Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1914-01-02
The Man That
Was Hanged
By ARTHUR FITz PATRICK


ing. The field seemed very crowded.
There were 900 lawyers in the place,
and all the business was confined to a
quarter of the number. | concluded to
go west.
When l first reached B., a county
seat in what was then a territory, it
looked to me that l had jumped from
the frying pan into the fire, 1 found
every one ready to help me. but there
was little or no law business in the
place, and law was my profession l
was three months without a job, and
then l got criminal case
A young man named Sargent, a cow
puncher, was accused of murder. 1t
wasn't murder at all. A miner named
jerks had grudge against him, and
the two met one day out on the plain,
far from every one except themselves.
jerks began firing at Sargent, and
Sargent returned his fire, killing him
without getting a scratch himself.
jerks fell on his face, and Sargent
turned him over to see his condition
and, finding that he was dead, rode
on, intending to report the matter
! when he returned to town. jerks had
some gold dust on him, and so did
Sargent. A man passed jerks soon
after be was killed and, finding the
dust, appropriated it and lit out. Be
fore Sargent reported the killing he
was arrested for it, with gold dust
in his pocket and blood on his shirt
sleeve that he had put there by con-
tact with jerks when he had turned
him over.
1t was clear case against Sargent.
though l believed his story. l was
unable to save him, and he was con-
victed and sentenced to be hanged.
He told me that he was younger son
of a British nobleman. His family in
England had wished him to accept a
living in the church controlled by his
uncle, an earl, but instead he had
come to America and became a cow
boy.
l confess I didn't believe this part Of
his story till the day before he was to
be executed, when letter came for
him announcing that his uncle had
died without issue and he, Sargent,
was now Earl of Bucclemouth. This
was proof positive that he was what
he had represented himself to be. The
letter contained draft for a hundred
pounds.
There was reason why couldn't
save him. The man he had killed had
been popular, and his friends declared
that if Sargent were not hung legally
they would hang him, and they APP
pointed a committee to see that the
job was done. So he might as well be
hanged by the sheriff as by the COM
mittee. For whole day racked my
brain for some plan to get the young
man off. Finally went to the sheriff,
told him the story and asked him to
help me.
He was a good man, that sheriff, and
after thinking the matter over he told
me to let the hanging go on, leaving
the matter with him. ] did so, and
the next day Sargent was hanged in
the presence of the officers of the law
whose duty it was to witness the exc
cution and the committee appointed by
jerks friends to see that vengeance
was melted out to him.
The body was left hanging till those
present were satisfied that all was
over with Sargent and the last witness
had left the Jail. Then it was taken
down, placed in a coffin, and, since
had put in an application to be permit
ted to send it to the dead mans
friends, it was delivered to me. l had
it carried to a railroad station some five
miles distant, and when train going
east came along it Vas put into the
baggage car. / went with it, and on
reaching the border of an adjoining
state went into the baggage car and
| gave orders to put the box off at the
next station. 1t was dark when
stood on the platform beside it and
asked the agent to put it in his bag
gage room.
During the night / went to this
room, made a Jimmy Of screwdriver,
lifted window and went inside. The
next use / made Of the screwdriver
was to unscrew the lid of the box, and
Sargent, alive and well, stepped out.
An express due an hour later was not
to stop at the station, but we tagged
/ it with lantern and got aboard, much
to the dissatisfaction of the conductor.
who swore like pirate at US.
On reaching the terminal Sargent,
or, rather, the earl, cashed his draft
and insisted on my going to England
with him, where he would pay my fee
for legal services. There was no rea-
son for refusal. and consented. He
drew more money in New York, and
we sailed at once, for my client was
in terror lest the deception should be
discovered and he be stopped by tele-
graph, though with his title and his
: fine clothes no one would have taken
him for cowboy murderer.
Well, we went to England. / re-
NAMED my clients guest for month,