Colonel
DHUNTER
TO
of Missouri
Dy RiPlEY D. SAUNDERS
Copyright. 1911. by ttt BolU-Mml
CHAPTER XIII.
Capture and Trial.
F'
IIVE miles back, on tbe road along
which the fugitives had come,
two men on horseback were gal
loping swiftly la pursuit One
was tall, with cool gray blue eyes un
der shaggy brows, gray hair, white
mustache and an old fashioned impe
rial. Ills seat In the saddle was that
of a seasoned caralryman. The other
was small, wiry, with a smooth shaven,
bardset face, a mouth like a steel trap,
cold hazel eyes that kept themselves
fixed on tbe road ahead.
"We oughtn't to be very fur behind
'em now, Jim," spoke the first man.
"Th' ain't no way they could ha' dodg
ed from the main road, Is there?"
"No, colonel, they ain't," returned
the other. "Not till they come to the
old dirt road that leads to the cabin
I told you about That's where they're
headln for, Colonel Todhunter, and It's
where we're goln' to run upon 'em.
We'll be there pretty soon too."
Colonel Todhunter'B face was grim.
"I hate to think of Lottie-May Dog
gett!" he spoke. "It's mighty bnd,
mighty bad, sub. I. feel that sorry for
poor old Rafe Doggett Lord, Lord, the
shame of It all Is a-goin' to kill that
good old man!"
The wiry little man to whom he
spoke snapped his jaws together In an
gry scorn.
"That can't be helped now, colonel,"
he made answer. "I got to do my duty,
woman or no woman!"
"I ain't askin you to do anything
less'n your duty, Jim," replied Colonel
Todhunter. "And I'm Just as responsi
ble as you are. But I'm sorry, and I'm
afraid too. If there's any serious trou
ble I hope there'll be some way o'
seeln' that the girl don't get hurt"
"She won't if she behaves herself,"
aald. the other. ."But she's got to do
that, for" there ain't goln to be no time
for foolishness. You've got to for
get tbe girl part of this business if you
want to come out on top, Colonel Tod
hunter." Colonel Todhunter sighed. "I reckon
that's straight, Jim," he agreed.
Tbe two rode on abreast without fur
ther words until they reached the cross
road. "Here we are, colonel," spoke the lit
tle man, his voice low. "It's a safe bet
they're layln' up till dark In that old
Jlhanty."
The two riders checked their horses
to a walk.
Suddenly a woman's shriek broke the
stillness. "For God's sake, Jesse!" the
cry sounded. "You ain't a goln' to kill
me like a dog, are you?"
Instantly, "bearing the cry, Colonel
Todhunter pressed his horse to a full
gallop. Flis companion did the same.
They threw themselves from the sad
dle In front of the cabin. Colonel Tod
hunter hurled his weight against the
door. It yielded, and he plunged in
side. A girl knelt In the center of the dark
little hut ITer hands were uplifted In
entreaty. Over her stood a man with a
knife raised to strike. Ills face was
black with rage.
Colonel Todhunter covered him with
a swiftly drawn pistol. "Hands up,
Chickasaw! We'll 'tend to Lottie-May
ourselves and to you. This is the sher
iff o' Ralls county I got with me."
The man turned. He looked into the
muzzles of two revolver. !) sheriff
being well nigh as quick to draw i.s
Colonel Todhunter. Their menace did
not invite resistance. The man saw
this truth Instantly. Colonel Todhunt
er's steady eyes held his. The colonel
spoke to the girl without looking at her.
"Git off there to one side, Lottie
May," he said. "Quick!"
The girl sprang from under the knife.
"Thank God, you come, Colonel Tod
hunter!" she cried. "Thank God oh,
thank God!"
And at tbe girl's cry the man laughed
aloud. He threw his knife to the floor
The trial of Tom Strickland bad been
relentlessly hurried to the day of its
closing by a political prosecution work
lug through a complaisant judge servile
to machine Influence.
