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l. m grist s SONS, Publishers, j 4 ^amilj fletcspaper: ^or the promotion of the political, Social. Agricultural and Commercial Interests of the people. ) TK^S^"nvic? "rVM* ESTABLISHED 1855. YOHKV1LLE, S. C. K'RIID.A.Y, MARC'H 11, 1910. !N"Q. 20. rljxton 5 Kino, I Copyright. 1909. by George ^ / B*rr McCutcheon I / Copyright, 1909, by Dodd. / Mead ? Company Synopsis of Preceding Chapters. | Chapter I?Truxton King arrives in t] Edelweiss, capital of Graustark, and } meets the beautiful niece of Spantz, a guninaker. II?King does a favor for u Prince Robin, the young ruler of the b country, whose guardian is John Tullis, an American. Ill?Baron Dangloss, minister of police, interviews King and if warns him against Olga, the gunmak- s er's niece. IV?King invades the royal park, meets the prince and is presented to the lad's fascinating Aunt Loraine. ? V?The committee of ten. conspirators a against the prince, meets in an under- p ground chamber, where the girl Olga Is disclosed as one who is to kill Prince Robin with a bomb. VI?John Tullis c calls on the beautiful Countess In- tl gomcde, who warns him that her hated f, and notorious old husband. Count Marlanx. is conspiring against the prince. ,a 0 VII?King visits the house of the witch of Ganlook gap and meets the royal tl household there. ^ eu 4DTPO V "i The Iron Count. s When King, in the kindness of his ^ heart, grasped the old woman to keep her from falling to the floor, he played directly into the hands of very material agencies under her control. The next instant something struck him in the face. Then with a fierce jerk this same object tightened about his neck. A noose had been dropped over his head. As he was pulled backward his ^ startled, bulging eyes swept the ceiling. Above him a square opening had appeared in the ceiling. Two ugly, bearded faces were leaning over the edge, and strong hands were grasping a thick rope. He was strangling. Frantically he grasped the rope, lifting himself from the floor in the effort to loosen the noose with his free hand. A hoarse laugh broke upon his dinning ears, the leering faces drew nearer, and then as everything went black a 1 f^.11 hiul JICU\> ,>ci mrivnui uion iv it U|iwn ..... head. Not many minutes passed before consciousness. which had boon but partially lost, returned to him. It was ?< ^ pitch dark, and the air was hot and close. Not a sound came to his throbbing ears. With characteristic irre- g pressibility be began to swear softly, a but articulately. A gruff voice, start- 11 linglv near at hand, interrupted him. _ "Spit it out, young fellow! Swear like a man, not like a blamed canary " bird." The hidden speaker was uiuiuestion- '* ably an American. "Where am 1?" demanded the cap- 11 tive. s "You're here, that's where you ate," a was the sarcastic answer. "Are you an American?" " ^ "No; I am a Chinaman. I was born ^ In Newport"?as an afterthought? "Kentucky." '< "This is the worst high handed outrage I've ever"? ^ "Better save your breath, young fellow. You won't have it very long, so r save what you can of it." E "You mean I am to stop breathing r Jlltogeiner: asiveu mv (jii.-iuun. "Something like that." o Why?" ii "You'll find out when the boss gets t good and ready. You wanted to get n a poke at the old man's eve, did you? a 4 * My thunder, that's like an American? y never satisfied to let things alone. See v what it got you into?" n "The old man's eyes? What old d man?" t ^ "That's for you to find out, if you F can. You've made a poor start at it." I "How do you, an American, happen c to be mixed up in a deal like this?" n "It's healthier work than making t barrels at?I was going to say Sing Sing, but I hear they've changed the f name. I prefer outdoor work." p "Fugitive, eh?" "You might call it that. I'm wanted t ^ in seven states. The demand for me c Is great." t That he had fallen into the hands of r a hand of conspirators was quite clear v to King. Whether they were brigands ti , <ir more important operators against I tin- crown he was of course in no posi- 1; ti'>n to decide. Time would tell. g It was enough that they expected to a kill him soi.ner 01 later. This in itself ^ \v;is sufficient to convince him that lie s \v;is not to he held for ransom, hut to J lie disposed of for reasons hest known i to his captors. I ^ Like a shot the warning of < ilga i I'latanova flashed into his hrain. iiis guard had mentioned "the old man." flood heavens! Could he mean Spantz? \ Tin- cold perspiration was standing on 1 King's brow. Spantz! He recalled the 1 wickedness in the armorer's face, llut \ why should Spantz wish him evil? t The anarchists! The reds! Olga was a tin avowed anarchist. "By gad. they l til ink I am a detective!" he exclaimed. ? light coming to him with a rush. " What's that?" snapped the other, t Truxton could almost feel the other's I A body grow tense despite the space he- \ tweeti them. "Are you a detective? < I c I'll finish v* ill 111 > \ ,\li' vim . ii ? , ,,, ... ... ... i ight h< if. Y'iii"? i "Nu! They're mi tin- wnm; scent. i l.y Juvi'. thf laugh's on ulil man ( Spa ntz." "i ilm! Sn ymi tin kimw what's up. tin Spa ntz. eh? Will, what you've guessed at m fiuiiiil mit won't make I much ililTi'ii nee. my liin- young fel- i InW." ( T!i?