The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-24
The Man Who
Was Fixed
BY ALAN HlNSDALE

When l was a young man-soon aftel
the war between the states-I went tt
Kentucky. Kentucky had been q slave
state, and there were number OF
negroes who had been freed. These
were thrown on their own resources,
and many of them had hard time to
make living.
One day / missed some clothing from
my room, and the 1anitor Of the build
ing In which | 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, | being his accuser.
He was convicted and sent to state
prison for two years.
Soon after his conviction received
call from his former master, who said
that 1t 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. thanked the gentle
man for his warning and told him that
would be on my guard.
\ Nevertheless when the time of dan
ger came forgot all about the matter.
] had made memorandum Of the date
of expiration of the convict's term;
but, learning that they all get time of
for good behavior, had considered
the memorandum worthless and put 1t
away. forgetting 1t. 1t happened that
in looking over some old memoranda
kept In a pigeonhole Of my desk / hit
upon the date Of Pete's release on the
very day his full time expired.
Throwing 1t into a wastebasket,
put the matter out Of my mind. But
1t came back again that night when
was in bed about to 60 to sleep. Sup
pose l should awaken In the middle of
the night and see the powerful figure
not get rid Of this dread and the next
day purchased revolver. loaded u
and placed 1t under my pillow.
One morning ON taking up my paper
] saw that Judge Montague, who had
sentenced Pete, had been called to his
the heart by man who had
without having been seen
by any one except his victim. The &C
count given indicated that not the
slightest clew to the murderer was in
the hands of the police.
/ 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 he had been sentenced. 1t
was considered probable by the attor-
ney and by me that Pete was the
Judges murderer and equally probable
hat he would carry out his threat to
fix" me as well
The police were instructed to look
he fact that he was wanted or that
here was any clew to Judge Monta-
yue's murderer As for me, I was to
AXE every possible means to be ready
or Pete should he carry out his threat
me. The chief Of police
Wished to send a man to sleep in my /,
louse. but concluded that this would i
,e more trouble than it was worth I /
,ot out my revolver, which had dis !
arded, saw that it was In order and c
oaded and had a telephone apparatus
,laced on a table beside my bed.
One night after all In the house were
sleep there came a ring at my door
ell telephoned the police-by pre- :
ious arrangement-that was being !
allied up late at night, then went to q T
window and called out that / would n
ONE down as soon as l could get on t
ONE clothes. A few minutes after p
nv telephone message the policeman d
ear my house was at my door. But
,hoever had rung had disappeared
IL my visitor was Pete he did not 9
ONE again. Several months passed a
'ithout my being molested. and I was
eginning to think that Pete had con- q
uded that It would be wiser for him {,
, forego his revenge upon me when n
ne night I was awakened by the fash n
{ q dark lantern In my eyes. l be- W
eyed there were burglars In the
ouse. Taking the telephone instru- 4
ent under the cover to deaden the Il
,und, / called "Police" giving my o.
rect and number. II
| knew that there would be no waste =
time by the police. and l hoped by y
manning quiet the burglars would go =
/ doing their work. At the same q,
me, seizing my revolver, slid noise a,
ssly out of bed and, feeling my way 10
q closet, left the door ajar SO that pi