OCR Text |
Show Nine o'clock ten caught him beforehe readied the pianiation. B-.'fore taking his horse to the stable he thought he would et;ik to his wife, whose white drefs he b.nv on the piazza. De walietl rrht tip to her a-iu t.-i" ili-.i not move, nu she h.h lliert in a big rock-iiit rock-iiit fliiiir. What did her silence nn-anf Rhij--.hu k;iw a dark slain on the wliirc tir.'r-s, und sciz.jd lus wife by the arm. She was dead nimt tlirxtuh the breast ' ami in one hand ht still held the pistol pis-tol w ith which rihe had tik-n her young life! Tlte wretihed man found tliat the hoiiae had been robbed, and the foot-printa foot-printa near it showi-d that a strong gang of negroes had visited it during hi absence. ab-sence. It needed no one to tell him why his wife had killed herself. It was her only escape from a worse fate. "Yhr," drawled Sheriff Jack, after telling this part of the story; "it stirred up the county. Everybody was sorry fur the poor feller, but he might er know oil jest how it would turn out. All the niggers nig-gers turned up but bis, an' in course we suspieioned 'em. We tried bloodhounds , and dune our level best, but nolKniy hud any luck hut Ransom. Fust au' hist he got orway with bix of the devils an' made uo lioues about it either.'' "Did he tell il?" 1 asked. "Sartmly he did. Many an' tunny a Dight he's come back froui his hunt an' told mc about another nijryer he'd fixed that day." "It ia awful," was my comment. "Tint's no name for it." said the sheriff, "but Ransom wa not ter blame. He was only a youngster, full of New England crank ideas, and he thought black human nauir was tlie same as white human natur. After his trouble he acted like a man hunted the beasts down. lie made some of them confess, an' then shot 'em. Others had some of his wife'a trinkets, an' others jest acted suspicious like, yer know. He made a clean sweep oi tlie gang, an', stranger, you're the fust man thet's talked about arresting and trying him." "I didn't understand the case," was my reply. "Well, yer understand it now," aaid Sheriff Jack. "We don't Btand no fool-in' fool-in' down here in Buckshot county. We go in fur Btruight justice. If yer got on the jury would yer go agin Bob Ran-som'r" Ran-som'r" "o, I would not, was my emphatic resjwnse. "Good fur youl" Bhouted the sheriff. I "Thet's the way we feel. Bob Ransom will never be bothered in this county." Just then 1 heard the whistle of my train, and with a hurried shake of the hand I left Sheriff Jack. If any of my I readers ever visit Buckshot county it will I pay them to hunt up this model officer, j Some of his methods may be a little j irregular, but he is the right man In the 1 right place. Wallace P. Reed in Atlanta I Constitution. SIIEIilFF-JACK'S STORY. When I found that I would have to wait si -vera I hours at Powderville for my train I wondered how I could manage to pass away the time. It was rather dull for an hour or bo, until I met Sheriff Jack. V.'o introduced ourselves. The sheriff saw that I was a stranger, and having nothing to do he proceeded to entertain 1 tie. I had heard strange stories of lawless deeds in lSnckshot county stories in whicli Sheriff Jack figured conspicuously, and as we lounged in tlie shade in front of the court house I found myself asking questions rather freely. My companion was not at all reticent. After he had pumped me to his satisfae-. satisfae-. tion he began to tall; about Buckshot county and i;s noted characters. It was very pleasant to rest there in the h'bade, watching the sturdy six footer as he whittled a pine shingle, and it was equal to an Arabian Night's Entertainment Entertain-ment to listen to some of his yarns. The county, if what I lu-ard was true, was a rough locaiily. Human life was not held at a very high estimate. Sometimes Some-times duels were fought, anil long standing stand-ing feu i ht between families occasionally resulted in bloody tragedies. While we were talking a young man, whose pale, sad face aud glittering eyes instantly drew my attention, walked out of the court house and made his way down tho ttreet. "Thet's Bob Ransom," said the sheriff in a low tone, with a significant nod of his head. "And what is he?" I asked; "one