Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 41 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Pe hs red se tee O Beadle’s Dime Library. ~ ‘Men of Corinne,” Clark continued, ‘I ask for justice— nothing but simple justice, although I have force enough here now by main strength to avenge this bloody murder and lay half the town in ashes if it attempts to uphold the foul assassination! And, even if my party is not strong enough and we should get the worst of the fight, is there a man in town so foolish as not to know that within three hours’ ride lies Salt Lake City, where ten thousand men will spring to arms to avenge the death of one of their brothers, and a leading man, too, in the church?” A good many.in the crowd gravely shook their heads; they knew that the Danite was not boasting. Had not recent events brought the Mountain Meadows massacre again to light, and where in all the pages of history can one find a more bloody butchery than the slaying of those poor hapless emigrants, men, women, and children, about a hundred and thirty souls all told, after they had given up their arms? Lee, the commander of the gang, who, disguised as Indians, butchered the helpless band, was still in the Mormon church; still high in the confidence of its leaders, and lived in perfect security on his ranch in Southern Utah, while the blood of the murdered victims, unatoned for, cried aloud to Heaven for ven- geance. Well might the patient looker-on cry aloud: ‘‘ How long, oh Lord, how long?” ‘ All I ask is that this man shall be tried for his crime,” the . Danite continued. ‘lf he is innocent he will not fear to be tried by a jury of his peers.” And, just here, John Clark, able as he was, made a mistake. He had no idea of transferring his vengeance to the caprice of a jury of twelve men. All this talk was simply to convince the citizens that he was a good, square man, to use the western phrase; he didn’t want to fight the whole town; he had made up his mind to kill the plainsman, for such were the orders he had received from the Mormon leaders who directed the terrible Destroying Angels, He expected that the plainsman would indig- nantly refuse to submit to trial, and then, deprived of the sym- pathy of the bystanders, he must trust to his own skill and courage in an open fight with the bloodthirsty Mormons, burning to avenge the death of their brother. But, Gold Dan was quite prepared to stand his trial; many a year had he spent on the frontier, and, as well as any man living, he knew how sincere is the desire to administer even- handed justice that springs within the breast of the average borderman when called upon to sit in judgment. Not muct law but plenty of justice in Judge Lynch’s court. ‘‘That suits me exactly!” Gold Dan replied, instantly, and to his astonishment the Danite saw that he had ‘reckoned with- out the host.” ‘A fair trial is all I ask. Select your judge, choose your jury, and go ahead!” “Don’t that jest lay over the deck?’ the-Man-from-Red-Dog exclaimed, in honest enthusiasm. ‘‘ He didn’t do it! he knows it, and I’m willing to swear to it, and yet he aint afeard to stand his trial any time! Oh, he’s a clean white man, he is. He pans out rich, every time!” ‘A fair trial is all I ask,” the Danite said, concealing his chagrin perfectly. ‘Give up your weapons.” ‘‘Oh, nol” cried the plainsman, instantly. ‘‘No Mountain Meadows massacre business on me, if you please! I’m altogether too old a bird to be caught in that way. If I’m found guilty you can hang me as soon as you like, but until the rope chokes the life out of me, ’lLhangontomy weapons, I reckon that there isn’t any danger of my attempting to fight the whole town. I am willing to stand my trial, willing to abide the consequences, but not willing to deliver myself up helpless to your mercy. I wouldn’t trust you, nor any of your Mormon gang with the life of a dog!” Bold words, but the shining revolvers backed them up well, and the Mormons had no alternative but to listen, although in their hearts they thirsted for the blood of the darifg speaker. ‘Nominate your court and sail in your elephants!” yelled the irrepressible Red-Dogite. ‘Tl ’rastle with Judge Lynch myself, if you ain’t got any better man!” ““-You’d better think more and say less!” John Clark exclaimed, sharply. ‘We want a man we know, and don’t intend to pick up the first scallawag that offers.” The giant was about to make an indignant reply, when a citizen headed him off by nominating Captain Bob Smith for Judge Lynch—a nomination that was unanimously approved, CHAPTER XII. TRIED FOR HIS LIFE. Carram Bos SmirH was one of the principal storekeepers of the town, and a man generally a favorite with all the citizens of Corinne, The captain was a short, fat man, pretty well on in years, very red-faced and very bald; he was a great talker and consid- erable of a politician. ‘““Captuin Bob for Judge Lynch!” yelled a dozen voices, and the storekeeper, blushing as red as a turkey-cock at the unex- pected honor, came forward. “ Fellow-citizens,” he said, ‘‘although this hyer thing is entirely unexpected and takes me completely by surprise, yet I do not feel at liberty to decline, for I think that itis the duty of every good citizen to put his shoulder to the public wheel whenever it is required; but I am quite ready to resign if you happen to think of any man ‘round hyer who is better calculated than myself to fill the position, I have some knowledge of the law”—a good many of the