The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-08-07


face, clenched hands and gritted teeth
while Lucille threw herself at her
fathers feet and weepingiy begged
and implored him to mitigate the
harsh sentence. But he cast her
rudely from him with a curse. and,
turning to Leisure with murder In his
eyes, said:
"'You dog! You want my daugh-
ter-you! Why. shot your father
down in cold blood because he differed
with me politically. Do you think
I'll do less for you for trying to rob
me Of my daughter?'
$50 1t was you who killed my
father returned Leisure In voice
beneath the quiet of which lay the
tense fixedness of a stern, unbending
resolve. Then, Col. Farrar. tell you
that l will have your daughter and !
will avenge my father. Are you mine
till death, Lucile?'
ct am yours till DEATH said the
girl as she went over and placed her
arm proudly about his neck.
very little was seen of Leisure
In town after that and 1t was whis-
pered that he was staying out on his
farm. and keeping out of the irate
coloners way.
About two weeks after his unsuc-
cessful interview with Farrar, which
was noised abroad as such things
are in q small town, Lucille FarraI
disappeared. and the tongues began tc
wag in earnest. When for a week
she had not turned up the towns peo
pie, who had little love for Farrar al
best, were ready to believe anything
His threat against his daughter was
known and the holder ones. did moi
hesitate to whisper that he had put
1t into execution. These hints tool
form by degrees and at last witnes!
came forward who told Of passing The
, colonePs house, situated on the edg'
; of town, late at night, and of hearing
, low means and pleadings.
II "At last suspicion took such fierc'
, | root that the sheriff headed an In
vestigating party. Col. Jim was ava.
> and they had free run of the prem
[ Uses.
. 1.-THE search led to a cave In tn
, side of the hill, once used as celia
4 but long since abandoned. Their
, they found torn pieces Of dress,
r bloody Ratchet and some tangled lock
I of black hair drenched with blood
e The dress and the hair were easil
! identified as belonging TO Lucille Fal
e rar, the Ratchet as the property G
' the colonel.
Q knees tottered and he nearly tainted
0 He made no direct denial but moane
9 and cried like child. During tn
d trial that followed he seemed stunne
and oblivious to what was going oil
l. Il will admit that the courts {
S to-day would be loath to accept S
r inadequate a corpus deficit, but OF
d blood was hot in those times and
,. seems to me we hanged more tina
h we do now. Service was had on lie
n sure and he testified to the facts of tn
v quarrel and the threat. Upon tn
q evidence and the prisoners failure
deny they found their verdict of guilt
II and fixed upon the death penalty.
q CAS- the day of execution approac
Is ed Col. Farrar continued in sta
e of almost total insensibility. b
ID when the sheriff came to read Il
death warrant he reused and raisir
= his hand to heaven, said:
d "Before my maker swear that
le am guiltless of my child's death.
III They led him to the scaffold al
$. on the way he passed Melvin Lessu
re who was watching the scene like
Of bird fascinated by snake. Col. Fs
rar requested the sheriff to stop. al