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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1905)
SUNDAY, JULY 9, 1994. THE A.ORMNG ASTORIAN ASTORIA, OREGON tHMIMMIIIIIIIMI The Gentleman From Indiana By BOOTH TAKXftGTON 1 . tmm. ifJ. H am Ca, i MMMMMMIIIIIIIMU) ' TDey"were coming. Bbe stepped quickly out of tb tangl od darted up tb road. Kb no with th speed of fleet little terrier, oot opening ber lips, not calling out, but holding ber two thin band blgb bov her bid: tbat wa all. But Blroam wood wu coin to Dunelnan at lt and th messenger apod. . Out of tbt weed In tbt comer of tbo anaka feni", Id Um upper part of tbo rtat, silently L.,A ,1.: ,. - .... " """?: " ... . " bcsjs imiun a aii-aura w uii as in cniia flew by. The mob wa carefully organised. Tbey bad taken tbelr time and bad prepared trery thing deliberately, know ing that nothing could atop them. No no bad any thought of concealment; ft waa all aa open aa tbo light of day, nil don In tb broad sunshine. Noth ing bad been determined aa to what waa to bo don at tb Croroda more Oeflnlt than that tb place waa to be Wiped out That waa comprehensive enough; tbo detail were quit certain to occur. Tbey Wert HI on foot, march ing In fairly regular rank. In front walked Mr. Watta,' the man Harklee had abhorred In a public aplrlt and be friended la prtvatov - Today bo wu I her and leader, marching to avenge bla professional oppressor and peraoul ferother. Cool, unruffled and to out ward vtaioo unarmed, marching tb K)Ue t hi brown frock coat and gett roua linen, be led tbe way. On oM aide of blm were tbe two Bowlders, on tbo other waa IJge Wlllett, Mr. Watts preserving peace between tbe young men with perfect tact and aaug frold. Tbey kept good order and a simili tude of quiet for so many except far to tb rear, where old Wilkersou wa bringing up the tall of tbe procession, dragging a wretched yellow dog by a rope fastened around tbe pour cur's protesting neck, tbo knot carefully ar ranged under hla right ear. In spite of every command and protest Wllkoreon had marched tbe whole way uproar! ously singing "John Brown's Body." Tbo sun waa In tbe west when they fame In algbt of tho Crossroad, and tbe cabin on tho low slope stood out angularly against tbo radiance beyond. Aa tbey beheld tbe bated settlement the heretofore orderly rank showed disposition to depart from tbe steady advance and rush tbo ahantle. WU letta, tbe Bowlder. Parker, Roe Scho- fleld and a dosen other did, in fact. break away and set sharp pace up tbe slope. Watta tried to call them back. "What's tb use your gettln' killed V be shouted. "Why notr answered IJge, and. like tbo others, waa Increasing bla speed when old Wlmby" rose up suddenly from tb roadside ahead of tbem and motioned tbem frantically to go bark, "They're laid out along tbe fence wait In' fer ya," he warned them. "Qlt out tb road. Come by tbo field. Fer tbe Lord's take, apread!" Then aa sudden ly aa be bad appeared be dropped down Into tb weed again. Llge and those with him pauacd. and tb whole body cam to a bait while the leader con sulted. There waa a sound of metallic clicking and a thin rattle of steel. From far to tb rear cam the vole of old Wllkeraon: "Job Brown's body Its a-moldsrlng In ths around, John Brown' body Use a-eaoldtin In the ground." A few near blm aa tbey stood wait ing began to take up the burden of tbe song, singing It In slow time Ilka dirge. Then those farther away took It up. It spread, reached tbe leader. Tbey, too, began to sing, taking off tbelr hats aa they Joined In, and soon tbe whole concourse, solemn, earnest, uncovered, was slnglng-a thunderous requiem for John Uarkless. Tbe sun waa swinging lower, and tho edge of tbe world were embroider ed with gold, while that deep volume of aound shook the air, tho song of a atern, aavage, just cause-sung perhaps aa some of tbo ancestor of these men aang with Hampden before the bris tling walla of a hostile city. It bs! Iron and ateel In It Tho men. lying on their guna In tbo ambuscade along the rence beard tbe dirge rise and grow to Its mighty fullness, and