citizens of Corinne’s thriving town could say the same with truth, and the knowedge generally acquired in the prisoner’s box—‘‘ and I can safely promise that the prisoner shall have a fair and impartial trial, the more so that I have just come on the ground and don’t know anything about the affair at all, except that a man has been killed and that Gold Dan here is accused of killing him.” “I’m willing to be tried by the captain,” the plainsman said, ‘ I’m not afraid but that he’ll do me justice.” ‘That's so, Dan! Oh, I'll do the square thing every time!” the captain exclaimed. “But in order that the whole weight of the thing shan’t come on my shoulders, I move rcspectfully that a jury of twelve men be chosen; ’tain’t hardly fair to put sich a thing as life or death all on me,” ‘'That’s so —that’s so!” the crowd murmured. “A jury’s the thing—that’s correct!” some one in the throng remarked, and the rest took up the cry. Two or three men always lead a crowd and the rest follow. The Danite chief did not like the way things were going at all, but he saw it was useless to attempt to resist; the current was too strong; but he determined to “havea finger in the pie” any- way. “T don’t object to a jury,” he said, slowly; ‘‘ but I think that we from Salt Lake ought to be represented init. This man is a Gentile who has killed a Mormon, and I reckon that with a judge and jury all composed of Gentiles he stands a pretty good chance of getting off, no matter how strong the proof is that he killed the man.” A murmur of dissent went up from the citizens—a little indig- nantly, too; they didn’t like this strong accusation. Captain Bob hastened to reply at once, ‘“‘ As far as I am concerned, Mr. Clark, [assure you I shall try to do what is right, without any regard to whether the man accused is Gentile or Mormon. I calculate that any man that comes before Judge Lynch’s court, when J sit on the bench, will get justice and nothing else, whether he is Gentile or Mormon, white or black, a red-skin, or even a heathen Chinee.” ‘IT don’t doubt you, captain, but it is only fair that we should have one-half of the jury,” Clark answered; ‘‘I reckon that a man can be a fair man and give a fair verdict evenif he is a Mormon. That gives you Gentiles one-half the jury and the judge, and I reckon that that is rather more than a fair shake.” There was no open opposition manifested, and the captain, after glancing around as if to note the sentiments of the crowd, turned to the prisoner. ‘* How does that suit you, Dan?” **Oh, I don’t object, although I reckon that the proper way would be to choose the jurymen by lot from the whole crowd and take them as they come, whether Mormon or Gentile; but you can go ahead; I don’t ask any odds,” the plainsrman announced, confidently. “Will you pick out your jurymen from among your friends?’ the captain asked, turning to Clark. The Danite nodded assent, and then the judge addressed the crowd at large: | “Now, fellow-citizens, we want six jurymen, so nominate ’em to one’t!”’ The Red-Dogite had not been inactive during all this talk; in the language of the politicians he had been “ pipe-laying,” and therefore a blue-flannel-shirted fellow, with whom the giant had been in consultation, lifted up his voice and cried: ‘‘T nominate Dandy Jim from Red Dog for one of the jury!” _ “JT second the motion!” said another. “TI object to thac man!” cried John Clark, instantly. ‘He has formed an opinion of the subject, and has openly declared that he does not believe the man to be guilty; he is not fit to sit on a jury.” “Say! is there one of your Mormon gang who don’t think that he is guilty, or who ain’t been hollering fur to kill him?” the- Man-from-Red Dog demanded, indignantly. ‘ Ain’t I going to take an oath{—won’t I act like a squar’ man, or am I a liar, and is civilization played out?” The big fellow had the Danite on the hip. In truth, there was not one of the Mormons who had not clamored for the blood of the plainsman, The sympathy of tbe crowd was entirely with the Red-Dogite, and Clark saw that the position he had taken was untenable. ‘‘But this man is a stranger,” he said, with a great effort repressing the rage which burned within his breast, and which urged him to provoke a personal encounter with the free-spoken giant, there and then, , “So much the better!” Dandy Jim exclaimed; “if I’m a stranger I ain’t apt to be prejudiced either for or ag’in’ him, Oh, I’m an old tearer on a jury, now, you bet! J reckon I’ll agree with the other eleven ef they all come to my way of thinking!” And so John Clark withdrew his objection, and Dandy Jim was duly declared elected. Five other citizens were put up and accepted by the Mormon leader, and then Clark put forward six Mormons, No one objected to any of them, though Gold Dan recognized that one of the fellows had been the most persistent in demand- ~ ing his blood after the death of Googer, But the plainsman never troubled himself to say a : was the use? He fully understood that as far a deg bd ee were concerned the trial would be all a farce. The Mormon jurymen would be sure to find him guilty, no matter what the evidence was, therefore he held his peace, relying upon the Gentile innembers of the jury to do him justice, It was arranged that Judge Lynch should hold his court right in the open street; the moon gave ample light, and there was room for all to witness the proceedings, which was more than could be said of any building in the town, / GComirebook: