ONE NIGHT

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3076, 2 April 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

ONE NIGHT

BY NINETTE M. LOWATKR Several years ago, before railroads had penetrated the forests of Western Wisconsin, the small town of Elmville was the centre and seat of government in one of the newly settled countries.

Most of the houses were built upon a main street, at one enci of which stood the public buildings, and the other, nearly two miles away, merged into the " town line " road which led to a village not far distant. Along this street dwelling houses, stores, shops, hotels, and saloons, were jumbled together in indescribable confusion,soir.ebeing well built and with considerable pretentions to elegance while others were mere shanties, or in one or two places, the log cabins of the original settlers.

The country buildings were grouped around a little hill, at the top of which stood the goal, a handsome two-story brickstructure.almost hidden in a surrounding grove of trees. At the time of which I write it was kept by a deputy-sheriff named Henly, who lived with his family in a suit of rooms reserved for that purpose. His family consisted of his wife, a half grown boy who attended to the ouUloor work, and Mrs Henley's girl cousin, Ida Seaton who had recen:ly come to live with them as companion and assistant to Mrß Henley during her husband'd frequent and necessary journeys,

On the June day of which I am writing the goal held but one prisoner, a young man named Henry Brown. He was 'accused of horse stealing and suspected of murder and nearly the whole community believed him guilty. About six months before he had arrived in the village an entire stranger to everyone, bought a small farm just out of the town, and lived alone, making few acqaintanee and no friends. Soon after valuable horses began to disappear from their owner's stables under circumstances which showed that the thief was svell acquainted with their surrondings. In the latter part of May a horse was missing from the stable of a resident of Elmville, and its owner went to look for it. A few hours after he was found by the roadside dead, and the bullet which ended his life had evidently been fired from behind.

This unprovoked murder filled every heart with indignation, and had the perpetrator been discovered immediately, little grace would have been accorded him. When, some weeks later, a missing horse was accidently found in Brown's stable, the conviction that he was the thief and murderer became universal. Had he not been arrested and in safe keeping in goal before the faets were generally known , nothing could have saved him from the fury of the populace. At first Mr Henley feared that an attempt would be made to take him from the goal, but a week had now elapsed, and the excitement seemed to bo dying away. He had concluded that his fears were needless, and when called from home in the discharge of his duty, left his wife in charge of the goal as usual, without any fear whatever.

The long June day was drawing to a close. A heavy bank of clouds in the west, and the mournful wailof the wind, gave notice to an approaching storm. Mrs Henley and Ida attended to the prisoner's comfort Mrs Henley entering his room with his supper and other requisites while Ida waited in the corridor with key and revolver m hand. The Winchester, all ready for use, was near at hand ; the revolver lay on a bracket in the sitting room, beside the open door which showed tho corridor, lighted by a hanging lamp, and the iron grating behind it and the goal beyond. Everything was in order for the night, and the sitting room lamp had just been lighted—a little earlier than usual on accountnearingof the storm

—when a carriage rapidly approached the goal. Mrs Henley's father who lived on a two or three miles away was seriously ill and desired her presence. " But I cannot go" she said. " I dare not leave home.

" But you can — and must, " answered Ida.

" Everything is secure for the night, Joe is here, if I wish to send a message, and I have a Winchester and revolver." " But suppose a mob of men should try to break the goal open ? You know John thought they would." " Yeswhen Brown wasfirsttaken but he said to-day there was no danger. Besides, what could you do that I cannot, if they did ?" " That is true," said Mrs Henley. "Well then I will go, and hope you'll have no trouble. Do you know Ida, I do not believe Brown is guilty ?" " Do you not ? I have come to the same conclusion. He cannot the monster sucli a crime would prove hini , Are you ready now ?" for Mrs Henley had been putting on her wraps during the conversation, and iu a few minutes Ida was alone.

Resolving to watch for a part of the night at least, she took a book and sat down facing ilie corridor

door. For an hoar perhaps, shy. found herself interested in. her novel but at the end of the time occasional flashes of lightning and the rumbling of thunder distracted her attention.

