneath the edges
OF their bandanna masks.
Quick. I saidi There are six car
tridges in this gun! Quickr
AS though actuated by springs. the
three men rushed forward and began
10 rake at the pile with the sticks they
had evidently intended 10 use for the
quickening Of the fire when It snould
begin to smolder.
you. Hep Wiliiams You, Hiram
Jones, help thereP'
Two more of the masked figures
sprang forward and began % work
eff any one wishes 10 know how
straight I can shoot, let him raise a
finger to go on with this work"
The Continuation of This Story VIII
Be Found In TOmOrrovv's
Issue of The Times.