Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-09-22

: Torreys with rifles In their hands
Bill Dale had walked. as gently as
kitten. straight into a trap.
His right hand moved toward the
butt OF his revolver. then dropped
at his side. II was foolish, worse
than useless, TO show fight; dozens
of rifles were staring at him with their
frowning, murderous eyes, and their
bullets would riddle him If he showed
fight. He glanced toward Walt Tur-
ner, kInsman OF the Balls.
Turner was laughing openly. pore
little kitty!"
"If ever | have the chance" NUT
tered Bill Dale "I'll thrash you for
this cute little joke of yours"
"You won't never have the chanst,"
laughed Walt Turner.
The Balls and the TOrreJs began
to close in on all sides, and a solid
| ring of dark and for the most part
bearded, wickedly triumphant faces
formed itself around Dale. Adam
Balls father, the acknowledged leader
of that band of cutthrOats that was
now the Ball-Torrey faction, glared at
Dale with black eyes that were filed
with the fire of intense hatred; then
he seized DaIe's revolver and thrust
it inside the walst-band of his worn
leans trousers. Dale felt the grip
of rough hands on his shoulders and
arms. He fully realized his great
danger; but he strove to keep all signs
of fear out of his cOuntenance, and
| he was not unsuccessful.
'I presume this is what you call
taking the law into your own hands,
isn't it?" he said with a smile that
was forced.
"Edzact1y!' snapped old Ball. I'VE
ketched We fo' the law, and we held
We 70 the law, and we turned We over
to the law; and 'en, by comics, the
law turned ye loose the very next
day! And On the shurif he comes
out here and arrests four o. us! Eff
the law won't try We and punish We
fo' a-shootin' my son Adam in cold |
blood, by comics, We'll try We and
punish We fo' adOin' 1t. But We
needn't be skeered more at all. Yere |
plumb shore to git jestice. I'll prom
Use We iestice."
you've evidently overlooked the |
fact that another man confessed to |
the killing. and that that was why |
they liberated me-" said Dale.
tits some cussed frame-up," snarled |
the leader of the gang. mo man on
earth don't like no other man well |
enough TO that. Asides, you're the |
one at killed my son Adam, by goR-
MES, and you're the one at must SUI
fer fo' it. 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'
o
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
1t, l promise you. We always have
TO nav for what we get, you know.
The Morelands and the Littlefords will
be quick to settle the account. You
know that"
NO." old Ball disagreed holly, 81
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 set
right over thar" pointing to his left.
1.-THE hon'rable jedge, which same is
~ l.
eating spot at the base of the gnarled
walnut. 1.-THE rest" he finished, twill
set anywhar they d-n pleases. Set
down, men,"
His orders were obeyed. Dale found
himself sitting on the ground between
two pairs of mountaineers and facing
line of twelve mountaineering 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 a 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 men,
Der Of the Jury" and announced:
swell, dammit, co'te's open now"
"Kitty, kitty, kitty" tainted Walt
Turner. "Pore little kittyp
The mockery began. 1t was ridicu-
lous, and yet 1t was grim. Adam
Balls father himself furnished most
of the evidence; also he acted as
attorney. OF course there
was no counsel for the defense, and
1t wouldn't have helped IL Dale had
u Ia n x,roun,hial DhiIndoInhIn In rxr,ror |