Oppressed by her loneliness and and feeling of responsibility new to her, she began to think of her posi-

tion if the goal should be attacked by a mob. " There is no danger," she said to herself, " but if such an attempt were made I would set Brown free. He has not been proved guilty, and I would not keep him shut up theie to be murdered ,for I don't suppose I could resist them long." A moment later the house dog gave a warning growl, and the tramp of heavy feet became audible. Ida had just time to close and bolt of the heavy doors when a ringing blow was struck upon the one opening from the corridor, and a harsh voice

called, — " Hello !" " Witfrthe Winchester in one hand and her revolver in the other she answered, — "What do you want ?" " Henry Brown. Open the door and let us have him without delay and we will make you no trouble." " What do you want of hiin T Ida asked her voice trembling in spite of herself as she realised the odds against her, and the small chanco of successful resistance. The man outside laughed rather significantly. " We have a little business with

him. It won't take long, and you need not concern yourself with it. Just open the door we'll attend to the rest." Swiftly and noiselessly she hastened to the iron grating and opened "Go to the back door " she said to the prisoner, " and if they break in here, get out among the trees. Perhaps you can escape—it is the best I can do for you. If you

do, I depend'upon your honour to give yourself up to John you can do so without any danger." " And leave you to the mercy of those savages ? No —give me the Winchester —we will fight them together. I shall have a chacne, anyhow—thanks to you." Looking the weapon over carefully but hurridly, and placing the ammunition which Ida produced where it could be most readily reached, Brown took the Winchester, gave her the revolver, and went with her to the door.

Short as had been their colloquy it had exhausted the patience of those outside, as clamorous calls and blows upon the door testified. " We know that you are alone," someone shouted, "and if we have to break in it will be the worse for you.

We won't calculate to have horse thieves and murderers coddled and petted atour expense —we won't wait much longer either !" " That is Hascall, " whispered Brown. Ida nodded. He was the next neighbour of the prisoner, a quarrelsome, disagreeable man, who had been louder and more bitter than any other in his denunication of since the latter's arrest. The calmness of the man who had so much more than herself at stake reassured Ida, and she wrapped on the door with the key as a token that she wished to speak. InI stantly all became silent.

"Listen, all of you —have 110 doubt that I shall do just as I say. I will not open the door. J am well armed, and my aim is sure. If you break in I shall shoot—and shoot to kill. I shall kill as many of you as possible. lam here to guard this prisoner, and will keep him safely— if I can."

No one spoke for a uiinute after she ceased, Lheti oaths and threats were hurled at her from half a hundred throats.

" Bring up the timber which we left by the gate," one cried. " Force the door from the hinges, and then we will all rush in and disarm the girl. She will not hit anyone if she does fire—who ever heard of a woman hitting anything 1" " Can you load in the dark ?" Brown whispered. "Then put your cartridges in your pocket—l will take mine. lam going to put out

the light." A moment more, and he had crossed over to the window, which he raised sufficiently to admit the muzzle of his gun. He turned it

towards the walk, and when the beam appeared he aimed at the arras upholding it, and pulled the trigger. Some one was hit, for a cry of pain followed, the beam was dropped, and all ran to shelter. " What, men ! " called Hascall, the self-constituted leader. " Are you going to run from a girl ? A fine story that will be to tell—that one woman whipped all the men of Elmville! "

Brown thought it time that his presence was known. " There is a man here, Hascall—

a man who is fighting for his life. If I go, you may be sure that some ot you will come with me." With an almost inarticulate cry of rage Hascall turned to the others. « Do you hear that 1 The murderer and horse thief is loose. " Neither of those names fits me, Hascall," said Brown. " You ought to know that, when I refused to join you in stealing Judge Price's horse a few weeks ago. You said it was a joke, but I doubt it now." " Where is the powder ?" cried Hascall, We'll blow this door down, and then " " Hol.l 011 !" cried a deep voici' from the crowd. " Boys, have any of you any ambition to act as Hascall's iMtspaw 1 For I'll he hanged if I don't believe that is just what wo are doing !" " What do you mean, Jack EvansV and "Out with it—let's have it straight, Jack !" came quickly from the " boys."

Jack continued, — " Who found the horse in Henry Brown's stable ?" " Hascall," was the answer, in chorus. » Who found Mr Harris' body ?" " Hascall," was again returned. " And who stirred us up to come here 1 In short, who knows anything against Brown except what Hascall has told ?"

There was silence for a minute, and then some one answered, —

" You're right, Jack —we'll investigate Hascall before we go any further. And if he has made fools of us—"

There was a significant and easily understood pauso. " Hold on, Hascall !" cried.Jack suddenly. " I've been watching you, and I have the drop on you, Where's that rope, boys 1 Some of you tie his hands." In a moment Hascall stood bound and disarmed among the men he had led but a few minutes before. With one accord they turned towards his house, some going first to their own homes to procure lanterns. Jack had stopped to say : —

" You may rest easy, Brown —no one will molest you again, no matter how this comes out. We shall leave you to the law." When the party arrived at Hascall's house the stable was first visited. His own horses and cattle were there, but no others, nor were

there any facilities for hiding or even talcing care of others. Next the house and cellar—the latter a small hole at one enc 1 of the house, reached by a ladder from above— were searched thoroughly, but nothing suspicious was found. They were about to give up the search when Jack saw a folded bit of paper on the table. It proved to be a plan of grounds and a stable which one man present recognised as his own. " We are on the right track—but where does he hide them ?' he said. A.s if in answer came the neigh of a horse, seemingly near by, but muffled and indistinct.

Leaving two or three to guard Hascall, who stood among them speechless, white as death, with beads of perspiration upon his forehead, the rest formed a circle around the house and again took up the search. In a short time a shout arose. A trap-door had been discovered at some distance, so ingeniously covered with dirt that the casual passer-by would never have suspected its existence. An inclined plane led to a stable under the house, separated from the cellar proper by a partition and concealed door, and in it were the two horses latest stolen.

I think their gratitude for having been kept from killing an innocent man would have led them to turn Hascall over to the officers of the law, had it not been for the vivid realization that the man before them would have made them murderers like himself, to hide his own guilt and to satisfy his hate. They looked at each other silently and enquiringly for a moment and each read in the other's face the reflection of his own thought. One took up the rope—which they had brought away from the gaol, and said—

"Joe Hascall, you know what you proposed to do with Henry Brown. You spoke your own doom. We will give you ten minutes to get ready."

The guilty, cowering wretch clasped his hands together and strove to speak, but only a confused cry came from his open lips. He dropped on his knees and held up hishandsimploringly, while streams of perspiration poured down his livid face. Humiliated and disgusted by his cowardice, yet pitying the aoul suddenly brought face to face with death, one of the men turned to him who held the rope and said—

" Out it short,'pard—I can't stand it, and it does him no good."

The men who stood near nodded, j and the circle around Hascall grew smaller. His protruding eyes glared at the rope as it approached. He glanced at the faces looking at him, but all were relentless and implacable. A hand touched his shoulder —with a terrible scream he sprang to his feet, raised his bound hands above his head, and fell to the floor—dead. When they turned him over, a thin stream of blood had trickled from his lips and stained the floor. " A scoundrel and a coward,'' said one, " but I'm glad that his blood is not upon my hands. I have done with this kind of work for ever."

And so said they all

I wish I could say that the warm ] friendship which that night's peril brought about between Ida Seacon and Henry Brown ripened into love, but I cannot. Truth couipells me to acid that Henry Brown was already engaged to a fair girl in his former place of residence, whom he brought to share his Elmville home. From that night he and Jack Evons were firm friends and inseparable companions, and when, a year or two later, Ida became Mrs Jack Evans, the two households regarded each other as dearly loved brothers and sisters.

"For there are times when soul speaks ou

to SOUI, And lives are lived while only moments pass."