* glimmer of a light came bobbing up front somewhere hehinil Trux- \ ton. Mi- could see the flickering sliail- i .. nws on the wall. Two nu n crept into the loom a moment later. <>in- of them t carried a lantern: the other turiu-d r King's body over with his foot. Trux- I ton saw tiiat the three ruffians were I great, brutal faced fellows, with bared t 0 irnis that denoted toil as well as ; spojls. The third man grasped the i prisoner by the feet, swearing in a i language of his own. The Yankee t desperado took his shoulders, and to- | gether. with earnest grunts, they fo|- . (y ' ~ ~ o I ti A S?tory of GraustarK. * By GEORGE BARR ; M'CIJTCHEON : ?1| ir ** si 3=,^?^JJ I nved the man with the lantern. He nuld see that they were crowding w lirough a low. narrow passage, finally epositing him with scant courtesy , pon tlie rockv floor of what proved to , le e a rather commodious cave. I" Davlight streamed into this convenP' >nt "hole in the wall;" lying upon his Ide, Truxton faced the opening that toked out upon the world. Near the pening stood the tall, gaunt figure of ^ man, thin shouldered and stooped. ^ [is back was to the captive, but King e< bserved that the three men, with two om pan ions, who sat at the back of he cave, never removed their gaze rom the striking figure outlined . gainst the sky. . The watcher turned slowly to take in ci lie altered conditions behind him. . Ling saw that he was old. gray haired nd cadaverous. This. then, was the ^ old man." and he was not William t pantz. "Your name is King. I believe," came om the thin lips of the old man. "Yes. May I inquire"? "No; you may not inquire. Put a w ? a i 'better save your breath, young fej> " ler. you won't have it long." c i fj ag in his mouth. I don't care to hear ?| nything from him. Gag him and cut {.( lie rope from his feet. He may walk f;| rom now on." Three men sprang to do his bid- ... iug. j? King felt in this instant that hi- was Hiking for the first time upon the fea- t| ares of the Iron Count, Marlanx the ishonored. He lay there helpless, neeehless for manv minutes, glancing ,. t this cruel tyrant. It was enough hat Marlanx suspected hitn of being c, n the way. To be suspected was to e condemned. st Marlanx was speaking. Truxton ?e >oked up. as at an executioner. The p ron Count sat upon a bowlder near his et. r< "We have met before. Perhaps you ti emember meeting my eye in Dame m tabba's cabin?twice, I think. You emember, 1 see. Ha. ha! You were st ery slow not to have caught such an nl id man. 1 dare say you are wonder- gi rig what I intend to do with you, now < < hat I have you. Well, I am not the w nan to mince words. Mr. King, you pi re quite young, but the good die H oung. I am very old, you observe. I st /ill not say that you are to die to- rt light or tomorrow or any day, for I o not know. I am going to send you m 0 a court. Not an ordinary court. Mr. o| ^iiig, but one of extreme perspicacity. fancy you will die before long. We an spare you. I do not approve of neddlers. It seems to be quite settled hat you are a police agent." The steady, cruel eyes fascinated ti Cing. He knew that lie was in ties- d ierate straits. a "I am glad you called again at my d: emporary abode, Mr. King. Anieri- a ans are always welcome: the sooner hey come, the sooner it's over. It p nay interest you to know that I am n ery partial to Americans. Were I tl 1 cannibal I could eat them in relish, o f I had my way. all Americans should ?e in heaven The earth surely is not rood enough nor big enough for them. ml hell is alnmly overcrowueu. *cs. I love tli?* Americans dearly. I hould enjoy a similar visit from Mr. lohn Tullis. I expect him to visit me 11 my humble castle before many days. should like to have him remain there mtil his dying day." King shuddered. "Night is coining. I must say fareveil. my bold young friend. My way ies to the north. This is merely a and of promise to me. You go southvard. to the city of Kdelweiss. Hilt tot through the gates; oh. no! There lie other ways, as you will find CSoutl>y. my brave Sir (ia'ahad: I may in-v r see .von again." ?! !.!. .....I.. I. .... |._ r,..,,, Willi a eouilll linn in III. he tense muscled c;i|>tivc and directed lis final instructions to tin- guards. iVitli u curt tmd to tin- men. In- strode iut through the mouth of tile cave iind vus Rone. I'tisk had settled down upin iiiountnin and valley. < ?ne of the lletl Cllt tile l'ii|ie tllilt liouml Truxton's eet. "tjet Up." said tile Xewport man. 