TWICE HANGED.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2426, 28 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

TWICE HANGED.

Since the publication of the Bulgarian brigand stories quito a crop of Rimilar adventures have been publicly told. The Neuo Freie Presse has a collection of Hungarian adveuuiros, from which we take the following amusing story :—•' Two Hungarian peasants were one night driving homo to Makad from market at Kecskomer, The road leads over a wide puszta district, through Szent MikloN, and just outside the latr.er phuo, ]) ist the fatal hill on which some 30 years ago a iriillow.s used to stand. It was twilight — between dog and wolf, as the saying is in South Germany. The keen-eyed peasants saw soon enough that the hangman had been at work and despatched a dark man of honour into the next world. Filled with curiosity, they left tneir vehicle and walked towards the gallows. The culprit was a gipsy, against whoso being hanged the peasants would hardly have objected ; but to their astonishment they found tkat he was not only quito warm, but that his heart, was still slowly beating. After holding a little conference the peasants cut the man down, put him into their o/irt and drove off. Before long the gipsy beirau to return to consciousness, the colour came back into his face, _ and nothing remained of his late experience but a certain feeling of discomfort. At the next public-house the peasants stopped to take a drink after their success in doing justice out, of ono of her saorifioe*. The innkeeper, wiio was well known to bo always on the side of the thieves, shook with loud bm ghter as Mm men' (old I heir adventure/ But the thick end of the wcdiro sipp'j.-irod when the two .Samaritans, after a deep draught, came back to their cart, for the unsiratufsil brigand had driven awnv in spite of the '• curtain feoliuu' of discomfort." He h.id, however, not quite counted the cost 'The innkeeper borrowed for the peasants two fresh horses, and soon the j.'ii>sv '.vis overtaken, to bo driven back a.id once more hanged on the name srallows. To tell the truth (adds the writer)

the dilettanti were cleverer in thin case than the professional hanirman, for the brigand was this time qnito dead. After a slun-t time the story became public, the peasants were imprisoned, and their case kept the cleverest lawyers of thu day for a long time Ivird at work.