of your lawyers or merchants?" "Oh, no jest a planter like most of us." "Anything remarkable?" "Yas bet yer life thai is he's a Yankee, Yan-kee, yer know." "Never heard of him," I replied briskly; brisk-ly; "but why is a Yankee remarkable'r'" "Yer don't quite ketch on," answered Sheriff Jack. "Thet Yankee thar has killed six niggers." "Did he blow them up with dynamite?" I asked laughing, for I did not believe the tale. Tlie sheriff looked at me with a frown "llcbbe yer calls slchasthater jokin' matter," he said. I hastened to assure him that he waB mistaken, and begged him to tell me all about it. "Yer sec," eaid he, "this young feller Ransom has killed six niggers that we know- of. and how many more the Lord only knowrt." 'Has he been tried?" "Tried fur what?' inquired the Bheriff. "For murder." "No. and ain't ergwine ter be." "Has he boen arrested?" "Arrested fur whui?" "Do you mean to tell me," I said, "that the authorities liave made no effort to bring him to justice?" "Thet's a bran new way of putting It," replied Sheriff Jack; "but thet's about the sist; of it." I was rulent a full minute. Then I spuke up. - "Did Ilansnm kill those men because they ai tacked him, or in a fight, or how?" "lie jest hunted 'em down one by one an' killed 'em." "Mr. Jack," I exclaimed, "I cannot understand un-derstand sueh a Ptato of affairs. Why don't you arrest tlie man?" The sheriff's eyes grew misty, and he wiped away something like a tear. "Cunnle," he whispered, hoarsely, "I'd resign fust. Besides, I have no call ter act. The grand jury has found no indictment. in-dictment. Tliar's no warrant out. I neviii- saw liuusom fire a shot. We jest know in reason Hiet ho done the job, but thet's all. We ain't got no pint blank evidence, an' we don't want noue." "It will hurt the county." "Nut by a durn sight. It will help it." Then Sheriff Jack told mo all about the sad hnsi'icss. Robert Hansom had come to Buckshot county wilh his young wife from the nnrth, and had uiado his home on a jl.nntalioti. The Ransoms In a quiet. way made it mideiHliKid from tlie liist that they were going to carry out their own peculiar ideas. They hired a large number of negroes ne-groes and treated them just aB they would have Healed so many whites. They paid them good wages monthly in cash, loaned them iiiiiiu y, worked them eight hours a day and i.avc them freijuent holidays. . The uiing eonplo were po pleasant and attractive, no honest in their views and so full of good fellowsliipth.it their neigh-bo neigh-bo I'd were very friendly with theiu. Occasionally Oc-casionally tlie oiiler citizens warned them tl nit they were making a mistake, and that their negroes would give them trouble- . . ' lut the Uansoms laughed at all this. They said that kindness was bound to : wiU.'.aml tltcy believed that putting the my roes on a fool ing wilh tho whites 'would stimulate them to do better work und make them more faithful. ft was fiii;-:;ve-ted one day to Ran boo that it was u risk to leave Ins wife alone on the plantation when he went to town. Tlie young man laughed ths idea to scorn. "My policy makes us safo," he naid. "My negroes nro bound to mo by tho ties of gratitude and friendship. They would die in our defense." One day in tho Rummer Ransom' bad to git to town on business. Just before he started bis wife, a pretty, fragile little thing, put Iwr awn around his neck, and bet:-; eil him to rot urn early. " llles- my life 1 1 bfliovy you n re afraid!" said Ransom. "I feel nervous," answered his wife. "I don't know what is the matter with me, but I nm Ftrangely depressed. All tho house (servants are going off to camp meeting and I shall be alone. Now, try to gt't'liome Ik? fore dark, please. Ransom promised, and kissed her, and then handed Iter a small pistol. "If anybody bothers you point that at them," ho said, jestingly. "I will do more," she answered; "if I am in danger of the worst I will turn it against myself. " Her husband kissed her again, told her that she was a little fool, and rode off to town. It was Saturday, and a busy day. In spite of his best efforts Ransom found thai be wan lat in getting home. At last the planter was on the road, and ho Hew at the top 0 hi spyd. |