From that early moment of the selec
tion of a jury the truth of a merciless
haste was In evidence. It was explain
ed by the court that there was Impera
tive need for as little delay as might
be possible, the docket being crowded
and many cases remaining to be dis
posed of during the present term. The
grim fact was that Colonel Strickland's
enemies felt sure of a conviction and
were determined that the verdict
should be rendered In time to remove
whatever peril of bis nomination might
still remain.
The evidence scored heavily against
Tom from tho start
There was plainly sounded a note of
somewhat Insolent confidence, almost
like jubilation, In the swift announce
ment of tbe state's readiness for trial
Colonel Bill Strickland, gray and pinch
ed, of toJ-recognl2fid-U3. lns.tanUnen.-
Lc
t
t
, m, n m i '
ace. nis closely' shut Hps bivu their
rigid lines plteously, precisely as they
had done when Tom was brought Into
court and took his seat confronting the
Jury.
At the same moment a swift flash of
anticipated triumph leaped luto the
eyes of old Ephralm Tucker, sitting
with the state's counsel. Tom's futher
saw this, and his Jaws set hard at the
sight
"They're feeling pretty sure of a con
viction," he whispered to Major Gentry
Dryden. "Is it likely they've obtalued
evidence against Tom that we don't
know anything about?"
The lawyer shook lis head. "I hard
ly think so," he replied. "We've got a
line on all their witnesses, I believe.
I can't figure out how they'll be able
to spring a surprise on us."
But one sinister sentence In the pros
ecuting attorney's opening statement
to the Jury undeceived him.
"We shall prove, gentlemen, beyond
a reasonable doubt," the state's counsel
said, "the motive which, we claim, led
Thomas W. Strickland to slay Stam
ford Tucker, and then" moving a step
nearer to the Jury and lifting one hand
Impressively "having proved this, we
shall establish by the testimony of an
eyewitness the fact of Thomas W.
Strickland's, presence at the scene. of
"Hands up, Chickasaw."
the murder at the time of Its commis
sion." Major Gentry Dryden, In spite of
himself, started at hearing this crush
ing announcement Something of fierce
resentment, pathetic in its Impotency,
showed in Colonel Strickland's grizzled
countenace. Tom's face, a helpless per
plexity In his eyes, went deadly white.
Tho atmosphere became tense with
the sudden dramatic grip of the situa
tion thus created.
And the hearing of testimony for
the state began.
It went forward with merciless pre
cision and dispatch, a certainty and
rapidity so well ordered as to be over
whelming in moral effect
The evidence was cruelly against
Tom Strickland. Two witnesses, a
farmer and his son, testified to finding
the dead body of Stam Tucker by the
roadside, ot a point midway between
the Tucker home and the town of
Nineveh, at daybreak on the morn
ing of the 27th day of July Just past
They were on their way Into town to
ell garden produce. The dead man
lay on his back Just at the edge of the
rood. There was a bullet hole in his
forehead. A pistol, with one chamber
empty lay an Inch or two distant from
his right hand. The witnesses had
hurried into Nineveh and notified tho
anthorities.
Simeon Birdsong testified tltit bad
feeling had existed between Thomas
W. Strickland and Stamford Tucket
Ince tbe night of the clash between
lie Strickland and Yancey factions at
the opening rally ot the Strickland
campaign. The witness stated that the
accused at that time made threats to
"get even" with Tucker for attempt
ing to break up the Strickland meet
ing. On the following day the accused
bad openly insulted Tucker In tbe bar
room of the Nineveh hotel fend had
knocked him down a short time later
when they again met la the same place.
It was generally believed that there
would be a bloody encounter between
them before the campaign closed. Other
associates of the dead man and the ac
cused testified to the same facts.
Mrs. Todhunter, whose appearance
as a witness for the state was a dra
matic surprise and who was pitifully
agitated, testified to the fact of tbe
accusation made against Thomas W.
Strickland by Lottie-May Doggett at
the reception and hop given by the
Nineveh Light infantry, and her testi
mony was supported by that of several
other ladles who heard tbe accusation.
