New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-30
THE HANDS OF THE CLOCK
BY JOSEPH O'BRIEN


to me- II, .;.r
There was menace none could mistake m his tone
ho brought his clenched fist down against the baus
.ndoof tho norch with SCATTERING strength Something
,rrnol relentless, stirred everyone IN the group
81 reckon some Of us'l go along, VIII, Crown said
turning toward the stables where ne kept the best hunter
- tho county. big black that sailed over stake and
r;dcr fences with the ease Of an acropanc He had sud-
d,I, thrilled at the chance Of a manhunt as had the
,bcre who followed him one by Marshall, sceing
,l l,,r's Gig ready rcnOuntcd and started for home
sb;no his horse again 10 white foam and lathcr The
mon he had aroused saw swiftly 20 getting horse and
rode ont into the darkness together, Crown and Pet.
t;ngill at their head, talking eagerly uttcnng mad
threats blood chilling suggestions Of punishment.
County Prosecutor Harrington did not ride. He
,c too well the almost certain outcome Of the md.
B,nkcr Smith from whom Mrs. Marshall had tina. day
drawn the money remained with him. Bert J. --s
rushed 10 the telegraph office and sent bulletins 81 'ae
crime and the impending lynching to the extensive .t
of ocvsnapcrs he represented Then he too borrowed
horse and followed the avengers. The Sheriff "a IN
the ouet ia asleep and thought TO awaken am.
II was no time for law
oVE Of those hasty but fcrvd bulletins sent orr by
~ Rcrt Harris licked its way into the editorial rooms
of arbc Washington Star shortly after ten O'Clock
that night. Lester Warren, star reporter, yawno IN
front Of his silent typewriter He was bored by The
dizziness of things and being by nature Of his youth md
tenpcramcnt grcgarious active and eagerly curious be
resented being bored He blamed the city editor, nse
duty it was to keep the activities OF HE gong at eh
that might afford interest and occupation for his s'ar
reportcr In the midst OF these reflections Wam.ns
reveric was interrupted by the city editor who walked
over handed him copy of Bert Harris bulletin AMI N
order for expense money and remarked crscly:
"Wel write the story in the office for the frs run.
Get some good stuff back in time for the last edition
Warren glanced at the date line, looked fitying o.,
the CITY editor and asked sacasticaly SCOT air
ship?'
To reach a remote Virginia county seat after I'm
o'clock at night from any given point may be set down
as a normal impossibilty and Warren knew II. b..
citv editors aren't supposed to know such things and
they never do. This one didn't
"You can get a train going through Coifax Station.
he grunted.
~Surc. Warren asscnted ~but | want TO stop there
well stop the city editor said, and turned away.
Warren looked at the expense order and saw that ).
was for one hundred dollars. His interest was qu.su..
and he read the bulletin. Then he hastily grab.. IDS
hat and departed to accomplish the impossible, thrilled
at the prospect Of genuine excitement ahead. An ur
and half later he was standing alone on the platform
Of Coax Station in utter darkness save for the spark
Of his cigarette and the diminishing tail lights Of he
Southern Flyer, which had stopped there for the rs
time in its history.
CWEET hole" he said and set about finding Fl. s.a-
~ ton livery stable whislng Chccrily He routed ogt