The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-08-07
Danr1y's
Own Story
BY DON MARQUIS
BY DON MARQUIS
Copyright, 1872. by Doubleday. Page
g.. a & Co.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Some Ono Butts In.

4 room so you could almost see
It and almost feel it there
like it was thing that had to be faced
and looked at and took into account.
They all felt it hathaway, too. fur
they wasn't sound fur a minute.
Then Will says:
I'VE don't plan murder, and you'll
find this amt joke. And since you
refuse to accept COUNSEL
Jest then Buck Hightower Interrupts
him, yelling out: II make a motion
Billy Harden be prosecuting attorney.
then. Let's hurry this thing along"
And several started to applaud and call
fur Billy Harden to prosecute. But
Will, he pounded down the applause
agin and says:
II was about to suggest that Mr..
Harden might be prevailed upon to &C.
cept that task"
"Yes," says the doctor. very gentle
and easy. 'Quite SO! ! fancied my
self that Mr.. Harden came along with
the idea of making a speech either
for or against"
"Mr. Chairman" says Billy Harden.
flushing up and suffering jest little.
II b-beg leave to dd-decline."
"Whatv' says the doctor. sort of
playing with Billy with his eyes and
grinning and turning like to let the
whole crowd in on the joke. "Decline:
The eminent gentleman declines! And
he is going to sit down, too, with all that
speech bottled up in him! % Demos
thenesv' be says, ''yeu have lost your
pebble in front Of all Greece"
Several grinned at Billy Harden as
be set down. and three or four laugh
ed outright. ! guess about half OF
them there kno wed him fur windbag.
and some wasn't sorry to see him JOSH
ed. But l seen what the doctor was
trying to do. He knowed he was in
an awful tight place. and he was feel
ing that crowds pulse, so to speak.
But the little bit Of laugh he turned
against Billy Harden was only on the
surface. like straw floating on a
whirlpool. These men was here fur
business.
Buck Hightower Jumps up and says:
Twill. I'm getting tired Of this court
foolishness. The question Is. Does
this man come into this county and do
what be has done and get out again?
We know all about him. He sneaked
in here and gave out he was here to
turn the niggers whitehall he was
some kind of a newfangled prophet
sent especially to niggers. which Is
blasphemy in itseif-and he's got EN-
stirred up. Do we save ourselves more
trouble by stringing him up as warn
ing to the negroes? Or do we invite
trouble by turning him loose? Which?
All It needs is a vote"
And he set down agin. You could
see he had made hit with the boys.
They was kind Of growl rolled
around the room. The feelings in that
place was getting stronger and strong
er. was scared. but trying not to
show 1t.
Just moment" says DR.. Kirby.
getting on his feet and taking step
toward the chairman. And the way he
stopped and stood made everybody
look at him. Then he went on:
"Once more" be says. II call the at
tention of every man present to the
fact that what the last speaker pro-
poses is
And then be let 'em have that word
agin full in their faces to think about
Murder! Merely murder"
BE was bound they shouldn't get
away from that word and what 1t
stood fur. And every man there did
think, too, fur they was another little
pause.
They come a bang from one cf the
windows 1t broke the charm. Every
body jumped. jumped myself. When
the end of the world comes and the
earth busts in the middle it won't
sound no louder than that bang did. 1t
was wooden shutter. The wind was
rising outside. and it flew open and
whacked agin the building
Then big. heavy set man that
hadn't spoke before riz up from one of
the hind seats. like he had heard a
dare to fight, and walked slowly down
toward the front He had red face.
which was considerable pockmarked.
and very deep set eyes and deep
voice.
Since when,'' he says, taking up bis
stand dozen feet or so in front OF
I the doctor since when has any civil
lization refused to commit murder
when murder was necessary for its
protection? The word you insist on Is
lust a word, like any other word"
Murder" says the doctor. lis a
thing"
1T is word" says the other man.
"for thing-for. q thing which some
times seems necessary. Lynching. war.
execution. murder-they are all words
for different ways Of wiping out hui
/ man life. Killing sometimes seems
wrong and sometimes right But, right
or wrong and with one word or another
tackled to II, It Il done when q commu-
nifty wants 70 get rid Of something dan