Nicholas Bledsoe, the bartender In
the saloon frequented by the Yancey-
Tucker faction, testified to the facta of
the two visits to his place made by the
accused on the forenoon ana evening
of the 26th day of July just past On
tbe occasion of tbe latter visit the ac
cused bad told him that Stamford
Tucker was the man whom Lottie-May
Doggett should rightfully have charg
ed with ber ruin; that the girl bad
told him, the accused, of Tucker's
meeting her secretly, and that he
meant to make Tucker acknowledge
the truth publicly or else kill him.
This witness' testimony established
tbe hour of 8:30 on that nlgbt as the
exact time at which Tom Strickland
had left the barroom to go out to the
Tucker home for the purpose of com
pelling Stamford Tucker to agree to
make such an acknowledgment or of
forcing a hostile meeting In the event
of his refusal.
White haired Mrs. Tucker, the dead
man's mother; Katherine Tucker, bis
sister, and Ellen Barry, domestic In
the Tucker home, testified that Stam
ford Tucker had left the house at or
about 8:30 o'clock on the nlgbt of tbe
20th of July past, saying that ho might
be late in returning. He had not told
them where ho was going. They had
believed be was going Into the town
of Nineveh.
Dr. Longford, tbe county coronor,
testified to the established facts of the
Inquest that had resulted In a verdict
holding Thomas W. Strickland for the
killing of Stamford Tucker.
Luther Bradfield, proprietor of a
hardware store in Nineveh, testified
that Thomas W. Strickland had pur
chased a revolver from him on tbe
morning after the opening of the
Strickland campaign In the Nineveh
town hall. He identified tbe weapon
taken from the accused at the time of
his arrest as the one thus purchased,
and stated that the bullet found In
Stamford Tucker's brain was fired
from a pistol of the same caliber.
Colonel Thurston T. Todhunter and
Miss Lottie-May Doggett had not an
iwered to their names when called as
witnesses for the prosecution. The
! deputy sheriff Bent to bring them Into
court had returned later and announced
that he had been unable to find them.
This had occasioned much surprise;
I uui, us uiiin uie Hiuie uiiu me uciciiw
t ..A. - . I. ...I. .1 - .1 1 .1
I felt assured of their appearance ut al
most any moment, the examination of
other witnesses proceeded.
The case ngalust Tom Strickland be
gan to assume Its most ominous us peel
Immediately following the testimony
of Bradfield, the hardware dealer.
The prosecuting attorney turned,
smiling, from a whispered consulta
tlon with old Ephralm Tucker.
"Call Abraham L. Tolllvcr!" he said.
A negro man about forty years of
age took the stand In answer to the
sheriff's cry. He secnied frightened
and reluctant to testify.
"What Is your name?"
"My name is Abram Lincoln Tolllver,
BUh doss my name."
"What Is your occupation, Abram
what do you do to moke a living?"
"Mostly I ketches fish, sun. I hunts
some, too, and I sets traps for coon
and mink down yander In de Black
Bottom swamps, snh."
"Where were you, Abe, on the night
of July 20 Just past?"
"Part do time I was right hyar In dls
fceah town o' Nineveh, and attcr dot 1
went on my way to whar I doiie got
my camp in do bottom lands, sub."
"What time did yon leave the town
of Nineveh to go to your camp In the
Black Bottoms?"
"I lef dess a ll'l while atter half at
ter 8, suh."
"How do you know this?"
"'Case I done ax Bon Dnlton, de cul
lud man whar I been vlsltin', what was
do time dess as I was a-tellin' him
goodby, suh."
"What road did you take to go to
your camp in the Black Bottoms?"
"Why, suh. 'cose I took'n do Black
Bottoms road, suh leas'ways 'twell I
comies to a ll'l hog path what leads
down Into de big swamps off'n dat-or
road, suh."
"now far Is It from town before you
come to that hog path. Abe?"
"Dess 'bout'n o mile, suh, ter de bes'
o' my knowledge and speakln' sorter
offhand lak, suh."
"Do you know where the Tucker
place Is on the Black Bottoms road?"
"Xasssuh.':
I To bo Continued. )
Has Fine New Sign.
Frank Oobelnian, the artist, has
just finished one of the finest
signs in tho city for the Journal
office. Tho sign is of plate glass
and is finished in a very artistic
manner and makes a very hand
some addition to the finishing of
the windows.
iii run
Fl
Items of Interest to Old and. Nw
Residents of City Which Were
New Forty Years Aflou
"Lou" Cunningham has- gained
20 pounds of somebody's meat up
on the Loup.
Capt. Butts of tho transfer boat
caught his arm in the windlass of
the apron, and it was reported
broken.
Billy ShyrocK says he don't
want any more "Loup County
in his; it's worse than playing:
"devil" in a printing ofllce on, a
hot day in August.
Tiptou precinct sends greet
ings to the Herald and says Uwy
are the banner precinct in Cass
county, having commenced, hax
vesting on the first of July..
The camp meeting grounds are
being rapidly fixed up, southwest
of John Barnes' place and in. near
the Caaada's. Tents are on the
grounds, hut not put up yet.
John Simpson, an oid resident
of Ptuttsmouth, lale of Wyoming,
has returned to his ancient corn
crib and good old-fashioned Cass
county fodder, no more to won
dec after strange Gods abroad.
Mr. Thomas of Four Mile Creek
drives the colts to. town mil a new
harness on and they look gay as
a peach; that's right, givo our
boys a chance to dress your
horses out
Mrs. (iarrison, our well known
dressmaker, has left us for a
season and removed to Ashland.
We are sorry to lose Mrs. i. and
as she was doing a good busi
ness, only a better prospect ahead
induced her to change residence.
The thermometer .stood at 108
in tin' shadiest place in Plalts
mouth on Saturday, July 25. It
was the hottest day we ever suw.
The wind blew a perfect sirocco
and the thermometer would have
run up to 11)0 in the wind any
where.
The horse attached to Frank
White's delivery wagon took an
other little run round the corner
on Tuesday and turned the wagon
a complete sumersault, leaving
the box bottom upward on the
ground and the wheels standing
on top of it. . ;
Mr. Metleer has opened a new
hardware shop al. his old place of
business on the southwest corner
of Main and Sixth si reels, lie
will keep shelf hardware, nails,
horseshoes and horsenails; also
sewing machine depot in Hie
same building. Josephus what
a man.
We were much pleased with a
call from Eddio Wiley, son of Dr.
Wiley, of Three Groves. Ho has
been for a long time a great suf
ferer from an abcess in the side,
but at last he is better and up and
about. He is trying to canvass
for a very interesting book and
we wish him all success.
A lamp exploded in Miskella's
grocery store on Tuesday evening
during Mr. Miskella's absence at
supper. Some passers-by broke
open the door and extinguished
the flames before much damage
was done. This is the third at
tempt at a firo in this block within
six months.
M. B. Cutler has gone out of
tho grain business and Frank E.
White and Wm, Darrah have
formed a co-partnership under
the name of White & Darrah.
They will buy all kinds of grain
as heretofore by Cutler & White,
and are No. 1 reliable young men.
We recommend them heartily to
the farmers and public generally.
We are informed that a Mr.
Nelson, who resides, or was, near
the junction of the C, H & Q. on
the B. & M. II. II., had an attack
of sunstroke on I he 7th which re
sulted fatally. This is warm
weather, with I he thermometer at
105 in the shade, and we would
advise all to be careful of their
coverings.
Cass county has gained, by the
late census, 2,257 people since
the U. S. census or 1870. We are
set down now at 10,397, but
there is no doubt that many
families were overlooked and not
enumerated by the assessors, who
J F! T I 1 ,'ffl
oiUMi loutiil iQt men awav from
home, got their assessment re-
turns and forgo! the census part.
A mealing of the committee ap
pointed to wait on the common
council,, and others interested in
city- taxation look place at Dr.
Black's- office on Monday evening.
The report of Dr. Black, as chair.
man ot th committee, wa3 re
ceived and the meeting adjourned
until next Monday evening at 8:30
in the court bouse, when a report
fnom th council may be ex-
flouted..
A large party from Plallsmouth
went up (o Omaha on Sunday to
hmr Mrs. Van Cot I. A special
tnain was chartered and the good
people flocked away to hear (he
energetic woman preach, leaving
our own churches almost empty.
Not much more so than usual,
however.
Ttte principal men of the B. &
M. R. R. have lately been over the
road on an inspecting tour. The
party consisted of J. W. Brooks,
Boston, president; C. E. Perkins,
vice president; Col. C. F. Morse,
general superintendent, and
others connected with the road
The country has settled up won-
derfully since their last visit here
no doubt. That is the last visit
of the Boston folks anyway.
By mutual consent tho firm of
Drs. Scheldknecht and Butler
have this day dissolved partner
ship; Dr. Butler goes to Weeping
Water Falls to locato perma.ae-nt
ly. Dr. Butler desires to return
thanks to the peoplo of Platts
mouth and vicinity for their kind
patronago during his short stay
among them, and hereby ex
presses his own regret at leaving,
the same being undertaken solely
on busines grounds
Samuel Waugh has returned to
his place wo were almost on tho
point of saying his native home
anyway, after much roaming, Mr.
W. intends to adopt this 83 his
native plaoe, and Plattsmouth will
gladly welcome him. Mr. Waugh
brought his brother, Mr. James
Waugh, along to look at Ne
braska. They are both from Vir
ginia, and if not F. F. V.'s, are
certainly R. F. F.'s fine funny
fellows.
C. A. Holcninh of Lincoln visit
ed our place last Tuesday in be
half of Wilcox A llolcoiiib, pro
prietors of the new tanning pro
cess invented and patented by Mr.
Wilcox. The tanning principle is
derived from a weed growing
plentifully on the prairie, and
commonly known as heart weed
(Polygonum Amphibiunr . Some
of our smart people ought to take
hold of this thing and start a
tannery at Plutlsmoulh. We ship
hides e.'isl, pay freight on them,
ship the leather and boots back
and pay freight on these, while all
the lime we ought and might
make our leather and our bonis
and shoes al home.
4'ho festival given by the mem
bers of tho Catholic church on
Tuesday evening was, as usual,
a success. Tho net receipts, wo
understand, being in tho neigh
borhood of $140. Ice cream and
good things in abundance, and
plenty of pretty girls to dispense
them, were the order of the even
ing, and a pleasant dance to wind
up with, under tho skillful man
agement of Mr. Grace. A large
cake brought in over $10; wo did
not learn who was the happy find
er of the mystic circle of gold,
which should bring tho possessor
a never-ending round of pros
perity, and perhaps enable him
to circle more successfully in tho
misty mazes of tho round dances
with somo of Plattsmouth's fair
daughters, but have no doubt he
deserved Fortune's flcklo ruling.
We congratulate tho getters-up
of tho affair, upon the happy re
sult of their labors.
We publish below the role of
honor of our High school. We
hope the young people will en
deavor to make it indeed a roll
of honor to themselves, their
teachers and their parents. All
are interested in their success.
The standard of excellence is 100,
und the standard necessary to re
tain a position in grade is 70:
Second Grammar Sadie E.
Valentine, Carrie Porter, Ida B.
Conn, Ella M. Billings.
First Grammar Olive Horn
ing, Edith B. Lazenby, Lottie
Leesley, Carrie L. Bennett.
Second Intermediate Alico
Pollock, Florence Russell, Allio
Gass, Lillie Tucker.
First Intermediate Willie
Erharl, Hannah Miller. Ilattio
Crawford, Mary Murphy.
First Ward Charles Parmele,
Henry Herold, Alma Waterman,
Clarence Robine.
Second Wrard George Hoisel,
Amelia Heisel, Timmy MfKevet,
Alison Kree.
