The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-06
SANDY BEND JUSTICE.
Judge Hoke Administers 1t in Two
Gases.

tice eve have two cases before us
this morning, and we'll begin on that
of Roarin' Pete.
''Why the critter is called Roarin'
Pete nobody knows unless it's bekase
he's no roarer. This court has known
him fur two years. This court has
drank with him and played poker with
him, and had a sorter friendly feel1n
fer him, and up to three months ago
he was supposed to reciprocate the
feelin'. One night he comes to me as
I was sittin' in my deservedly popular
Red Dog saloon and says:
"tJedge, I've shot human being!
".Rut hev." SAYS he. i've shot
Charley, the half-breed. fur stealth
my butes, and what are you going to
do about it?'
You are a friend of mine,' says
/, but I'll hev to arrest YOU
tAll right
".And try you, and if you're found
guilty I shall hev to hang you,
"'But I'm your friend says he.
"I know it, but I've sworn to obey
the law, and saltpeter won't save your
neck
you all remember the trial. con-
tinued his honor "Roarin' Peter was
found guilty, and | did my dooty in
spite of the claims of friendship
sentenced him to be hung by the neck,
but give him four months to turn his
self inside out and be fit fur the jour
ney Not one word would Pete say
ag'in his sentence. On the contrary,
as some of you must remember, he
thanked me with tears in his eyes,
sayin' he had allus hankered to be-
come an angel.
but what did the critter do about
as soon as he landed in jail?' asked
his honor in broken voice. He &C
knowledged that his sentence was
just one, and that I was his best fr1end
Il 1nr1 o
around and got a shySter lawyer to
appeal his case. Yes sir, take it to a
higher court. and that higher court re-
verses the sentence and orders new
trial and says 1 heven't the legal au-
thority to hang a man. There's friend
ship for you, There's gratitood by the
bar'l! That's Roarin' Pete, who want
ed to be hung by the neck and go
roaring among the angels. I've got
to back water. I've got to crawfish
amt boss, and that I've bin throwed
over. Roarin' Pete. L don't reckon
you've got anything to say?'
Not skassly." replied Pete as hel
scratched his head and refused to look
his honor in the eye.
mo, I didn't expect you had. What
could you say if you tried to? The
higher court says l can't hang you,
but durn my hide if I'm going to twad-
die around and go all over the ground
you! No, sir-eI This court amt
drummin' up circus performances fur
anybody else. Bein' as L can't hang
you myself and bein' as I've had to
crawfish on the sentence, I'm going
to turn you loose and give you two
hours to git across Wolf river. That
all. Don't stop to bid anybody good
bye, and don't come around to the Red
Dog to try to make it up with me. |
Constable Hooker, remove the ongrate-
full critter and give him a boost on his
way.
s'Too much familiarity here in this
temple of jestice is thing won't
stand for, and the sooner you find 1t
out the better for all of US. I haint
growing the wings of an angel, but
the law must and shall be respected.
There is no old boss about the law.
She is dignity from top to toenail.
s'The next case before US is that OF
Tom Keene versus Jim Harry. I OBJ
serve that each of them has shyster
lawyer ready to plead his case, put
Just as soon as one of them shysters
puts in his CAB, out he goes. l under
stand the case right huff, and L don't
want anybody mixing and tangling
things up
.0Tom Keene sits yere on my right
with two guns strapped around him,
big knife in his bootleg, and Jim
Harry sits on my left, with nothing
but grin on his face.
.DTom is what might be called a
yearling tenderfoot. Back home in
the east about a year ago he d1sk!Vers
that he has consumption, asthma, liver
make his hike for the other shore a
short one.
.'The doctor sends Tom out yere to
recooperate: Tom is willing to dle, |
of the world before doing so. He
foresees that if he don't come out |
we're with guns and knives and q fero- |
cious aspect he will be looked upon
as a kid in kn1ckerDockers, ana SO ne
heels himself.
Then he arrives with his hat on
his ear and splits over his shoulder ana
steps high.
Keene, ESQ, ever killed a jack rabbit |
with his guns or used his big knlte
for anything more than to cut his
corns with, but by rolling his eyes,
changing his teeth and frothing at
the mouth he has given sartin people |
to understand that he is dangerous
and mustn't be rubbed the wrong way.
tom has a mining claim over on
Cat creek, and when he amt swelling
around Sandy Bend and trying to
skeer somebody into fits he does a
few hours work for his consumption
and his liver. He was sitting in his
shanty the other evening, humming to
himself and thinkin' what a devil of
a Teller he was, when he bears foot
steps. He looks up, and there stands
Jim Harry.
What you want?'
NO answer"
There sat Thomas Keene, ESQ,
with his two guns and his reputation
as a dangerous man, and there stood
Jim Harry with grin on his face and
not so much as straw in his hands
Somebody orter have come along with
a kodak, but, alas, he didn't, and the
chance to get an old master of a pic
ture was lost.
.'Mebbe you are thinking that after
Tom worked up the froth and the fero-
cious expression he jumped to his feet,
pulled his weapon and drove Jim far, |
far away. For the honor of old Wyom-
ing wish it was so, but it wasn't. How