tbey ablver ed. Oiie of them, poated nearest tbe advance, bad bla rifle carefully leveled at IJge Wllletta, fair target In tbe road. When he beard tbe atnglng be turned to tbe man next behind blm and laughed harshly, "I reckon we'll see a big Jamboree other aide Jordan tonight, bubr The huge murmur of tb chorus ex panded and gathered In rhythmic atrength and swelled to power and rolled and thundered serosa the plain. "John Drown s body lie a-motderln In the ground, John Brown's body lis a-moldaring in ths ground, John Brown body lies moldertng In the ground, ills soul goes marching on I Olory, glory, hallolulahl Glory, glory, hallslulahl Olory. glory, hallelulahl Ills soul goes marching on!" A gun spat fire from tho higher ground, and Wllletta dropped where he stood, but was up again In a second, with a red line across bla forehead wbero tbe ball bad graced his temple. The. mpb sprcud out like n, fat), ha own climbing th tone and beglnnfhg tli advance through tbo fluid, tbua cloalog on tbt auibusrad from both aide. Mr. Watta, wading through tbo blgb graM In tbo fluid oortb of tb road, perceived tbo barrel of a gua bluing from tbo fence aomo distance la front of bltu and tbo aauio second, although no wespon wss seen In bla band, discharged a revolver at tbo clump of grata and wmhU behind tbo gun. Instantly ton or twelve moo lopd from tbelr biding place along tbo fence of both flnlda and, firing hurriedly and harmlessly Into tbo scat tered rank of tbo oncoming mob, broko for tbo aboltnr of tbo bouse, wbor tbolr fcllowa wen posted. Tk- n on tbo flaoka and from tbo rear, there waa but ono thing for them to do to keep from bning hemmed In and abot or captured. (Tbey excessively pro forrod being abot.) With a wild. high. Joyou roll, aoundlog like tbo bar of young bounda breaking Into rlow of their quarry, tbo Plattvlll men fol lowed. I VI I Tbo moat eaitwsrd of the debilitated I JlBcee of Blx Crosrods waa tbo aa It bore tbo painted legend, on tbo weat wall, "Last Chance;" on tbo eoat wall, "first Chance." Next to tbla and separated by two or tbreo acre of weedy vacancy from tbo cor nere. where tbo population centered thickest, atoodlf ono ma ao predl- pete of a building which loaned In aer on dlrectlous-tb bouao of Mr. Rob ert Sklllett tbo proprietor of tbo loon. Both building were abut up aa Bgbt aa their elate of repair permit ted. Aa tbey were fartbeot to the eaat. they formod tbo noareot abetter, and to them tbo Croaaroadera bent ttuHr flight, though they stopped not here, but dla- appoarod behind flkillett'a bnty, pot ting It between tbom and their pur- auera, wboee guna were beginning to spook. Tbo fugitive bad a good start, and, being the picked runner of tbo Crossroad, tbey crossed tbo open, weedy acroa In tafetr and made for tbelr bomea. Every bouao- bad become fort, and tbo defendera would bare to be fought and torn out ono by on. Aa tbo guna founded, a woman la a thanty near tbe forge began to scream and kept on reaming. On came tbe farmers and tbe men of Plattrllle. They took tbe saloon at a run. batter! down tbe craey door with a fence rail and warui4 Inside like busy Insect, making tbe place hum like a hire, but with tbe butter Industries of destruction. It waa empty of life a a tomb, but they beat and tore and battered and broke and ham mered and shattered like madmen; they reduced tbe tawdry Interior to a mere cbaoa and came pouring forth laden with trophic of ruin, and then there waa a cbarry amell In tbo air, and a lender fee ther of etuoko floated up from a eecond itory window At tbe same time Watt led ao as- tault on tbe adjoining houee, in assault which came to a sudden panne, for from cracks In tbo front wall a squirrel rifle and a shotgun mapped and banged, and tbe crowd fell back In dl order. Homer Tlbba bad a bat blown away, full of burkabot bole, while Mr. Watt solicitously examined a small They wert eomlng. aperture In tbe skirts of hi brown coat Tbe bouse commanded tbo road, and tho rush of tbe mob Into tbe village waa checked, but only for the Instant. A rickety woodshed which formed a portion of tbe Sklllett mansion closely Joined tbo "Last Chance'' aide of tb family place of buslneo. Scarcely had tbe guna of tbo defendera sounded when, with a loud about Llge Wlllett leaped from an upper window on that aide of the burning saloon and landed on tho woodshed and. Immediately climbing the roof of the mansion Itself, applied a brand to tbo dry, time worn clapboard. Rosa Sebofield dropped on the woodshed close behind him, bis arm lovingly Infolding a gallon Jug of whisky, wblcb he emptied (not without evident regret) upon tho clapboards at Llge fired them. Flame burst forth almost Instantly, and the smoke, unit ing with that now rolling out of every window of the saloon, went up to heav en In a cumbrous, gray column. As tb flame began to spread there waa a rapid fusillade from tbo rear of tbo bouse, and a hundred men and more, who had kept on through the fleida to tbo north, assailed it from be hind. Their shots passed clear through the flimsy partitions, and there waa a creaming like beasts' bowla from with in. Tbe front door waa thrown open, and a lean, fierce eyed girl, with a case knife In her band, ran out In the face of the mob. At aound of the shots in tbe rear they had begun to advance on the house a second time, and Hartley Bowlder waa tbe nearest man to the girl. With awful words and shrieking conceivably Jj.JL''"d.rtrjL'SM-aJ Hartley add attacked blm wRS tho knife. Bhe struck at blm again and again, and In her anguish of bat and fear alio waa so extraordinary a specta cle that ah gained for her companions tb second they oeeded to escape from the bouse. Aa she burled herself alone at tb oncoming torrent tbey sped from the door unnoticed, sprang over the fence and reached tbe open lot to tbe west before tbey were seen by Wlllett from tb roof. "Don't lot 'em fool you!" bo shouted. "hook to your left! Ther they got Don't let 'em get awayr Tb Croaaroader were ranting across tb Held. Tbey were Bob Sklllett and hi younger brother, and Mr. Sklllett I was badly damaged. H teemed to b holding bla Jaw on bla face with both banda. Tbo girl turned and aped after i tbem. Sh waa over tb fene almost j aa anon aa tbey were, and tb throe ran In alngl file, th girl last 8 he wss ei ther magnificently sacrificial and fear lea or ah cunningly calculated that tho regulator would take no chance of killing a woman-child, for ah kept between tMr gun and ber two com panion, trying to cover and shield tbo latter with ber frail body. "Shoot Llgo," colled Watt. "If wo fire from bero we'll bit tbo giri. Shoot!" Wlllett and Rosa Sebofield were still " on th roof at tb edge out ( ui us soiosb, sou oow nrwu at too j tamo time. Tbo fugitive did not turn. - M . I . M L . L a 1L. Tbey kept on running, and they bad nearly reached tbo other aide of tbo Held when soddenly, without any pre monitory gesture, tb elder Sklllett dropped flat on bla face. Tho Croas roader stood by each other that day, for four or five men ran oat of the hearoet abanty Into tbo open, lifted tbo I prostrate figure from tho ground sod began to carry It back with tbem. But Sklllett waa allvo. Hla curse wen board above all other sounds. Llge and Sebofield fired again, and one of tbe rescuer staggered. Nevertheless at th two men slid down from tbe roof tbo burdened Crossroader were teen to break Into a run, and at that with another yell, fiercer, wilder, more Joy oua than tho first the Plattvllle men followed, Tbe yell rang loudly In tbe eara of aid Wllkeraon, who bad remained back tbo road, and at tbe aamo Instant ho beard another shout behind blm. ile bad not shared In the attack; but greatly preoccupied with bis own his trionic affairs, wss proceeding alon up the pike, except for the unhappy yellow mongrel still U ragged along by tbe rope, and alternating, aa waa hi natural wont from one fence to tbe other, crouching behind every bush to fire an Imaginary rifle at tbe dog and then spiinglng out with triumphant bellowing to fall prone upon the terrl- fled animal. It was after one of these victories that a shout of warning was raised behind him, and Mr. Wllkeraon, by