Third Ward Frank, J. Morgan,
Jessie M. Smith. Walter E. rail
ing. Nettie M. Smith.
Fourth Ward Frank, (VNeil,
C.elia Ooos, Eddie Morrison,. Wil
lie Edgerton.
The sapient common coum-il of
our enlightened town, saw fit to
make an almost clean, wttp of
our teachers last Saturday. While
about it we would have- raJLed the
board and cleaned the coop. One
poor woman left, can't Leaven all
the lot. No reason-or excusses
yet offered to tbtv : Herald has
satisfied us that this- action wa
wise or just to. the- uhi teachers,
who had stood, by th council and
school board, in. dbiy tf trouble,
and who are-now wtkltakul note or
warning left out iin tbw hot and
burning summon season to hunt
for another-plauti' at this late day,
and with Ulfl- ilnpllie! sligma upon
them that thuy art incompetent
to teach, berth We have not time,
to treat th' nwalier -fully now,
and it's. to.t. Iwt to get mad at
anything;: bttt the Herald, in com
mon with: many of our best citi
zens,, fuels, hurl at this action of
somebody
Th eouneil try to lay tho
blajn on Prof. Wise, and the
Prof. well, he says nothing. We
have stood by the Prof, heretofore
through thick and thin, but we
must hear betters reasons for
such a wholesale slaughter of the
innocents than we have yet heard
before being convinced that such
a change was necessary. Change
is not reform, and this town has
had enough of new teachers with
long and powerful recommenda
tions. One month's personal
knowledge is worth nil the sheep
skin flatteries in the U. S.
Mary Pronger, aged ten years,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. fleorge
Pronger, died suddenly Tuesday
evening.
Cap. Wiles' team ran away on
Saturday, and Prof. d'Allemand
went spinning after them. The
Prof, was caught before damaged,
and the team walked into the
barn at home when they got
hungry,
I. a Platte, just across the river
in Sarpy county is having red
hot limes. On Saturday a young
woman threw her child in a well,
and "Hob" and the sheriff have
her and the reputed father of the
child in custody; and Kunday a
man almost kicked bis wife to
death, and things are till work.
Wednesday was a day of
alarms for the fire department.
About 10 o'clock the fire bell sud,
(lenly pealed out a startling
alarm. All the fire boys made for
the engine house, and soon the
Babcoek's, big and little, were out
and on the road. The road was
so fearfully and wonderfully
rcugh and half-frozen and muddy
that all the men that could get on
the ropes could scarcely move the
engine faster than a walk. This
lire was reported in the Second
ward, at F. Kroehler's bouse, and
was caused by the falling of a
chimney. No great damage was
done, and the fire was out before
the engine could possibly have
reached there.
George Poisal's team was
hooked on to draw her back, and
scarcely was the engine backed
under cover when an alarm was
given down Main street, on Third
street south of the cut. Poisal's
team was hitched to the engine
direct this time, and in fearful
grandeur the P. F. D.'s sailed
down Main street to the corner
of Fourth, only to find the fire so
badly scared that, il, again went
out before they could get a squirt
at il. Just after high noon and
just as the boys had fairly
scraped the mud and dirt from
their bodies, the bell again rang
loud and rapid and the cry was
started that James Porter's house
was on fire. Poisal's team was
yoked to the book and ladder
truck ami the grey team from the
'bus (Fitzgerald's), to the engine,
and up the long hill on South
Sixth street tho boys steamed and
streamed amid the mud and clay,
only to find no lire at Porter's
house and no symptoms of any.
Some boys from the High school
gave this alarm and declared they
saw flames ten feet high issuing
from the roof. One youngster
climbed the Methodist church
ladder and rang tho bell stoutly,
averring, as he came down, that
ho "saw the roof all on fire."
The people at Mr. Porter's house,
however, indignantly deny any
cause for alarm even. Three
alarms in one day, and two of
them false, tried both the temper
and pluck of our fireboys, but we
are happy to record they stood
the test of both.
