Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1916 — GOLD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOLD

By STEWART EDWARD WHITE

SYNOPSIS Talbot Ward’s challenge to Frank MunIwe to a personal encounter to determine •whether Munroe is fit to make a trip to California in search of gold is accepted. Munroe gets a hammerlock on Ward and wins the bout. Arriving at Chagres, Talbot Ward’s knowledge of Spanish and his firm treatment of the native boatmen help wonderfully. The party enters a tropical forest. They reach Gatun, and, after passing through several villages where Ward always diplomatically handles the natives, they arrive in Panama. 'Ward puts it up to each man to get $220 in one day. Munroe makes J 25 as a laborer. Johnny gambles and gets $220. Ward astounds the party by telling bow, by shrewd business deals in one day 4a the Golden City, he accumulated several thousand dollars. Ward decides that he will not go with the party to the mines, but will stay in flan Francisco, where he thinks more gold is to be found. The party dig their first gold. They are aot much encouraged when told that the value of their first pan is 12 cents. I>on Gaspar, a Spaniard, and his manservant Vasquez join forces with the trio and the gold is divided into five parts. After working like beavers several days the miners decide to take a day off and attend a miners’ meeting in town. For sls a week in gold and a drink of Whisky twice a day Bagsby promises to £ead the party to a rich unexplored mining ocwntry. A hand of Indians come into the camp to trade. They are thankful for blankets. Later the Indians attempt an ambuscade, but are routed by rifle shots. XeSTally Is found with group of traders. Vasquez, left in charge of camp, is found Scalped by the red men. Tank, Buck Barry and Don Gaspar are Sent to town with $35,000 in gold. Barry and Don Gaspar return to camp declaring they have been robbed. Johnny gets into an altercation with Scarface Charlie. Johnny’s splendid nerve attracts Danny Randall, who is seeking honest men in the camp. Scarface Charlie sends Johnny a challenge to meet him at the main saloon. Johnny, with another great display of nerve, drops Scarface Charlie. CHAPTER XXII. The Express Messenger.

JR WEEK later Johnny rode up on /\ a spirited and beautiful horse, /\ proud as could be over his mount. He confided to me that it was one of the express horses, that the first trip would be very soon and that if I desired to send out my own savings I could do so. I was glad to do this, -even though the rates were high, and we easily persuaded Yank of the advisability. One of the express riders was a slight, dark youth whom I had never seen before. In the other I was surprised to recognize Old Hickory Pine. He told me his people had “squatted” not far from Sacramento, but that he had come up into the hills on summons by Danny Randall. The fact impressed me anew as to Randall’s wide knowledge, for the Pines had not been long in the country. The trip went through without incident. Johnny returned four days latter aglow with the joy of that adventurous ride through the dark. Robbers aside, I acknowledge I should not have liked that job. The first half dozen journeys were more or less secret, so that the express service did not become known to the general public. Then the news inevitably leaked out Danny Randall thereupon openly received shipments and gave receipts at the Bella Union. It seemed to me only a matter of time before the express messengers should be waylaid, for the treasure they carried was worth any one’s whije. I *poke to Randall about it one day.

“If Amijo or Murietta or Dick Temple were in this part of the country I’d agree with you,” said he seriously, “but they are not, and there’s nobody In this lot of cheap desperadoes around here that has the nerve. Those three boys have a big reputation as fighters, their horses are good, they constantly vary their route and their times of ®tarting, and Johnny in especial has a foxy head on him.” “The weak point is the place they •change horses,” said I. Randall looked at me quickly, as though surprised. “Why, that’s true,” said he “not a •doubt of it. But I’ve got five armed men there to look after just that And Another thing yon must remember—they know that Danny Randall is runding this show.” Certainly, thought I, Danny at least Appreciates himself. And yet after All, I do not think he in any way exAggerated the terror his name inspired. About this time a party of overland Immigrants, headed by a man named IWoodruflf, were robbed of their cattle. Johnny and his men rounded up the thieves, killing three and placing two •others, Carhart and Malone, under arrest. It was decided to try Carhart and Malone at a miners’ meeting. The meeting took place in the Bella Union, and the place was crowded to the doors. All the roughs in town were on hand, fully armed, swearing, swaggering and brandishing their weapons. They had much to say by way of

threat for they did aot hesitate to ■how their sympathies. As I looked

upon their unexpected numbers and listened to their wild talk I must confess that my heart failed me. Though they had not the advantage in numbers, they knew each other, were prepared to work together, were, in general; desperately courageous and reckless and imbued with the greatest confidence. The decent miners, on the other hand, were practically unknown to each other and, while brave enough and hardy enough, possessed neither the recklessness nor desperation of others. I think our main weakness sprang from the selfish detachment that had prevented us from knowing whom to trust. »

I am not going to describe that most turbulent afternoon. The details are unessential to the main point, which was our decision. Counsel was appointed by the court from among the numerous ex-lawyers. The man who took charge of the defense was from New York and had served some ten years in the profession before the gold fever took him. I happen to know that he was a most solder minded, steady individual, not at nil in sympathy with the rougher elements but, like most of his ilk, he speedily became so intensely interested in plying his profession that he forgot utterly the justice of the case. He defended the lawless element with all the tricks at his command. For that reason Woodruff was prevented from testifying at all, except as to his ownership of the cattle, so that the effect of his pathetic story was lost. Dr. Rankin had no chance to appear. We retired to Randall’s little room to deliberate. Not a man -of the twelve of us had the first doubt as to the guilt of the prisoners. We took a ballot. The result was eleven for acquittal -and one for conviction. I had cast the one vote for conviction. We argued the matter for three hours. “There's no doubt the men are guilly,” said one. “That isn’t the question. The question is, dare we declare it?” “It amounts to announcing our own death sentence,” argued another. "Those fellows would stand together, bat who of the lot would stand by us? Why, we don’t even know for sure who would be with us.”

“This case ought never to have been tried by a jury,” complained a third bitterly. “It ought to have been tried in a miners’ court, and if it hadn’t been for those soft heads who were strong for doing things ‘regularly’ instead of sensibly we’d have had it done that way.” “Well,” said an older man gravely, “I agree to that. I am going t* be governed in my decision not by the merits of the case, but by the fact that I have a family back in the states. I consider my obligations to them greater than to this community." I reasoned with them for a long time, bringing to bear all the arguments I had heard advanced at various times during our discussions in Danny Randall’s back room. At last, seeing I could in no manner shake their resolution, I gave in. After all, I could trot blame them. The case was to them only one of cattle stealing. They had no chance to realize that it was anything more. Without solicitation on my part they agreed to keep secret my opposition to the verdict of acquittal. Our decision was greeted by wild yells and the discharge of pistols on the part of the rough element. The meeting broke up informally and in confusion. It would have been useless for the presiding officer to have attempted to dismiss court. The mob broke through en masse to congratulate the prisoners. Immediately the barkeepers were overwhelmed with work. Here and there I could see a small group of the honest men talking low voiced, with many shakes of (he head. Johnny, Old and Cal, who had attended with his arm slung up, had their heads together in a corner. Danny Randall, who, it will be remembered, had not appeared publicly IS - any way, stood at his customary comer of the bar watching all that was going on. His gamblers were preparing to reopen the suspended games. After conferring together a moment the three express messengers made their way slowly across the room to the bar. I could not see exactly what happened, but heard the sudden reverberations of several pistol shots. The lamps and glasses rattled with the concussion, the white smoke of the discharges eddied and rose. An immediate dead silence fell, except for the sounds made by the movements of

those seeking safe places. Johnny anil his two friends, shoulder to shoulder, backed slowly away toward the door. Johnny and Old presented each two pistols at the group around the bar, while Cal, a revolver in his well hand, swept the muzzle slowly from side to side. Nobody near the bar stirred. The express messengers backed to the door. “Keeps your heads Inside,” warned Johnny clearly. On the words they vanished. Immediately pandemonium broke loose. The men along the bar immediately became very warlike, but none of those who brandished pistols tried to leave the building. From the swing and sway of the crowd and the babel of yells, oaths, threats and explanations I could make nothing. Danny Randall alone of all those in the room held his position unmoved* At last a clear way offered, so I went over to him. 5 - »

“What’s happened?” I shouted at him through the din. Danny shrugged his shoulders. 1 “They killed Carliart and Malone,” 'Danny replied curtly. Although for the moment held in check by the resolute front presented by these three boys, the rough element showed that it considered it had won a great victory and was now entitled to run the town. Members of the gang selected what goods they needed at any of the stores, makL-jg no pretense of payment. They swaggered boldly about the streets at all times, Infested the better places, such as the

Bella Union, elbowed aside Insolently any inoffensive citizen who might be in their way and generally conducted themselves as though they owned the place. Robberies grew more frequent The freighters were held up in broad daylight; rumors of returning miners being relieved of their dust drifted up from the lower Country; mysterious disappearances increased In number. Hardly an attempt was made to conceal the fact that the organized gang that conducted these operations had Its headquarters at Italian Bar. Strange men rode up In broad daylight, covered with red dust, to confer with Morton or one of the other resident blackguards. Mysteriously every desperado In the place began to lay fifty, dollar octagonal slugs on thee gaming tables, product of some lower country atrocity.

The camp soon had a concrete Illustration of the opinion the roughs held of themselves. It was reported quietly among a few of us that several of our number had been “marked” by the desperadoes. Two of these were Joe Thompson, who had acted as counsel for the prosecution In the late trial, and Tom Cleveland, who had presided, and presided well, over the court Thompson kept one of the stores, while Cleveland was proprietor of the butcher shop. No overt threats were made, but we understood that somehow these men were to be put out of the way. Of course they were at once warned. (To be continued. \

They Did Not Hesitate to Show Their Sympathies.

The White Smoke of the Discharge Eddied and Rose.