grace of tbe god Bacchus, rolling ut of the way In time to save his life, saw a horse dash by blm, a big, black bone whose polished flanks were drip ping with lather. Warren Smith wa the rider. lie wss waving a slip of yet low piper blgb in tbe air. He rode up tbe alope and drew rein beyond tbe burning buildings Just ahead of those foremost In the pursuit He threw bla horse across tbe road to oppose tbelr progress, rose In hla stir rups and waved the paper over bla head. "Stop." he roared. "Give ma one minute! Stop."' He bad a grand voice, and be was known In many parte of the state for the great basa roar with wblcb be startled bis Juries. To be beard at a distance most men lift the pitch of their voice. Smith lowered hla an octave or two, and the result was like an earthquake playing an organ in a catacomb. "Stop!" be thundered. "Stop!" In anawer ono of tb flying Cross roader turned and sent a bullet whis tling close to him. Tbe lawyer paused long enough to bow deeply In satirical response; then, flourishing tho paper. no roared again: "Stop! A mistake! I have newa! 8top, I say! Horner haa got tbem!" To make himself beard over that tempestuous advance waa a feat; for blm, moreover, whose counsel had to lately been derided, to Interest the pur suors at such a moment enough to make them listen-to flud tho word- was a greater, and by the word and by gestures at once vehemently lm perlotis and Imploring to atop them waa a still greater. But he did It He had come at Just the moment before the moment that would have been too late. They all beard him. Tbey all knew, too, that he was not trying to save tbe Crossroad at a matter of duty, because be had given that up be fore tbe mob left Plattvllle. Indeed, It waa a queetlon If at tbe last be had not tacitly approved, and no one feared Indictment for the day'a work. It would do no harm to listen to what be had to sjy.,The work could, wait Jt O SPICES, o DAIflHO POWDER, t-htatr, flnisi Flavor, t&rtta- Sreiih. ak&sorvtik IVionJ PORTUeJO,ORSQON. wouia sep-' for fir minute. They wcgan 10 gstner around blm, excited, nusnea, perspiring and smelling of smoke. Hartley Bowlder, won by wgo miration and Intrepidity, wa neiping tne latter tie up bla head. No one else wss hurt "What Is Itr tbey clamored Impa l ... f iu . nrnu. npeaa qoicxr Tttero wa another barmles shot from a fugitive, and then the Croseroaders. divining mat in oiversion was In their favor, tocured themselves In tbelr decrepit ftnse nd beld their fire. Mean- whlle tbe flames crackled cheerfully in Plattvllle eara. No matter what tbe prosecutor bsd to say. at least tbe Skll- Irtt as loon and homestead were gone, and Bob Sklllett and one other would be alck enough to be good for awhile. "Listen r cried Warren Smith, and. rising In bis stirrups again, read tbe She mad $tratght at Hartley. mtasivs In bla band, a Western Union telegraph form. "Warren Smith, Platt vllle," was tbe direction. Pound both shall man. Police familiar with both, and both wantad hero. On arrMtsd at noon In secondhand clothes store wearing Harkleas hat; also trying tt dispose torn full drsss eoat known to havs bn worn by Harkleas last night Stains on lining believed blood. Second man found later aj freight yards In empty lumber ear left Plattvllle 1 p. m.. badly hurt, shot and bruised. Supposed Hark lea mads hard flsht. Hurt man taken to hospital unconscious. Will die. Other man refuses to talk so far. Check any movement Crossroads. This clears BkO lett. ate Come over on l:Ji aecosaaaoda tloa. The telegram wa algned by Horner, tbo sheriff, and by Barrett the super intendent of police at Rouen. "It's all a mistake, boyi," tbe lawyer said aa be handed tbe paper to Watt and Parker for Inspection. "Tbe ladlea at the Judge's were mistaken, tbaf s all. and tbla prove It It' ey enough to understand. They were frightened by tho storm, and watching a fence quarter of mile away by flasbea of lightning any one would bave been confused and Imagined all the horror on earth. I don't deny but what I be lieved it for awhile, and I don't deny but tho Crossroads I pretty tough, but you've done good deal here already today, and we're saved In time from a mistake that would b.ive turned out mighty bad. This settle It Horner got a wire to go soon aa they got track ol the first man. That was when we saw him on the Rouen accommodation." A slightly cracked voice, yet a huski ly tuneful one, waa lifted quaverlngly on the air from tbe roadside, where au old man and a yellow dog sot In tbe dust together, the latter reprieved st the last moment hi surprised head raklshly garnished with a baity wreath of dog fennel da Isle. "John Brown's body lie a-moldering In tne ground. While w go marching on." Three-quarters of an hour later the Inhabitant of the Crossroads, saved, tbey knew not how; guilty, knowing tothlng of the fantaatlc pendulum of opinion which, swung by the events of the day, bad marked the fatal moment of guilt now on others, now on them who deserved It these natlvea and refugees, conscious of atrocity, dum- founded by a miracle, thinking the world gone mad, hovered together In dark, ragged mass at the crossing corners, while the skeleton of tbe rot ting buggy In tbe slough rose behind them against the face of the west They peered with stupefied eye through the smoky twilight From afar, faintly through the glooming, came mournfully to their ears the mauy voiced refrain, fainter. fainter: "John Brown's body lies a-moldertng In the around. John Brown's body lies a-molderlng In the ground. John Brown's body Iteo-mold ' w go march on." . T tbe city hospital In Rouen that night a ttout young man Introduced himself to Bar rett superintendent of po lice; Warren Smith and Horner, sheriff of Carlow. He spoke In a low voice. My name la Meredith," be said. "Mr. Harklees was ao old and-and " He paused for a moment The Plattvllle men nodded solemnly. "An old and dear friend of mine," he went on. with some difficulty, and Warren Smith took him silently by the hand. "You can come In and aee thla man. the Teller, with us If you like. Mr. Mer edith," said tbe superintendent "Your friend made It very hot for him be fore the two of 'em got away with blm. He'a ao abot and hacked up hla mother wouldn't know him If abe wanted to. At least that' what they say out her. We haven't seen blm. He's called Jer ry tbe Teller, and one of my sergeants found him In the freight yard. Knew it waa the Teller, becaum ha w L C3 e3 awayTh one"oT Cie empty "clri That came from Plattvllle last night And Slattery-tbafa bis running mate, tb on we caught with tb coat and bat owned up tbat tbey beat their way on that freight Look Ilk 8 lattery-let in jeiier do all tbe fighting. He ain't ecrttched. We've been at Slattery pretty hard, but be won't open bla head, and we bop to get something out of thla one. He' delirious, but uey say be ll come to before he die. Do you want to go In with ur "Yea, ld Meredith simply, and a young surgeon presently appeared and led tbem down a wide corridor and op a narrow hall, and tbey entered a amall, quiet ward. There waa a pungent amell of chem Icala In tbe room. Tbe light waa low, and tbo dimness wa Imbued with a thick, confused murmur. Incoherent whispering tbat came from a cot la tho corner. It waa tbe only cot In as In tbe ward, and Meredith wu con scious of a terror that made blm dread to look at It to go near It Beside it a nurse sat silent and upon it feebly tossed tne racked body of blm whom Barrett bad called Jerry tbo Teller. Tbe bead wa a shapeless bundle, so twttbed It was with bandages and cloth, and what part of tbo face waa visible waa discolored and pigmented with drug. Stretched nnder the whits sheet the man looked immensely tall a Horner aaw with vague misgiving And be lay In an odd. Inhuman faah ion, as though he bad been all broken to piece. Hla attempt to move were constantly soothed by tbo nurse, and he as constantly continued such at tempts, and on band, though torn and bandaged, was not to bo restrained from a wandering, restless movement that Meredith felt to bo pathetic. He bad entered the room with a flare of hat for tb thug whom be bad come to see die snd who