Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-07-26
The Man Who
Was FIXED"
By ALAN HINSDALE

the war between the StateS-l went to
Kentucky. Kentucky had been a slave
state, and there were a number of
negroes who had been freed. These
We're thrown on their own resources,
and many of them had a hard time to
make a living.
One day l missed some clothing from
my room, and the janitor Of the build
ing in which 1 lodged disappeared at
the same time. The police were set in
motion to find the janitor-Pete Mar
tin. They succeeded, and he was
brought to trial, 1 being his accuser.
He was convicted and sent to state
prison for two years.
Soon after his conviction I received a
call from his former master, who said
that it had been reported to him by
Pete's associates that as soon as he got
out Of prison he would Fix" me for
having sent him up. The gentleman
also told me that the convict was the
only slave he had ever owned of whom
he was afraid. Misery loves company,
and my misery was lightened by being
told that Pete had threatened to FIX"
the Judge who sentenced him as well
as his accuser. I thanked the gentle
man for his warning and told him that
I would be on my guard.
Nevertheless when the time of dan
ger came l forgot all about the matter.
l had made a memorandum Of the date
of expiration of the convict's term;
but, learning that they all get time off
for good behavior, 1 had considered
the memorandum worthless and put it
away, forgetting it. 1t happened that
In looking owe some old memoranda l.
kept in a pigeonhole of my desk 1 hit
upon the date of Pete's release on the
very day his full time expired.
Throwing it into a wastebasket, l
put the matter out Of my mind. But
it came back again that night when L
was In bed about to 60 to sleep. Sup
pose l should awaken in the middle of
the night and see the powerful figure
Of the negro standing over me. could
not get rid of this dread and the next
day purchased a revolver, loaded it
and placed it under my pillow.
One morning on taking up my paper
l saw that Judge Montague, who had
sentenced Pete, had been called to his
door at 10 o'clock at night and shot
through the heart by a man who had
disappeared without having been seer
by any II except his victim. The ac-
count given indicated that not the
slightest clew to the murderer was in
the hands of the police.
l went to the states attorney and
told him my story. He at once in
CURED of the warden of the prison in
which Pete had been confined and
learned that the convict had gained no
time for good behavior, but had been
released On the expiration of the term
for which lie had been sentenced. 1t
was considered probable by the attor-
ney and by me that Pete was the
judges murderer and equally probable
that he would carry out his threat to
Fix" me as we'll.
The police were instructed to look
for Pete, but not to give publicity to
the fact that be was wanted OR that
there was any clew to Judge Monta-
CUES murderer. AS for me, I was to
take every possible "a to be ready
for Pete should he carry out his threat
concerning me. The chief Of police
wished to send a man to sleep in my
house. but l concluded that this would
be more trouble than it was worth. l
got out my revolver, which l had dis
carded, saw that it was in order and
loaded and had a telephone apparatus
placed on a table beside my bed.
One night after all in the house We're
asleep there came a ring at my door
bell. 1 telephoned the poiice-by pre-
vious arrangement-that l was being
called up late at night, then went to ii
window and called out that 1 would
come down as soon as l could get on
some clothes. A few minutes after
my telephone message the policeman
near my house was at my door. But
whoever had rung had disappeared.
If my visitor was Pete he did not
come again. Several months passed
without my being molested, and 1 was
beginning to think that Pete had coz
cluded that it would be wiser for him
to forego his revenge upon me when
one night 1 was awakened by the flash
of a dark lantern in my eyes. l be-
lieved there were burglars in the
house. Taking the telephone instru-
ment under the cover to deaden the
sound, 1 called "Police!" giving m
street and number.
l knew that there would be no waste
Of time by the police, and l hoped by
remaining quiet the burglars would go
on doing their work. At the same
time, Selling my revolver, I slid noise
lessly out OF bed and, feeling my way
to a closet, left the door ajar so that
1 could see out. I had not been there
long before I heard a tread in the hall,
then footsteps approaching my bed. 1
saw a figure pass a window. Whoever
was in the room must have gone to the
bed, felt for the occupant and, finding
no II there, retraced his steps, for I
heard nothing except footsteps in re-