The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1915-05-06

"'The governor may direct the com
handing officer of the military force
to report to any one of the following
named officers of the district in which
the said force is employed: Mayor Of
a city, sheriff. jailer or marshal
Which list" stormed Callomb, sis
the honor roll OF the assassins."
AT all events"-the governor had
derived from Callomb much informa.
ton as to Samson South which the
mountaineer himself had modestly
withheld-"S South gets his pardon.
That is only step. wish l could
make him satrap over his province,
and provide him with troops to rule 1t.
Unfortunately, our form of govern
ment has it's drawbacks"
ut might be possible" ventured the
attorney general, ito impeach the
sheriff, and appoint this or some other
suitable man to fill the vacancy until
the next election"
"The legislature doesn't meet until
next winter" objected Callomb. There
is one chance. The sheriff down there
is sick man. Let us hope he may
die"
One day, the Hixon conclave met in
the room over Hollman's Mammoth
Department store, and with much pro.
family read communication from
Frankfort, announcing the pardon Of
Samson South. In that episode, they
foresaw the beginning of the end for
their dynasty. The outside world was
looking on, and their regime could not
survive the spotlight of law-loving
scrutiny.
1.-THE fust thing" declared Judge
Holman, CURLY, lis to get rid of these
damned soldiers. Well attend to our
own business later, and we don't want
them watchin' us. Just now, we want
to lie mighty quiet for a spell-tee-
totally quiet until pass the word"
Samson had won back the conf
dence of his tribe, and enlisted the
faith Of the state administration. He
had been authorized to organize a
local militia company, and to drill
them, provided he could stand answer
able for their conduct. The younger
Souths took gleefully to that idea. The
mountain boy makes a good soldier,
once he has grasped the idea Of dis
cipline. For ten weeks, they drilled
daily in squads and weekly in platoons.
Then, the fortuitous came to pass.
Sheriff Forbin died, leaving behind him
an unexpired term of two years, and
Samson was summoned hastily to
Frankfort. He returned, bearing his
commission as high sheriff, though,
when the news reached Hixon, there
were few men who envied him his
post, and none who cared to bet that
he would live to take his oath Of Office.
That August court day was mem
orable one in Hixon. Samson South
was coming to town to take up his
duties. Every one recognized 1t as the
day of final issue, and one that could
hardly pass without bloodshed. The
Hollmans, standing In their last
saw only the blunt question of
Hollman-South supremacy. For years,
the feud had fiared and slept and
broken again into eruptions, but never
before had a South sought to throw
his outposts of power across the wa
ters of Crippleshin, and into the coun-
ty seat. That the present South came
bearing commission as an officer of
the law only made his effrontery the
more uncomfortable.
Samson had not called for outside
troops. The drilling and disciplining
If his own company had progressed in
silence along the waters of Misery.
They were slouching, unmilitary
BAND of uniformed vagabonds, but they
we're longing to fight, and Callomb had
,een with them, tirelessly whipping
hem into rudimentary shape. After |
I'll, they were as much partisans as
hey had been before they were issued
tate rifles. The battle, II it came,
would be as factional as the fight of 25
ears ago, when the Hollmans held |
he store and the Souths the court |
Iouse. But back of all that lay one es-
entail difference, and 1t was this diff
erence that had urged the governor
o stretch the forms of law and put |
UGH dangerous power into the hands
( one man. That difference was the
lan himself. He was to take drastic
steps, but he was to take them under
he forms of law, and the state execu-
i've believed that, having gone through
worse to better, he would maintain the
improved condition.
Early that morning, men began to
assemble along the streets of Hixoni
md to congregate into sullen clumps
With set faces that denoted q grim,
determination. Not only the
Iollmans from the town and immedi'
tie neighborhood were there, but their
haggier, fiercer brethren from remote
reeks and covers, who came only at
rgent call, and did not come without
ntent of indicating their presence.
I'D Jake Holman, from "over yon" on
he headwaters of Dryhole creek
rought his son and Contemporaries
randson, and all of them carried Win
hesters. Long before the hour for
he courthouse bell to sound the call
hitch would bring matters to crisis,
romen disappeared from the streets.
n1r an