Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-09


ketched ye TO the law, and we held
We TO the law, and we turned ye over
to the law; and 'en, by gonnies. the
law turned ye loose the very next
day! And 'en the shuriff he comes
out here and arrests four O. usl Ef
the law won't try ye and punish ye
TO- a-shootin' my son Adam In cold
blood, by gonnles, we'll try ye and
punish We To- a-doln' 1t. But ye
needn't be skeered none at all. Ye're
plumb shore to git testice. III prom.
ise ye jestce." .
you've evidently overlooked the
fact that another man confessed to
the killing, and that that was why
they liberated me-" said Dale.
ats some cussed frane-up." snnrled
Sle leader Of the gang. mo man on
earth don't like no other MIN well
enough fo' that Asldes, you're the
one at killed my son Adam. by gon.
MES, and you're the one al must suf.
fer TO II. Right here onder this here
warnut tree we're a-goin' to hold cote
and have yore trial, by jedge and jury,
and you'll shore git what's a-comin'
-"
Bill Dale cut In with some bitter
ness: "And you'll be the judge, and
your plans have already been laid. and
I'm to be hanged by the neck until
dead; eh? Well, you'll pay dearly for
it. promise you. We always have
to pay for what we get. you know.
The Morelands and the Llttlefords will
be quick to settle the account. You
know that"
"No," old Ball disagreed hotly. ~
don't know that"
He turned to the others.
"Set down, boys. It's the same price
as standin'. The jury will please SET
over THAR" pointing to his right THE
pris'ner and his guards will please sci
right over thar" pointing to his left.
THE hon'rable jedge, which same Is
me, will please set right thar" indi-
eating q spot at the base Of the gnarled
walnut. 1.-The rest" he finished will
set anywhar they d-n pleases. Set
down, men,"
His orders were oheyed. Dale found
himself sitting on the ground between
two pairs of mount6lneers and facing
a line of twelve mountaineers-the so
called jury. TO his left was the self
appointed judge, and to his right
lOunged a score or more of men whose
attention was then being turned TO-
ward jug Of fiery new whisky that
had never been near to revenue
stamp or anything else that was hon.
est. The jug travelled rapidly from
one hairy mouth to another.
Old Ball passed the jug to mem.
ber Of the Jury" and announced:
"Well, dammit, co'te's open now."
Kitty, kitty, kitty" taunted Walt
Turner. "Pore little kitty!"
The mockery began. II was rldicn.
lous, ami yet 1t was grim. Adam
Balls father himself furnished mos1
of the evidence; also he acted as
prosecuting attorney. OF course there
was no counsel for the defense, and
it wouldn't have helped II Dale had
had a proverbial Philadelphia lawyer
on the grounds; all the proof and elo
quence and pleading in the world never
would have changed. In the slightest de
gree, the sentence that had been cut and
dried for Bill Dale. The mock trial
was being held solely because the
Balls and Torreys felt that by hold.
ing it they were insulting the majesty
of the law and making their ven
geance sweeter. 1t became worse than
a travesty. :.
Night fell during the wordy and
profane harangue of the Ball leader
and it was ordered that fire be built
at once. At once fire was built. dry
brushwood being used, and In its red
and flickering glare the faces of the
hillmen looked doubly dark and doubly
wicked. Then the judge begged a
chew Of tobacco and deliberately kept
the whole twist, and told the jury to
90 out and bring back verdict with
out losing time.
The twelve mountaineers rose un.
steadily and went to the creek, and
there one Of them uncovered another
jug Of fiery new whisky that was alien
to a revenue stamp. They drank
heavily and returned to the walnut
tree court without mentioning tM
trial.
The foreman was q Torrey, and a
particularly bad one. His swarthy
face, with It's high Cherokee cheek
bones and its thin-lipped mouth, was
ultra-cruel, ultra-vicious. He entered
the circle of red and Pickering freight
slowly, smiling evilly, and the other
eleven crowded -p close behind him.
He cleared his throat, spat between
two fingers at the fire, and turned 10
the judge.
"Gentlemen O. the jury" growled
the ruling Ball, "have ye reached a
verdict?
1--WE have, yore honor" very prompt
ly answered the Torrey who was fore
man. "And we ha' found the prisner
guilty o. the wust kind O coldblooded,