OCR Text |
Show A LYNCHING. 109 to leave but little hope, but, fortunately for Tabor the ordinary rules of court were disregarded and the doctor had the closing argument. "Before closing he had a hurried conversation with the prisoner and with Charley Post, a dashing young attorney of the city. He advised the former to beg the pardon of the citizens as soon as the address was ended. To the latter he suggested to move that the prisoner be sent to General Connor, in compliance with the telegram. A Presbyterian minister also offered the doctor assistance. "The preliminaries being arranged, the doctor commenced his address. He drew a graphic picture of the nation in tears in consequence of the commission of the blackest crime in the annals of our history. Then, pointing his finger at the crowd, he said, ' you and you and you desire to show your detestation of this crime by staining your hands and your souls in this man's blood; in other words, you wish to show your horror of one murder by committing another.' He then pointed out the effect of early training in Kentucky, the effect of a taunt and the effect of drink. His peroration was a graphic picture of two widowed women leaning upon a son and brother for support, arriving in the mountains and meeting a mad crowd dragging that son and brother to the gallows. This settled the fate of Will Tabor. "At the close of the address the minister asked that the defendant be heard. " He stepped to the front and in the most humble tones confessed that he had spoken hastily, while under the influence of liquor, and asked to be forgiven. " Charley Post then moved that he be sent to General Connor in irons. |