The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1914-03-27
PAGE SEVEN


tied into \ st,ip6r from which uothiny
could rouse him. when at length IN
old man fell asleep. CASTOR softly
closed the door and returned to his
Office with a heavy heart
AS he ncared the center of the town
he heard murmur like the distant
moaning of the wind In the hush that
comes before a storm II grew louder
and louder and became arficulate with
occasional words that seemed far away
aud unreal What could 1t be? Hpl
had never heard such a sound before
Now II became clearer and the mur
mur was the tread of thousand feet
and the clatter Of horses hoofs Not
cry or shout or word Silence
aud hurrying feet
All He knew now. It was the
ycarchets returning. q grim. swaying
soiccless mob with one black figure
amid them. They were swarmlng into
the courthouse square under the big
oak. where IN informal trial was Il
be held
He rushed forward to protest against
lynchlng. He could just catch D
glimpse of the negro's head swayiua
back and forth, protesting Innocence II
a singing monotone, as though he were !
already half dead.
He pushed hts way roughly through
the excited crowd 10 the center, where
Hose Norman. the leader stood with
one end Of the rope Ia his hand and
the other around the negro's neck.
The negro turned his head quickly
toward the movement made by the
crowd as Castor pressed forward.
II was Dick
Dick recognized him at the same mo
ment, leaped toward him and fell at
his feet crying and pleading as he held
his feet aud legs.
"Sayc me. Charie nebber done
H. nebber done IT, For Gods sake,
help mel Keep EN- oifl Dcy gwine
burn me erliNeP
Castor turned to the crowd. Men.
there's not one among YOU that loved
that old soldier aud his girl as did.
BUT YOU must not do this crime. II
this negro IL guilty. we can prove 1t In
that courthouse, and he VIII pay the
penalty with his life Give him a fair
trinl".-
''rhnt's lawyer talkin nowp' said
man In the crowd. we know that
tune. The lawyers hns things their
own way In courthouse" A murmnr
of assent mingled with oaths ran
through The crowd
"FaIr trlalw sneered Hose Norman.
snntchng Dick from the ground by the
rope. Look at the black devils clothes
splotched all over with her blood. We
found him under shelyin' rock where
he'd got by wndn' up the branch
quarter of a mile to fool the dogs We
found his track IN The sand some places
where hc' missed the water. and tracked
him clear from where we found Flora
to the cave he was lying in. Fair
trial he'll! We're Just wnitin for or
can o oil You 20 back and rend Your
law books wen tend ter this devil"
The messenger came with the oil and
the crowd moved forward Hose
shouted Down by Tom Camps, by
his spring, down the spring branch to
the Flat Rock. where he killed her."
ON the crowd moved, swaying back
and forth, with Gnston In their midst.
by Dicks side. begging for fair trial
for him. A crowd that hnrries and
does not shout is fearful thing There
IS something inhuman in its uncanny
silence.
Gnston's voice sounded strained and
dlscordant. They paid no more atten-
tion to his protest than to the chirp Of
cricket.
They reached the spot where the
child's body had heen found They
tied the screaming. praying negro to a
live pine and piled around his body
great heap Of dead wood and satu-
rated 1t with oil And then they
poured oil on his clothes.
Castor looked around him, begging
ilfNl Vn' UlHls iHtii HH'iu'i, " iStP
him fight the crowd and rescue him.
Not n hnnd was lifted or voice raised
in protest There was not a negro
among them. Not only was no negro
In hat crowd but there WIS not
cabin in all that county that would not
have given shelter 10 the brute, though
they knew him guilty Of the crime
neainst him. This was the one
terrible fact that paralyzed Gaston's
efforts
Hose Norman stepped forward to
apply match and CASTOR grasped his
arm
"For Gods sake, Hose. wait a mtn
ute" he begged Don't disgrace on
town. our county. our state and on
claims TO humanity by this insane bru
taiiiy A heast wouldn't do this. Yol
wouldn't XIII mad dog or rattle
snake IN such a way. II you viii Ill
~