Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-10-08

q mdIeSA wei WIN Jul DO W. Sues
along. Depends on how obedient We
air"
I'm responsible for the peace and
quiet of this county" continued Sam.
son. Were going to have peace and
quiet"
The Judge looked about him. The in
dications did not appear to him indica
tive of peace and quiet.
"Air we?" he inquired.
"I'm coming back here in a halt
hour" said the new sheriff. This IN
an unlawful and armed assembly.
When l get back l want to find the
courthouse occupied only by unarmed
citizens who have business here"
"When We comes back" suggested
the county judge, "Td advise that ye
resigns yore job. A half-hour is about
es long as We ought ter try ter hold
hit"
Samson turned and walked through
the scowling crowd to the courthouse
steps.
Gentlemen" he said, in a clear, far
carrying voice, there is no need of an
armed congregation at this court
house. l call on you in the name of
the law to lay aside your arms or scat
ter"
There was murmur which for an in
slant threatened to become a roar, but
trailed into a chorus of derisive laugh
ter.
Samson went to the hotel, accompa-
MED by Callomb. A half-hour later the
two were back at the courthouse with
a h~alf-dozen companions. The yard
was empty. Samson carried his faith
er's rife. In that half-hour a telegram,
prepared in advance, had flashed to
Frankfort.
Mob holds courthouse need
troops"
And a reply had flashed back:
use local company-Callomb COM
handing" So that form of law was
met.
The courthouse doors were closed
and its windows b~arricaded. The place
was no longer a judicial building. 1t
was a fortress. AS Samson's party
paused at the gate a warning voice
called:
Don't come no nigher!"
The ~body-guard began dropping
back to shelter.
"I demand admission to the court
house to make arrests" shouted the
new sheriff. In answer a scattering of
rifle reports came from the Jail win
dows. Two of the Souths fell. At a
word from Samson Callomb left on a
run for the hotel. The sheriff himself
took his position in a small store
across the street, which he reached un-
hurt under a desultory fire.
Then, again, silence settled on the
town, to remain for five minutes I'M
broken. The sun glared mercilessly on
clay streets, now as empty as a cem-
etery.. A single horse inceutiously
hitched at the side of the courthouse
switched it's tail against the assaults
of the flies. Otherwise, there was no
outward sign of life. Then, Callomb's
newly organized force of ragamuffin sol
diers clattered down the street at
double time. For a moment or two
after they came into sight only the
massed uniforms caught the eyes of
the intrenched Hollmans, and ar
alarmed murmur broke from the court
house. They had seen no troops de-
train, or pitch camp. These men had
sprung from the earth as startlingly as
Jason's crop of dragons teeth. But,
when the command rounded the Shout
der of a protecting wall to await fur
Their orders, the ragged stride of their
marching and the all-too-obvious bea--
ing of the mountaineer proclaimed
them native amateurs. The murmur
turned to a howl of derision and chal-
lenge. They were nothing nor
less than Souths, masquerading in the
uniforms of soldiers.
"What orders?" inquired Callomb
briefly, joining Samson in the store.
Demand surrender once more-then
take the courthouse and JAIL" was the
short reply.
Callomb himself went forward with
the flag of truce. He shouted his mes
sage and a bearded man came to the
courthouse door.
Tell EN-" he said without redun-
dancy, tibet we're all here. Come an
git US"
The officer went back and distribute
ed his forces under such W as Of
fered itself about the four walls. Then
a volley was fired over the roof and in
stantly the two buildings in the public
square awoke to a volcanic response of
rifle fire.
All day the duel between the streets
and county buildings went on with
desultory intervals of quiet and wild
outbursts of musketry. The troops
were firing as sharpshooters, and the
courthouse, too, had it's sharpshooters.
When a head showed itself at a barri-
caded window a report from the out
side prnntad n Samson was nvarv.