The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-04-17

only other river county, Did have
circulation of 5O,OO02 | did, lack
ing $4,000 The press gets none OF
its power from cornbread, hog and
hominy.
The day was warm and | had to
ride ten miles from rough section
over rough roads on rough horse
with the pleasing parting injunction
in my ears to watch the thickets by
the roadside and be ready to dodge.
!. AS | had been journalist for less
than half a year then, | gave undue
attention to rumors and parting IN
functions, so that by the time |
reached Olive Hin was ready to
resign my Job. However. there was
no one to accept my resignation and
had to stick
put my horse up and hung ar
ound the two small stores and lis
tened to vague whispers by the un-
armed every time long, lank, home
spun attired .clansman in nat
No Rcbutal.-
slouching down over his ears came
by with gun over his shoulder
with more experience might have
interviewed some OF the warrior
worthless, but il did not look safe
then and | never said word. In
deed, didn't tell anybody was
there to write up whatever might
happen didn't mention II be-
cause If the expected happened
wasn't going to be there If / could
help IT, 1t gives one rather cur
ious feeling to move about as / did
that day among lot of men hang
ing around silent and sinister and
ready to start the shooting works
MS soon as they received the sig
nal. And the sun shining and the
flowers blooming Just the same
After dinner. and it was din
ner so bad that even hog and hom-
my declined to be part of it. court
was called in the back yard of the
clearinghouse, under shade tree.
The judge and the prisoner had the
only two chairs the landlady could
spare, and dry goods box served
for table. The press had a seat
on the grass behind the Judge where
he was busy part of the time shoe
ing away lot of curious chickens
that wanted to see what was going
on. Everybody else might have sat
down, because the grass was plenty
but everybody chose to stand up,
part of the crowd TO be ready for
business If need were, the others to
be ready to make quick getaway
IL need were. II any of the off
cials had guns they were not Wis
ibls.
But the interesting figure was
the man ON trial, Old George Under
wood, and | sat within six feet of
him and stared at him in kind OF
fascination, as a boy might look at
some wonderful pirate chief who
had stepped out of the bloody stor-
les about him and stood before the
reader. He was 20 years of age. |
they said over feet tall. straight
as an Indian and as active, lean as
a side of leather. with his long
hair and sandy, firm set, unwhlsk
cred jaws. shaggy eyebrows. great
forehead, and a grim personality |
that dominated everything and
everybody about him
rhere was Il bandage lbout bull
let wound in his head and another
around his wrist, and though he
sat in the presence Of the court
with his hat off he carried gun
across his arm He told with never
a smile or lighting of his stern
face whatever story he had to tell;
have forgotten what IL was, but
~ Woo hObbus Hdu my
thing to say in rebuttal, and Old
George strobe in stately silence out
of that backyard courtroom un-
scotched of the law. on that occasion
at least. His friends went with him
and with no thanks to anybody. and
their guns still loaded they noun
ted their horses and rode away to
the hills where their homes, their
hog and their hominy were
Then everybody breathed easier,
people began to talk in their natural
voices, business once more resumed
its normal condition, and as soon as
| could get my horse toe, rode
away-in the opposite direction.
w j, LAMPToNi
New York, March 20, 1912.
Why He Was Late.