Thrilling adventures among the early settlers, embracing desperate encounters with Indians, Tories, and refugees; daring exploits of Texan rangers and others .. . evidence and the judges charge,and saved a fellow that ought to be hung as high as Haman. The prosecution opened very bitterly, and inveighed againstthieves and counterfeiters who had made the land a terror tostrangers and travelers, and who had robbed every farmer in theregion of his finest horses. It produced witnesses and proved alland more than I feared it would. The time came for me to rise forthe defense. Witness, I had none. B
Thrilling adventures among the early settlers, embracing desperate encounters with Indians, Tories, and refugees; daring exploits of Texan rangers and others .. . evidence and the judges charge,and saved a fellow that ought to be hung as high as Haman. The prosecution opened very bitterly, and inveighed againstthieves and counterfeiters who had made the land a terror tostrangers and travelers, and who had robbed every farmer in theregion of his finest horses. It produced witnesses and proved alland more than I feared it would. The time came for me to rise forthe defense. Witness, I had none. But I determined to make aneffort, only hoping so to interest the jury, as to secure a recommen-dation to gubernatorial clemency and light sentence. So I painted his picture. A young man entering into life weddedto an angel; beautiful in person, possessing every noble and gentleattribute. Temptation lay before and all around him. He kept atavern. Guests, there were many; it was not for him to inquiretheir business; they dressed well, made large bills and paidpromptly; at an unguarded hour, when he was insane with liquor, 250 THE HORSE STEALERS OF RUNNING OFF A STOLEN HORSE. they urged upon him ; he deviated from the path of rectitude. Thedemon alcohol reigned in his brain, and it was his first offence. Mercy pleaded for anotherchance to save him fromruin; justice did not requirethat his young wife shouldgo down sorrowing to thegrave, and that the shadowand taunt of a felon fathershould cross the path of thatsweet child, 0, how earnest-ly did I plead for them ! Thewoman wept; the husbanddid the same ; the jurylooked melting. If I could have had the closing speech, he wouldhave been cleared; but the prosecution had the close, and threw iceon the fire I had kindled. But they did not put it quite out. The judge charged according to law and evidence, but evidentlyleaned on the side of mercy. The jury found a verdict of guilty, butrecommended the prisoner to the mercy of th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectfrontierandpioneerli
