Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-08-18

trial." grOwled old Ball. Then to his
hnsmen.
wen hold Dale right here, boys,
ontel the shuriff he's sent after comes.
And We'll not move Adam, which same
Is accordin' to law. reckon Shuriff
Tom FlowersIl find different job
from what he expected to find : won't
he, boys? Say, / wisht one o. you
fellers'd gu me a good, big chaw o.
tobacker. Be burned eff don't. Adams
death, 1t has made me feel sort O.
bad, by comics. and tobacker's allus
a consolation
bill Dale, you hain't got a chaw o.
tobacker on We, have ye-bOught to-
hacker, store tobacker? It's burned
sight better'n homemade, / says. Ye
say We don't chew Chew--h--I!
Whyn't We say 'chaw,' like a man!
allus knowed We wasn't no count, mo-
how. Nobody at don't chaw tObacker
amt no count. !. All right, Jim
Ike" to his nephew, "TlI take chaw
O. yores, then. And I'll take tOl'aD!y
big chaw, Jim Ike, cause Adams
death has made me feel sort o. bad,
and tobackers allus a consolation"
The sounds of the shooting had car
ried far, and 1t wasn't long until the
scene Of the tragedy was crowded with
Balls and Torreys, Littlefords and
Morelands. 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 Littlefords aside,
and finally prevailed upon them to do
their utmost toward keeping peace I'M
til the coming Of the sheriff.
At first John MoreIand and Ben Lit
tlefOrd were for taking Bill Dale from
the Balls and Torreys who guarded
him, If they had to depopulate the
whole Ball settlement Jerusalem Cove
and Hatton's Hell to accomplish 1t
Happily, the majors counsel prevailed.
Sheriff Tom Flowers was tall and
1.-the, smOoth-faced man. He arrived
with Luke M0reIand at noon, after
hours Of hard riding. He saw the high
tension, and Immediately steeled him
self to handle the situation. After
riding straight to the center of the
gathering and there hating his horse,
he said evenly:
In order that ! may know who to
arrest, must know something of the |
Only one man must |
speak at time. No playing bad with
me; and remember that, gentlemen.
I'll certainly drop the fellow who
starts playing boss with me, If it's the
last move make on earth. Now some
body gently use his powers of speech"
Major Bradley, more soldierlike than
ever, went forward. "As the attorney
of Mr.. Dale, who stands accused Of
killing Adam Ball." he said to the Of
fcer, II 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,
md he proceeded to say it:
HE killed my son, Adam" pointing
o Dale, ''in cold blood. Me and about
| dozen O. my kin was on our way
'ver Long ridge to look at a bee tree,
When we heered three pistol shots. We
vas right up thar" pointing to the
lOrthward, "and we come a-runnin'
'ver here to see, by comics, what was
he matter. Well, by comics, we found
Bill Dale thar down on his knees
side O. my son, Adam, who was as
lead as hi or deader; and Bill Dale
vas a-sObbln' and a-sObbin' about it.
md eff he never killed my son Adam,
that was he a-sobbln' and a-sobbin'
bout, ak you that? And my son
dam, he had rifle, by comics, but
q never shot none at all. He was
nth us up to a few minutes before, and
Q hadn't shot none all mornin'.
huriE Flowers, visit ye'd gi' me a {
God, big chaw o tobacker, by gon- |
les, cause my son Adam his death '
has made me feel BAD t
Major Bradley stopped earessing his /
vell-kept gray imperial, walked over to
le dead mans rifle, picked 1t up and |
ut its muzzle % his nose. he scented /
-esh powder-smoke. Then he faced q
ID Ball with strange, hard glitter i
i his blue eyes. i
"You are a liar, sir" he said with 2
ocular politeness. q
"A stir ran quickly, over the Balls t
nd Torreys. Sheriff Flowers called I
Ut:
.Quiet, there r and there was quiet. I
q continued: where is Mr.. DaIe's 4
Ii
The Balls had It. They produced 1t. Il
had three empty chambers when 5
should have had bat one a
'sPass 1t to me butt first ordered y
le laws representative. He knew
at many a man had been shot while S
king revolver barrel first, ana he s
as taking no chances. TX
Old Ball obediently turned the weap- q
around 8,
SAY sheriff " he entered, uhave h
plumb fo'got about me akin VS. Il, Il
chaw o store-boughtG BY gonnies,
DAMS DEATH q
Flowers turned to Dale Al