bad struck down the old friend whose nearneea he had oever known until it waa too late. But at first sight of tbe broken figure bo felt sll snlmoslty tail away from blm. Only awe remained and a growing traitorous pity aa be watched the long whits finger of the Teller pick at the coverlet Tbe man waa muttering rapid fragments of worda and sylla bles. "Somehow I feel a sense of wrong, Gay," Meredith whispered to the sur geon, whom be know. "I feel at If I had done tbo fellow to death myself, at if it were all out of gear. " I know now bow Henry felt over tbe great Guisard. How "tall be looks! That doesn't seem to me like a thug's band." Tbe surgeon nodded. "Of course If there's a mistake to be made you can count on Barrett and hla sergeant to make It I doubt If tbla to tbelr man. When they found him, what clothes he wore were torn and stained, but tbey had been good once, especially the, linen." .. vSpecial vSale ! BOO Pairs OF- mmm.:mm s Reftlar $175 en FOR Wherity, Ralston Company The Leading Shoe Dealers. First National Bank ESTABLISHED 18G. Capital and Surplus $100,000 J. Q. A. BOWLBTf. president U. L PKTbRSON,. Vlce-Prealdent Astoria Savings Bank Capital Paid In 1100,000. surplus and Transact a General Banking Business. 168 Tenth Street, Sherman Transfer Co. HENRY SHERMAN, Manager Hacks, Carriages Baggag Checked and Transferred Trucks and r uniiture Wagons- Pianos Moved, Boxed and Shipped. 433 Commercial Street Barrett bent over tho recumbent flg re. "See here, Jerry," he said, "I want to talk to you a little. Rouse op, will youT I want to talk to you a a" friend." Th Incoherent muttering continued. "See here, Jerry!" repeated Barrett more sharply. "Jerry! Rouse up, will you? We don't want any fooling, u derstand that, Jerry!" He dropped hla band on tho man' shoulder and abook' him atlvhfl ' ,' Tb Taller attend a short, fasptag try. ..,, . -i-ex me, sata usy aoa twiruy to- " terposed. Beading over tbe cot he said la a pleasant voice: "Ift all right, old man; ift til right Slattery wait t know what yon did with tbat maa down at Plattrllle when you got through with him. He can't remember, and be thlnka there waa money left 04 ' blm. Slatterya bead waa hurt He can't remember. He'll go share with yon wbea ho get It Slattery' going to Rand by yon if bo can get th money." ' Tbe Teller only tried to move hi free uuu ut me soouiaer Barren oaa aax en. "Slattery want to know," repeated tb young surgeon, gently moving tb band back upon tbo a beet "He'll divry tp when be get It He'll stand by yon, old man." "Would you please not mind." whh pered tho Teller feintly-"would you please not mind If yon took care not to brush against my shoulder again r Tbe surgeon drew back, with an ex clamation, but the Teller's whisper gathered strength, and tbey beard him murmuring oddly to himself. Mere dith moved forward, with a startled gesture. "What thatr he said. "Seem to be trying to ting, or some thing." said Barrett bending over to listen. Tbe Teller swung his arm heavily over tbe side of tbe cot, tbe fingers ner er ceasing their painful twitching. Tbo surgeon leaned dowa and gently mored the doth so that the white, scarred lip were free. They moved steadily. Tbey seemed to be framing the sem blance of an old ballad that Meredith ' knew. The whisper grew more distinct. . It became a rich but broken voice, and , they heard It singing like the sound of tome far, baiting minstrelsy: "Wave willows-murmur water golden sunbeams amUe. Earthly music cannot waken lorelv Annie Lisle." Meredith gave an exclamation. The bandaged band wared Jauntily over the Teller head. "Ah, men." bo ' id. almost" clearly, and tried to Hft himself on his arm, "I tell you It's a arand eleven w hava thla vaavt n. ' vi.v, . 4i:i9 . I will be little left of anything that . stand, against tbem. It's our cham pionship. Did you see Jim Romley rid ' over hi man this afternoon ' , (Continued Next Sunday.) j S2.CD Yd-es of .Astoria, Ore FRANK PATTON, Caahler J. W. UARNElt, amlatant Cashier Undivided Profit 135,000, Interest Paid on Tim Deposits ASTORIA, OREGON. Phone Main 121