Year: 1879

fell st his feet and again and again did
the murdsrer's knife seek her heart.


Aftsr his paroxysm Of rage, the sight
Of the now intimate body filed him
with fear, and, dropping the knife. he
ran from the spot. He quickly made
his way to the house, where the old
man lay in his stupor. Then did the
first thought Of oonoealment of the
crime enter his mind. He raised the
old man from his slumber, and easily
convinced him that he was but just
dropping off to sleep when he reused
him, and bantered him to finish the
bout. The old man took it all in, and
together they had right merry time
finishing the jug. Here was an alibi ;
for he could make the old man swear
that he had not left him moment that
day.


"A short time after the murderer had
fled from his victim, Lewis, who had
an appointment with Lucy at that hour,
hastened to the rendezvous. Imagine
his horror when he gazed upon the one
object on earth SO dear to him, cold,
lifeless and bloody. With an awful
shrek he clasped her in his arms, try
ing to warm her back to life by his own
heartbeats. Then, kneeling by her
corpse, he swore to avenge her death,
and then, almost crazsd by the blow,
he continued to call on her he loved.


''Some miners passing that way dis
covered him, and taking him into GUS
tody, delivered him to the authorities
at g., who, Notwithstanding his
protestations Of innocence, lodged him
in Jail on charge OF murder OF Lucy
Harris.


Public sentiment was about equally
divided, and when the trial came on
the courtroom was crowded. The de-
fense was denial Of the murder, and
the knife, which was proven to have
been the prisoners he claimed to have
lost several days before the murder.
The prisoner could not be reused out Of
the apathy which had seized him and
to all sxhorations Of his friends he made
answer that the sooner all was over
the sooner he would join her above.
Notwithstanding an able defense by his
lawyers, he was found guilty Of the
murder and sentenced to be hanged.


"The trial and verdict convinced
nearly all that hs was indeed The mur-
derer, and the most charitable gilded
his fearful crime with emotional insan-
ity.' However, guilty or not, the prep
arations for his hanging went on, and
the eventful day drew nigh.


"Jenkins was loudest voiced of all
firm believers in the guilt of Lewis
and it was observed that he of late
drank heavier, and the sun never rose
nor set on him except as q drunkard.
The night before the day appointed for
the hanging he was seized with deliri-
nm tremens in the then principal sa-
loon of the town, and, to the astonish.
ment of bystanders, in his delirium he
again went through the bloody tragedy.
The Judge who had passed the dread
sentence was sent for, and giving Jen-
kins into the custody of several consta-
bles, he had a magistrate take down
the sayings Of the now raving maniac,
and all were soon convinced that the
real murderer Of Lucy Harris was now
before them.


The Judge went to the cell of the
condemned, and with glad heart he
communicated the joyful news to the
prisoner, and told him he would be a
free man tomorrow, and thanked God
the real murderer had been found, and
that an innocent man had not suffered.
The Judge and magistrate, on their own
responsibility, released Lewis, and trial
and conviction of Jenkins soon followed,
for when accused Of the murder and
shown the damning self accusations, he
wilted and made clean breast of it.
The gallows erected for Lewis served to
"shuffle OFF, the real murderer of Lucy
Harris, for Jenkins was swung off in
short time afterwards.


"Lewis, as soon as released, came to
this spot, the scene of the tragedy, aud
carved that cross on the tree, and every
day during life he would come here,
kneel and pray to be worthy of being
united with her above. His reason
was shaken with what he had gone
through, and the Judge cared that he
wanted for nothing. The people here
call that Lewis Cross and Heaven
knows he did carry heavy cross. He
kept it white and clean while living,
not allowing fiber to grow in any Of
the incisions. He died about fifteen
years ago, and once in a while one of
the town people cuts out the cross as it
fills up, so as to perpetrate Lewis
Cross as long as the tree stands"


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