Cleveland County herald., 1921-09-01


 kinsmen.
 'Ne'Il hold Dale right here, boys, ontel the shuriff he's sent alter comes. And we'll not move Adam, which same is accordin' to law. l reckon Shuriff Tom Flowers'll find different job from what he expected to find won't he, boys? Say, 1 wisht one O you fellers'd gi' me good, big cliaw O tobacker Be durned eff don't. Adams death, it has made me feel sort O bad, by gonnies, and tobacker's allus a consolation
 Bill Dale, you hain't got a chaw O tobacker on ye, have ye-bought to- bacller store tobacker? It's a turned sight better'n home made, I says. Ye say ye don't chew! Chew-h-l! Whyn't ye say chaw,' like d man! 1 allus knowed ye wasn't no count, no- how. Nobody at don't chaw tobacker ain't no count =. All right, Jim Ike" to his nephew, "I'll take ehaw O yores. then. And I'll take a tofably big chaw, Jim Ike, cause Adams death has made me feel sort O bad, and tobacker's allus a consolation
 The sounds of the shooting had car ried far, and it wasn't long until the scene of the tragedy was crowded with Balls and TorreyS, LittlefordS and Moreands. Major Bradley and Hayes, too, were there Every man of them was armed very little thing might easily turn the place into a shambleS. The major saw this, and he was afraid. He drew the leaders of the Morelands and the Littefords aside, and finally prevailed upon them to do ,heir utmost toward keeping peace un- til the coming of the sheriff.
 At first John Moreand and Ben Lit tleford were for taking Bill Dale from the Balls and Torreys who guarded him, if they had to depopuIate the whole Ball settlement, Jerusalem Cove and Hattons Hell to accomplish it Happily, the majors counsel prevailed.
 Sheriff Tom Flowers was tall and 1.-the, smooth-faced man. He arrived with Luke Moreland at noon, after hours of hard riding He saw the high lellStOu, tIA Slteltu llllli- self to handle the situation. After riding straight to the center of the gathering and there halting his horse, he said evenly:
 ''In order that 1 may know who to arrest. I must know something of the circumstances. Only one man must speak at q time. No playing bad with me and remember that, gentlemen. I'll certainly drop the fellow who starts playing hoss with me, if it's the last move I make on earth Now some body gently use his powers of speech"
 Major Bradley, more soldierlike than ever, went forward. "As the attorney of MT. Dale, who stands accused of killing Adam Ball." he said to the of fcer, "I beg leave to state that my client will do no talking at present"
 Dale understood and he did not open his mouth
 But old Ball had something to say, and he proceeded to say it:
 He killed my son, Adam" pointing to Dale, "in cold blood Me and about a dozen O my kin was on our way over Long ridge to look at a bee tree when we heered three pistol shots We was right up thar" pointing to the northward "and we come a-runnin over here to see, by gonnies. what was the matter. Well, by gonnies we found Bill Dale thar down on his knees aside O my son, Adam, who was aus dead as h-l or deader; and Bill Dale was a-sobbin' and a-sobbin' about it. And eff he never killed my son Adam, what was he a-sobbin and a-sobbin' about, l ax you that? And my son Adam, he had a rifle, by gonnies, but he never shot none at all. He was with us up to a few minutes before. and he hadn't shot none all mornin' Shurift Flowers, I wisht ye'd gi' me a good, big chaw O tobacker, by gon- nies, 'cause my son Adam his death if has made me feel bad"
 Major Bradley stopped caressing his well-kept gray imperial, walked over to the dead mans rifle, picked it up and fresh powder-smoke. Then he faced old Ball with strange, hard glitter in his blue eyes.
 You are a liar, sir" he said with a peculiar politeness.
 A stir ran quickly over the Balls and Torreys. Sheriff Flowers called out:
 "Quiet. there!' and there was quiet. He continued: "Where is MT Dales revolverY'
 The Balls had it. They produced it. It had three empty chambers when ii should have had but one!
 Pass it to me butt first" ordered the laws representative. He knew that many a man had been shot while taking a revolver barrel first. and he was taking no chances.
 Old Ball obediently turned the weap- on around.
 "Say, sheriff" he chittered, have ye plumb fo'got about me axin' ye fo' chaw O store-bought? By gonnies, Adams death-"
 Flowers turned to Dale.