The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-02-27
CHAPTER KIN.
The Bolt Falls.

Three times that winter i q seen
Benjamin GrImshaw followed by the
Silent Woman clothed In rags ana
pointing with her finger.
The trial Of Amos came on. He had
had blood on his feet" as they used
to say, all the way from Lickitysplit
to Lewis county In his night, having
attacked and slightly wounded W o
men with a bowie knife who had tried
to detain him at Rainy Lake. He had
also shot at nm officer in the vicinity
OF Lowville, where his arrest was ef-
fected. He had been identified by all
these men, and so his character as a
desperate man had been established.
This In connection with the scar on his
face and the tracks, which the boots
Of Amos fitted, and the broken gun
stock convinced the jury of his guilt.
i remember well the look of the
venerable Judge Cady as he pro-
rounced the sentence Of death upon
Amos Grimshaw. A ray Of sunlight
slanting through a window In the late
afternoon fell upon his gracious
tenance, shining also, with the softer
light Of his spirit. Slowly, solemnly,
kindly, he spoke the words Of doom.
II was his way Of saying them that
slrst made me feel the dignity and
majesty of the law. The kind and Ia
therly tone of his voice put me In
mind Of that supremest court which
Is above all question and which was
swiftly to enter judgment In this mat
ter and In others related to 1t.
Slowly the crowd moved out Of the
courtroom. Benjamin Grimshaw rose
and calmly whispered to his lawyer.
He had not spoken to his son or
seemed tn notice him since the trial
had begun. nor did he now. Many had
shed tears that day, but not he. Mr..
Grfmshaw never showed but one emo
tion-that Of anger. He was angry
now. His face was hard and stern. He
muttered as he walked out of the
courtroom. his cane briskly beating the
door.
The Silent Woman-as ragged as
ever--was waiting on the steps. Out
went her bony finger as he came down.
He turned and struck at her with his
cane and shouted In a shrill voice that
rang out like a trumpet In his frenzy:
go way from me-. Take her away,
somebody. / can't stan 1t. She's KILN
Take her away. Take her AWAY.
Take her away"
His face turned purple and then
white. He reeled and fell headlong,
like a tree severed from Its roots. and
lay still on the hard, stone pavement.
Ii seemed as II snow were falling on
his FACET grew so white. The Silent
Woman stood as still as he. pointing
at him with her finger. her look un-
changed. People came running toward
us. I lifted the head of Mr.. Grimshaw
and laid 1t on my knee. 1t felt like the
head of the stranger In Rattleroad.
Old Kate bent over and looked at the
eyelids of the man which fiuttered
family and were still.
Dead" she muttered.
Then. as II her work were finished.
she turned and made her way through
the crowd and walked slowly down
the street. Men stood aside to let her
pass, as II they felt the power of her
spirit and feared the touch Of her gar
ments.
Two or three men had run TO the
hnttca NJ fhc nnarn<f AnntA. Tk. -.-l
rhickened. As / sat looking down at
the dead face In my lap, a lawyer who
had come out Of the courtroom pressed
near me and bent over and looked at
the set eyes of Benjamin Grimshaw
and said:
"She foored him at last. I knew she
would. he tried not to see her, but
tell We that bony old finger of hers
burnt a hole In him. He couldn't stand
II. I knew he'd blow up some day un.
der the strain. She got him OF last"
who got him7' another asked.
"Rovin' Kate. She killed him point.
Ing her finger at him-so."
sShe's got an evil eye. EverybodyAs
afraid O. the crazy OIL trollope."
"Nonsensei She Isn't half as crazy
the most Of us." said the lawyer.
I'm my opinion she had a good reason
for pointing her finger at that q
She came from the same town he did
over In Vermont. Ye don't know what
there"
The doctor arrived. The crowd
made way for him. lie knelt beside
the still figure and made the tests. He
Foee and shook his head. saying:
ITS AL over. Let one o. these boys
b down and bring the undertaken"
Benjamin Grimshaw. the richest man
y TIE township. was dead, aAd / have
70 bear Of any mOurnesA
Three days later I ~ his body 1oW.
Into ~ grave- The llttle, broken
\ fv1fo1 Nike stood there with The
|ame ~ mlI6 "a M face that ! had
lcfea W1cn I 1rst ~ ~ n ths hills.
Ess1e' kete A. ~ cloehss
y>ofiy c1aneod. AleF halr wos usat1y