Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-07
CHAPTER XIII.

| CHAPTER XIII.
The sheriff had brought the judges
supper. He reported that the crowd (
was dispensing, and that on the whole i
public sentiment was not particularly I
hostile; indeed, he went So far as to-
say there existed strong undercur-F
rent Of satisfaction that the jail should
have so speedily justified ITSELF More
over, there was a, disposition to exalt
the judge as having furnished the
browning touch to the days pleasure
81 reckon, sir, they'd. have felt
Obliged to string you up If there want
no JAIL" continued the sheriff lazilyS
from the open door where he had seat.
ed himself. II don't say there amt
them who don't maintain you had
ought to be strung up as It is, but peo-
pie are funny, sir; the majority talk
like they might wish to keep YOU here
indefinite. There's no telling when
we'll get another prisoner. Tomorrow
the blacksmith will fix some iron gars
to your window so folks can look In and
see you. 1t will give heap more air
to the place"
UNLESS I do get more ar. you will
not be troubled long by mel" declared
the Judge in q tone Of melancholy
conviction.
| The building was intolerably hot,
the advantages Of ventilation having
been a thing the citizens of Pleasant
vile had overlooked. But the judge
was a reasonable soul: he was disposed
to accept his Immediate personal dis
comfort with fine true philosophy:
also, hope was stirring In his heart.
Hope was second nature with him, for
he had not lived all these years with
the odds against him?
F"You do sweat some. don't you? oh,
we'll, a man can stand right smart
suffering from heat like this and not
die. It's the sun that's dangerous
remarked the sheriff consolingly. And
you had ought to suffer, sir that's what
folks are sent to jail for" he added.
"You will kindly bear In mind, sir
that have been convicted of no
crime!" retorted the Judge.
IF you hadn't been 50 blamed par
ticular you might have had company;
politest darky you would meet any
where. Well, sir, don't think the
boss orator OF the day would be the
first prisonerthe Joke certainly Is on
you!"
II never saw such bloody minded
ruflans! Keep them ont and keep ma
mall ask Ia to vindicate myself In
the eyes Of the world" said the judge.
WELL" began the sheriff severely.
"ain't it enough to make 'em bloody
minded? Any one OF 'en might have
taken your money and got stuck. Just !.
to think OF that is what bets them up"
He regarded the Judge with q glance
Of displeasure. II hate to SEQ q man
SO durn unreasonable in his pint Of
view. And you picked lady-a Wild
Iow-lady-say, amt you ashamed 7"
"Well, sir, what's going to happen to
me?" demanded the Judge angrily. /,
II reckon you'll be tried. reckon |
the law will deal with you-that Is, if |
the public remains cam. Maybe It
will come to the conclusion that it'd
prefer lynching people are funny" !,
He seemed to detach himself from the
possible current of events.
| "And; waking and sleeping, have
that before met" cried the Judge!
bitterly. s5. .
"You had ought to have thought Of
that sooner. when you was unloading |
that money. Why, 1t amt even good I
counterfeit! wonder q man OF your
years want slicker." !.
"Have you taken steps to find the
boy, or Solomon Mahany?" inquired
the Judge. %.s} &
"For what?"
"How is my innocence going to be
established-how am going to. clear
myself il my witnesses are houndedS
out of the county,"
| II love to hear you talk. sir. told |
'em at the raising today that con-
sidered you one of the most eloquent;
minds I had ever listened to-buti
naturally, sir, you are too smart to be I
honest. You say you amt been con-
victed yet; but you're going to be!
There's quite a scramble for places on
+ the jury already. There was pistols
drawed up at the tavern by some OF
our best people, sir, who got het up
disputin' who was eligible to serve"
The Judge groaned. "You should be
thankful them pistols wasn't drawed
on you, sir" said the sheriff amiably.
you've got a heap to be grateful
about; for we've had one lynching,
and we've rid one or two parties on
rail after giving EN- coat Of tar and
feathers"
(To be Continued)
! 4# - ---- - -, u ,5.s5g.