The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-04-19
CHAPTER XIII.
The Bolt Falls.


Benjamin Grimshaw followed by the
| Silent Woman clothed in rags anu
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 Lickityspht
&c Lewis county in his flight, having
attacked and slightly wounded two
men with q bowie knife who had tried
to detain him at Rainy Lake. He had
also shot at an 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
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.
l 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 coun-
teLance, shining also. with the softer
light of his spirit. Slowly, solemnly,
kindly, he spoke the words of doom.
1t was his way of saying them that
first 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 to notice him since the trial
had begun, nor did he now. Many had
e shed tears that day, but not he. Mr..
e Grimshaw never showed but one emo
. tion-that of anger. He was angry
C now. His face was hard and stern. He
( muttered as he walked out of the
]. courtroom, his cane briskly beating the
f floor.
The Silept Woman-as ragged as
o ever-waS waiting on the steps. Out
went her bony finger as he came down
s He turned and struck at her with his
cane and shouted in q shrill voice that
d rang out like trumpet in his frenzy:
go way from me. Take her away
r somebody. / can't stan it. She's KILN
me. Take her away. Take her away
Take her away"
g His face turned purple and ther
white. He ,reeled and fell headlong
d like n tree severed from its roots, anC
$. lay still on the hard, stone pavement
k II seemed as If snow were falling or
his FACET grew so white. The Silen
Woman stood as still as he. pOintin,
d nj him with her finger, her look I'm
b, changed. People came running tOwart
US. l lifted the head of Mr.. Grimshav
I and laid it on my knee. 1t felt like tn
In head of the stranger in RattlerOad
" Old Kate bent over and looked ut tn
a. eyelids of the man which fluttere'
family and were still.
" "Deadr she muttered.
ly Then, as if her work were finished
she turned and made her way throug
If the crowd and walked slowly dow
TO the street. Men stood aside to let he
" pass, as If they felt the power of he
spirit and feared the touch of her gal
ments.
Two or three men had run to tn
z house of the nearest doctor The crow
z thickened AS I sat looking down o
n the dead face in my lap. lawyer VIII
2 Lad come out of the courtroom presse
VI near me and bent over and looked q
II the set eyes of Benjamin Grimsha'
1 and said:
y "She fioOred him at last. knew sh
( would He tried not to see her. but
; tell we that hony old finger of hei
burnt a hole in him. He couldn't stan
II. | knew he'd blow up some day III
= der the strain. She got him ut last"
: "Who got him?" another asked.
Z "Rovin' Kate. She killed him poin
: ing her finger at him-so.'
"She's got an evil eye. Everybody
afraid o. the crazy Of trOllOpe."
Nonsense! She isn't half as Graz
4. rs the most of u.s." said the lawye
4 "In my opinion she had good reast
s; for pointing her finger at that ma