Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1894 — DEFENDED THE INNOCENT. [ARTICLE]

DEFENDED THE INNOCENT.

A Ua That Saved a Man from a Senseless Mob. Ton all know what happened to bone thieves in Nevada thirty years ago. Well, not long after the gold fever broke out I went West to do what I could to help the souls of aome men who were seeking their fortunes in that wild country. I established myself at gulch; and as I was not too much of a prude in religions matters, I really won the confidence of the mining community, who felt a bit of pride that they had a parson among them who wanted to see things done “on the square. ” One evening as it was getting,dark I was standing in front of my cabin, which was a quarter of a mile from the miners’ huts. Suddenly a man whom I did not know, but who might have seen me before, came running toward me. He was almost dead from fatigue and terror. The perspiration dripped from his face and hands, though it was a cool evening. His Jaws were so parched that he conld scarcely articulate a word. He fell on his knees before me hoarsely whispering: “Innocent, innocentl" while he glanced back over his shoulder with a look of dread, his eyes almost bursting from their sockets. In a moment I grasped the situation, and without a word hurried him into my cabin and concealed him. Five minutes later a party of angry miners, one of whom carried a noose in his hand, drew up before my door. I met them with a cool, inquiring look. “Parson, we’re after a horse thief. Have you seen a stranger about here?" I looked the leader straight in the eye. I knew he would believe me without question. “Yes, ten minutes ago I saw a man running toward the river.” They wheeled about and were gone. They searched the bank until dark, and then concluded that he had drowned in trying to cross the stream, gave up the hunt. About 10 o’clock the man whose life my falsehood had saved struck over the hills and doubtless reached one of the neighboring camps. The missing horse returned to the stable of his own accord about dinner time the next day. I may add that 1- my conscience never troubled me on the score of what I did.