'We've Rot to hi- uiovin'." Still gagged and somewhat dizzy. ( <ing \i;is hurried off into the narrow uountain p;tlh. closely surrounded li.v lie live men. I' The silent, cautious march down the Ii alley. through the Rap and along tile t idge ctirried them far into tie- night. This much he knew they were in t iie hills directly above the northern s rates. The vague, black shadow of a li ight less house loolllell up before them. v ii a twinkling he was hustled across lie road and into a door, then down s i flight of stairs, through pitchy dark- 11 ess, guided by two of the men. a I .vhispered word of advice now anil t hen from the Yankee saving him from I leiilous stumbles. Me was jerked up f diarply wit ii a command to stand still. light Hashed suddenly In his face, j linding him for a moment. Soon he saw that they were in a load, bare cellar: three men in heavy lack beards were in earnest conversaon with several of his captors; all ere gesticulating fiercely. His Newport companion enlightened itn between puffs of the pipe he was truggling with. "Here's where we i.v goodby, young , fellow. We turn ou over to these gents, whoever they re. You go into the village gay with lese 'swabs' by the sewer line. I uess." Truxton pricked up his ears. The old man has had a hole chopped i the sewer here, they tell me, and it's un-.M trot into the eitv. Not VerV lean or neat, but it gets you there, fell, so long! They're ready, I see. hey don't monkey Ions when they've t a tiling to do." In another moment his guardianship as transferred; he was being hurried ?ross the cellar toward an open dooray. Down a few stone steps he was d by the bearded crew, and then ashed through a hole in what ap ared to be a heavy brick wall. He alized at once where he was. The argle of running water came up to Itn. It was the great sewer that ran om the hills through the heart of the ty. Hushed continuously by a divert1 mountain stream that swept down om above. He did not know how long they a versed the chill sewer. In time, iwever, the water got deeper; rats gun to scurry along the sides of the rcle or to swim frantically on in ont of the disturbers. At last the strange journey ended, hey came to a niche in the slimy all. Up into this the men climbed, he man above was cautiously tapping 1 what appeared to be solid masonry, o King's surprise a section of the all suddenly opened before them. He as seized from above by strong bands id literally jerked through the hole, l> narrow steps and then into a long, imly lighted room, in the center of UIs.l* o IntiiT tnhln Ho was passed on Into a small room 1 joining. Some one, speaking in nglish, told him to sit down. The ig was removed from his stiff, ininied mouth. "Fetch him some water," said a ice that he was sure lie recognized? high, querulous voice. "Hello. Spantz!" articulated Truxton, irning to the black bearded, bent flgre. There was an instant of silence, hen Spantz spoke, with a soft laugh: i'ou will not know so much tomor w, Herr King. Give him water, lan. He cannot talk with a dry' iroat." King was pushed out into the larger 0111, where he was confronted by a owd of bewhlskered men and snaky red women with most intellectual nose lasses. It required but a glance to nvince him that the whiskers were ilse. For nearly an hour he was probed ith questions concerning his business i Edelweiss. Threats followed close pon Ills unsatisfactory answers, lough they were absolutely truthful. "We'll find a way to make you talk morrow, my friend! Starving is not leasant." "You would not starve me!" he "led. "No. You will have the pleasure of arving yourself," said a thin eyed llow whom he afterwards knew as etei Brutus. He was thrown back into the little mhti. To his surprise and gratificaon lhe bonds on his wrists were reioved. He found a match in liis box and ruck it. There was no article of furiture. The floor was bare, the walls reen with age. A chimney hole in the dling was perhaps the only means by hich fresii air could reach this dreary lace. Sleep was claiming his senses, e made a pillow of his coat and setched his weary bones upon the lentless floor. "No one will ever know," lie tnurlured. his last waking thought being T a dear one at home. CHAPTER XI. Under the Ground. The second day after his Incarceraon began King was given food and rink. It was high time, for iu* was Imost famished. Thereafter twice a ay he was led into the larger room nd given a surprisingly hearty meal. Peter Rrutus hud just voiced the ensure me iiinjuiii} u.v uisn^ eeessity for physical torture to wring ic government's secrets from the pilsner. King, half fumisheil. half crazed <5s WEAK AS I AM. I WOULD HAVE FODOHT FOH YOU." y thirst had been list< ninK to the ierce ai^uiiK-nt titmuKh the thin door hat s< painted the rooms. Ho In ard ho suddoti. oaKor movoniont toward ho door of his coll and situated himolf against the opposite wall, toady to Kht to the death. Then there canto a <>ict that lie rocoKtii/.cd. A woman was addressiiiK the conpirators in tones of deadly earnestess. His heart K?ve a bound. It was lie first time since his incarceration hat lie had heard the voice of oIku latariova. she who still must be his riond. -.\o! You shall not torture him. I have said lie is no spy. I still say it!" 1 she was exclaiming. * "God, girl, we cannot turn liini loose now. He must die." This was from .? Spantz. t "We cannot release him, I grant t you," she said, and Truxton's heart # sank. "Not now, but afterward, yes. When it is all over he can do no harm. I Hot hear me now. all of volt. If he is f harmed in any way 1 shall not perform < my part of the work on the 26th. This I is final." ( "You cannot withdraw!" exclaimed I Peter Rrutus. "You are pledged. You 1 are sworn. It Is ordained." 1 "I. Olga Platanova, say this to you. 1 [ It is not a plea, not a petition; it is an ultimatum. Spare him or the glorious a cause must suffer by my defection." ? "Sh! Not so loud, girl! He can hear t every word you say!" 1 "Is-t him hear. Let him know that \ I. olga Platanova. am to hurl the thing t that is to destroy the life of Prince r Robin. I am not afraid to have him t know today what the world will know t next week. Then the world will say that Olga Platanova was not a beast, but a deliverer, a creature! Let him e hear!" t The listener's blood was running t cold. The life of Prince Robin! An I assassination! "The thing that will f destroy!" A bomb! v For half an hour they argued with li her, seeking to turn her from the stand d she had taken. Then they came to a terms with her. Truxton iving owed o his life to this strange girl, who knew him not at all, but who believed in him. I Truxton was brought into the room c a few minutes later. He was white e with emotion as he faced the committee of ten. Refore a word could be f addressed to him he blurted out; 'You cowards! Weak as I am, I a would have fought for you, Miss Pla- a tanova, if I could have got through \ that door. Thank you for what you c have done to convince these dogs! c Only don't do this awful thing!" Think s of that dear little boy'" t oiga Platanova cried out and cover- s ed her eyes with her hands. She was li led from the room by William Spantz. Peter Hrutus stood over King, whose t arms were held by two stalwart men. t "Enough!" he commanded. "We spare you not for her sake, but for t the sake of the cause we serve. Hear o me! You are to be held here a prison- o er until our plans are consummated, t You will be properly fed and cared for. You have heard Miss Platanova say that she will cook the food for you h herself, but you are not to see her." King Interrupted him. "I haven't the least doubt that you will kill me ^ in the end. She may not be here to protect me after?after the assassination." 1 "She is prepared to die by the same ^ bomb that slays the prince," was all a that Hrutus would say in response to 8 this, but King observed the sly look 0 that went around among them. He knew then that they meant to kill him ( in the end. Afterward, in his little room, he ) writhed in the agony of helplessness. The prince, his court, the government ?all were to be blasted to satisfy the end of this sickening conspiracy. Loraine! She, too, was doomed! He groaned aloud in his misery and awe. There was a telegraph instrument in the outer room. He could hear it ticking off its messages day and night and could hear the discussion of reports as they came in or went out. It soon becsime clear to him that the wire connected the room with Marlanx's headquarters near Balak, in Axphain, a blanch instrument being stationed in the cave above the witch's hut. on his third night he heard the committee discussing the conditions at the castle. "The count is more afraid of this man Tullis than of all the rest," averred Peter Brutus. "He has reasons to hate and fear the Americans. That is why lie desires the death of our prisoner. He has said time and again over the wire that King will in some way escape and play the deuce with our plans. It does not seem possible, however. We have him absolutely secure." "This js the 22d; Saturday is the 26th. Nothing could be done to stop us in four days," said one of the women, "Count Marlanx will be ready on the 26th. He has said so. A new strike will be declared on the railroad on the 2f?th. and the strikers will be In the city with their grievances. Saturday's cele- j bration will bring men from the mountains and the mines to town. A single , i.i _ 1 mow, :iii(| we nave won. Cto spoae llrutus. "We must not?we cannot fall," grated William Spantz, and the cry was reiteraied by half a dozen voices. The next morning, after a sleepless night. Truxtmi King made his tirst determlned attempt to escape. lie knew that two armed men stood guard in the outer room day and night. The door to the stairway leading into the armorer's shop was of iron and heavily barred: the door opening into tile sewer was even more securely bolted. Mesides, there was a great stone door at the foot of the passage. The keys to these two doors were never out of the possession of William Spantz. one of his guards held the key to the stairway door. His only chance lay in his ability to suddenly overpower two men and make off by U':iv of tile armorer's short . When his little door was opened on the morning of the 23d Truxton Kind's t long, powerful figure shot through as N if sped by a catapult. The man with , tlie candle and the knife went down , Iik?> a beef, (Inured by a blow on the ( jaw. , The American, his eyes blazing with < hope and desperation, kept onward, to , find himself face to face with < >lga * l'latanova! She was staring at him with frightened eyes, her lips apart, her hands to iter breast lie turned. "He has not the key." she cried, "nor ( have I. You have no chance to es- ' cape, (in back!" A key rattled in the door. When it swung open two men stood in the I aperture, both with drawn pistols. The I Kill leaped between them and the help- ' less, defeated American. t "Itcinemher!" she cried. "You are n< t to kill him!" < I'eter Hrutus had risen front the ' Hour, half dazed, hut furious. He made t a vicious leap at Kins, his knife ready ? fm the lunge. ? "I'm glad it's you!" roared King. * aping aside. His fist shot out, and gain Brutus went down. "Miss Platanova, call your uncle," 'he was ordered. "It is now necessary o bind the fellow's hands. They are ;oo dangerous to be allowed to roam | it large in this fa^ionj' All day long Truxton paced his little . irison, bitterly lamenting his ill timed iffort. Now he would be even more . arefully guarded. His hands were >oun?l behind his back. He was pow- ( rless. If he had only waited! Luck , tad been against him. How was lie to tnow that the guard with the keys tad gone upstairs when Olga brought lis breakfast down? It was fate. The 23d dragged Itself into the past, ind the 24th was following in the flootny wake of its predecessors. Two , lays more! He began to feel the ap- j iroach of madness. His own death ^ vas not far away. It would follow hat of the prince and of Olga Plata- | iova. his friend. But he was not ^ hinking of his own death: he was hinking of the prince's life. t Forty-eight hours! That was all! . Early that night as he lay with his ar to the crack of the door he heard hem discussing his own death. It was 0 come as soon as Olga had gone to ler reward. She was not there to deend him. Spantz had said that she ras praying in her room, committing ler soul to God. Truxton King sudlenly pricked up his ears, attracted by 1 sentence that fell from the Hps of me of the men. "Tullls Is on his way to the hills of )awsbergen by this time. He will be >ut of the way on the 26th safe nough." "Count Marlanx was not to be satlsied until he had found the means to Iraw him away from Edelweiss," said mother. "This time it will work like l charm. Later this afternoon Tullis cas making ready to lead a troop of avalry into the hills to effect a resue. Santa Maria! That was a clever troke! Not only does he go himself, mt with him goes a cnptain with 100 oldiers from the fort. Ha, ha! Maranx is a fox?a very exceptional fox!" Tullls off to the hills with soldiers o effect a rescue! Truxton sat up, his train whirling. "A wise fox!" agreed Peter Brutus hiekly. "I wonder what our fine pris net- will say to it when the now pris- " nor comes to koop him company ovor 1 ho 26th." * To be Continued. JOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL, j Vhy the Real Christian Is True to * His Faith. * There are many reasons why a Chris- * ian should not be ashamed of the gos- I >e| of Christ. Perhaps the chiefest < .mong these reasons (from the man 1 Ido) is the one that ho finds in his i iwn salvation. A redeemed one can ? ay, "I am not ashamed of the gospel I if Christ," for it convinced mo of my 1 in and misery, it pointed me In the t ray of life and led me to the Savior, J rho has saved me from sin and death, md tilled my heart with joy and hope, o bo ashamed of Christ's gospel is to 1 ?e ashamed of Christ himself. Why ? hould 1 be ashamed of the One who, t ?y His life, sufferings and death, se- r ured for me pardon from sin here and c he joys of heaven hereafter? But < iome ingrate might say, "I would not i icknowledge your Savior, for He was } langed on a cross." Yes, He was, but c ny sins helped to nail Him to that i ross. He was not worthy of death, I or Ho had done no wrong; but 1 was i rorthy of death, and death was to be t ny portion, but this Savior died in my > toad that I might live in Him. Shall 1 be ashamed of Him, then, because He langed on the cross, when He hanged >n that cross for me? I think not, I Hink not. A boy at college was constantly peaking to a friend about his beautiul mother. So frequently and so exravagantly did the boy speak of his nother's beauty that his friend became urious to see that most beautiful of rumen. At length the opportunity :ame. On invitation he accompanied he boy to his home. The mother met hem at the gate, and the friend was ntroduced to her. But instead of neeting a mother with surpassing >eauty, there stood before him a wonan with drawn hands and scarred ace?really repulsive In appearance? ind yet the boy was raving over her leauty. The friend was puzzled. He ould not solve the mystery. At length, inwever, the mystery was solved. One vho knew the facts told the inquiring) ri* nd that years before when, on a ertai.i occasion, this boy lay asleep 11 a burning building, his mother, at he risk of her own life, rushed through he (lames and rescued her boy, and hat those drawn hands, and mat scared face were the marks of his moth- ' t's love. No wonder, then that, while ' o others, the scars that the mother * vore were repulsive, to the son, those 1 icars were marks of beauty: for they ' old him of a mother's Jove and of the rice that she had paid for his life. ' So others, if they please, may do- 1 ante the Savior, because He was cru itied on a cross; but when I shall ' neet Him on the other side and see In ' lis hands and feet, the prints of the 1 tails that fasteded Him to the cross, nstead of being ashamed of those tears, I shall then exclaim, how charm- -1 tig! how lovely! how beautiful! for ' hose scars will remind me of the price 1 hat He paid for my life. And when you, clear friends, reach 1 lie better land and see what the Saior has done for you there, and think <f what it cost Him to bring you to ; hat land, if you have never said it be- ( ore, you will then say. from the ' 1, . ..r i,,.n,<t 'ii,i tint n-dlfim- 1 <1 <>f I lit- gospel of Christ."?Rev. W. ' V. Hafner in March Christian Mcsscn- 1 rer. l I *'v England is building a floating dry . lock with a lifting capacity of 17.- j oo tons, which will !> towed to Uernuda for use of naval vessels on this | ide of the Atlantic. , The steerage business of the At- ? antic steamship lines is one of their ? irinie sources of piolit. They IliiVC t lei'ti hard hit by the ltdl in the jinmi- I nation tide during tin- last year. The lecrease in the number of immigrants arried in I HON was fiSft.OOK. compared I tvith 1!i<?7. The average cost of it i bird-class passage being $.'!0, this made I i shortage in the revenues of the < steamship companies aggregating the I imrmmis sum of $17,400,000. i ^Miscellaneous iteadinfl. I ? \\ FROM BEHIND PRISON WALLS. 11 tt Bob Jones, from Edgefield, Will Soon ^ Be Free Again. Correspondence News and Courier. Columbia. March 7.?Special: "He tilled three men single-handed." That's what they will tell you out at 'r :he state penitentiary if you inquire who is that gray haired man who marches in the gang of convicts apparently contented with his lot. B Twenty years spent behind prison walls! That is the history of the best rears of Bob Jones's life. Leaving his ci farm in Edgefield county a score of r< rears ago he kissed his wife and five d ittle ones and came here to serve out b< lis sentence. Now that wife has pass- w id away, and Jones has not even all rr lis children to spend his last days u ,vith. tf Once Bob Jones moved with erect w step, once he dared to light many men, te )ut now his step is slower, he has pass- si >d the youthful period, and of the fifty a rears of his career the last twenty 01 lave been fraught with much sorrow, tl 3o bowed down in spirit. Bob Jones b it the expiration of his term this year H vill pass out of the prison gates. *1 The Jones and Pressleys. 01 In Edgefield county there are many f( ,vho know the story of old Bob Jones's lp itrange fight twenty-five years ago. hi CVhen Bob Jones goes back there the h( >ld fellows will sit around the fire at T lights and talk over that triple kill- ft ng. Back In 1884 U. R. Brooks, now tl he veteran clerk of the supreme court, rr vas state land agent. Before that time ir rones and the Pressleys, two Edge- n ield families connected by marriage, tl jought a tract of land known as the ci Jennings tract" on Hog creek, in tl Sdgefield county. Bob Jones had marled a granddaughter of old Mr. Press- vl ey, and he was one of those that made b he purchase. The rule of the sinking tr und commission was that where a S ilece of land was bought, one-fourth b >f the amount should be paid in cash o: ind the remaining three-fourths in an- tl lual equal installments. Bob Jones w mid the first instalment on about 200 si teres of land valued at $400 or there- H ibout. Land was cheap in those days, a ind the amount paid on the first in- tl italment was a mere matter of $50. g: The ourchasers kept the land for o leveral years, and in 1884, Col. Brooks vent to Edgefield county to see the h rones and Pressleys and demand an- a: ther payment on the land. It was g igreed by the purchasers that they h vould rather rent the land. Col. Brooks b sent word to Bob Jones to meet him at tl Sdgefleld court house. Bob Jones and t? 'harles Pressley met Col, Brooks at h Edgefield the next day and the place w ,vas rented from Col. Brooks, land ir igent; Charles Pressley witnessed the w juper. The Pressleys and Bob Jones, s< vho, as stated, was connected with sj hem by marriage, divided the land, P [ones taking one-fourth. A Triple Killing. w One morning in November, 1885, the lc pressleys were out in the field. Charles s\ ind Ed Pressley were ploughing, and gi he old man was sowing the oats, tl rhere had been trouble beforehand, be- ai ause Jones didn't want them to plant n< >uis on an uit' laou. ou niai uu; ?ncii te walked into the field and saw the rounder Pressleys ploughing, and the ni ilder Pressley sowing, he went straight fc lp to Charles Pressley and fired upon ni ilm with a gun, killing him. Then he an. Like the historic occasion when jj| lie Roman youth killed three adversa- tr ies, there was "method in Jones's" s| unning. Ed Pressley pursued Jones, * he former being unarmed. After they e: lad run some distance down the field, ir 3ob Jones stopped. Ed Pressley ad- ^ w anced, and drawing his knife, Jones w ut out the end of Ed Pressley's heart, tr tilling him instantly. Ed was the hi oungest of the Pressley boys. Jones then reloaded his gun and |r valked over to where old man Pressley w ,vas. Suffering from palsy, a man of 'a "S years, the elder Pressley was helpess before the then young Bob Jones. ? Killed His Grandfather, T "Well, grandpa, I believe I'll kill you, oo," were the words that Jones greet d his old grandfather with when he s< stepped up. still bloody from two kill- hi ngs. With these words on his lips, Job Jones fired, the load taking effect s( n Mr. Pressley's stomach, another vie- ti :im being added to the day's terriblt .vork of vengeance. lr Not content with killing these three tl cinsmen. Bob Jones, po the story goes, h ooked for young John Pressley, but u brtunately the boy was working In an- al ither part of the field, and he was spar- s< >d. Jones could not find John Pressley. J' ? - h The Surrender. p. Bob Junes went directly from the tl lehl to Edgefield court house and gave s< llinself up to the officers. "I have kill- jjj *d three of the best men in the coun- w :y." lie said to the sheriff. Then he ai jegan to cry. Jones was put In Jail at Edgefield. 'r in that same jail were seventeen men, Ci vho were charged with the lynching of w Howies Culbreath. These men. who a( lubsequently were tried and freed, ar;u?<l with Jones and told him he did (.| ight. g. Conviction Was Hard. Tried at various times between the ' ,?ars issfi and 1X91. Jones, up to the tl ast trial, succeeded in escaping with tl Mistrials. No conviction could be se- '' ured in Edgefield, the juries would not (,( igive, and a change of venue was had. hi Ill ls!M, before JlKIKe i' iiimt, mud fjj (ones was convicted of manslaughter m?1 sentenced to serve twenty years. Sl Jul. P. H. Nels< n. of this city, was so- hi icitor at the time. The trial was at ni Lexington court house. Jones had a j( irilliant array of counsel. He was tie- ol 't nded hy \V. T. Gary, brother of Gen. a Mart Gary, and by Gary & Kvans, the " Winer member of this tirtn hein< Ern- n] si Gary. These men were considered h is good criminal lawyers as thete were n the state. It. G. Moulinm was tiic solicitor who n| irst handled the case. Mr. nonbain ti lied in February, 1SX7, during the penleiicy of the trials. Then P. II, N'el- j,' ?on was made solicitor ami lie secured lie conviction in Lexington county he- s' "ore Judge FTaser. j Will be Released Soon. oj Huh Jones will soon be released from w the penitentiary. When he is freed iie tvill have served nearly twenty years. [t is the custom in this state to de- w luct one month for each year of a sen- s? ence if a man behaves himself at the *' t< date prison. Those who know P.oh <>nos say that his sentence expires in lay, but the penitentiary authorities ? ere asked today, and September was tie date given for his release. At any ite it will not be long now before Rob I ones is a free man. It is too late for 1m to begin life over, but the lesson f twenty years in prison walls will, in is declining years, rise up before him s a vision of acts of a few minutes' illuming of his heart years ago. A UGANDA WEDDING. lack Bride Was a Miserable Travesty of an Englishwoman. I had hoard so much or tho various iistoms of the Buganda that when I | ?ceived an invitation to a native wed ing I was all eagerness to accept. I t een told of all the preparations a oman makes beforehand; how for a lonth previous she will shut herself p. has three heavy meals a day, ikes absolutely no exercise, and Is aited on hand and foot, for the fat>r a woman Is the more beautiful te Is considered to be. I was told funny story of a girl who was one f the lean kind, and who went j trough the usual fattening course. s ut with so little result that, al- t tough the banns had been published, te wedding was postponed for anther month to see if the desired ef?ct could be obtained. It was usesis, and at last she was married, the ridegroom making the best of what e probably considered a bad bargain, he women here have most beautl- , illy smooth skins; they massage j temselves with rancid butter, which j lost likely accounts for the charmig shoulders they display above their atlve dress. Like all eastern nations, ley have a magnificent carriage, and in walk for miles with an empty bote balanced on their shaven heads. The wedding to which I was inited was quite a notable one, as the ride was the daughter of the prime linister of Uganda, and the brideroom the principal chief of a neighoring province. The match was one f double interest, as not only was lis the first couple of any importance ho have been educated by the mlsonaries, the girl having been at the iigh School for Girls, and the boy t a school for chiefs' sons; but also lis was the first time that any Ruanda of note had married out of her wn country. The morning of the wedding was eralded by the beating of drums nd the blowing of horns, the brideroom's band having come In to do onor to their chief, and soon after reakfast I mnde my way to the ca- | ledral, where the ceremony was to . ike place. The crowds of natives , urrying along the roads showed < hat an interest the people were takig in the event; but just as a big edding at home attracts the fair ;x in great numbers so it was the ime thing here, the far greater proortion of sightseers being women. Arrived at the cathedral I made my ay to my seat in the chancel and oked down the long nave at "the varms of natives squatting on the round (there are no pews for them), le women on one side of the aisle nd the men on the other. I had r?t long to wait before a stir anounced that something was happenig. and looking down the aisle I saw le bridal party approaching; but to ly horror, instead of seeing, as I had >ndly imagined, a young girl in her ative dress, I saw advancing slowly 11 her father's arm an apparition in white muslin frock of unmistakaly European cut, brown shoes and, ? crown all, a tulle veil covering her taven head and hiding her blushing !) face. I thought she had a most sullen cpression, and she took no apparent iterest in anything; but I was told lat it is bad form for a Buganda oman to show any emotion on her edding day and the more self-con ol she displays the more she is to i e aumireci. jseverai 01 me women i ( r the bridal party wore the most hor- , ble clothes. I suppose they fondly nagined they looked like English ' omen in them. I noticed particu- t irly a vision in grass green cotton s ticked satin, another in scarlet satin j ith black spots and yet another in range silk with a bright silk scarf. 1 he bridesmaid wore a tightfltting j >yal blue velvet coat and a heavy lack cloth skirt. I noticed that she * lopped herself frequently during the ' rvice, so I think she must have < een suffering for being beautiful. All ( te women in European dress had lit- t e smoking caps embroidered in tln>1 on their shaven heads. Evidently 1 le "Merry Widow" hat has not pen- s :rated here yet, and if it ever does j think the only possible way of keepig it on will be by an elastic under ' ie chin, as these people keep their ' eads so closely shaved that a hatpin oukl be useless. The procession marched up the aisle nd at the east door waited a few t >eonds for the bridegroom's party to . in them. And what a difference ere! Xo miserable travesty of an t Englishman, but a tall, dignified na- * ve, rendered doubly so by his hand- , me national dress?a long black own. with the square collar and ipels heavily embrroidered in gold. ? orn over what I can best describe t * a long nightshirt mane or a son >rt of silk, rather like liberty satin, i a beautiful maize shade. In his f and he carried a little round white t ip handsomely embroidered in j hite silk. The bride and bridegroom lvaneed to their seats in front of ie altar and the service began. It J as naturally all in Buganda. The ( ergyman was a native, and the oranist was also a Ruganda. It was range to hear the familiar English ymn tunes sung to Buganda words I ml I could not help but think how * lese people have progressed since ilrty years ago, when they were ' ractically savages. ' In tile afternoon I went to the re ptioii, which was not held at the j ride's father's house, for the cus>m here is for the bridegroom to ive it. I suppose the bride's dot of < number of cows is supposed to be ^ iflicient expenditure on the part of . i-r people. Out here riches are not icasured by rupees but by cows. A 1 lan would not ask, "How many ru- ! ees has he?" but "How many head ( e *41 - " ?*-? *>** Wo wont intn I CUlllO llil> IH- . ?? nciai ...... largo courtyard full of natives, In 10 midst of whom tho band was t laking suoli a noiso that it was al- > lost impossible to make oneself ( oard. Our host (one of tho regents f the little King of t'ganda) re- ' uvod us at the door and wo wore t town into a room with chairs placed , II around the wall and in tho c<?n0 a table at which sat the bridal ' air with the wedding cake in front 1 f them, which was duly cut by tho < ridegroom and handed round, to- ( ft her with tea and cakes, the bride ill looking on with tho same indif- ' rent air she had displayed all t trough: in fact I never oven saw her \ nee speak to the bridegroom, and I ondered what thoughts were going ' it behind that impassive counte- ' an co. I 1 shortly after bade my adieu and f a Iked homo, thinking of all I had . on and being, if I may confess it. 1 o>re than a little disappointed not t have seen more of the real native istoms of these people.?Tho Queen. IONES, THE WIFE MURDERER nteresting Revelw of Supreme Court Decision. MEMMINGER IS SUSTAINED IN TOTO. Story of a Brutal Crime, and How the Supremacy of the Law was Finally Maintained In Spite of Strenuous Fffor+c fa Wh??le a# Inc. tice. ,'nion Progress. Columbia, March 5.?The supreme . ourt tnroughout the opinion upholds ludge Mernminger In every feature of he charges. The court cites authorties to support the method of Judge Vlemmlnger's charge, which, though strictly according to law, has caused some comment as to Its deviation from he stereotyped form of charging juries. Juries Should Agree. Touching the exception intimating hat Judge Mernminger had urged too strongly upon the jury the necessity )f reaching a verdict, the court quotes: "A circuit judge is but discharging lis duty to the public, and especially to the litigants, when he urges the Jury to reach a verdict, provided nothing ike coercion takes place, "we cannot tiold that there was coercion on the part of the trial judge in an effort to ibtain an agreement on the part of the |ury, nor do we think that there was in intimation on the part of the judge that the jury should find against the Jefendant." Readers ol' this paper will recall that it the time the case was argued before the supreme court an attack was made jpon Judge Memminger's supplementary charge touching the case of Hoyt Hayes. In this charge Judge Memnlnger had said: "I will go over a case that happened tiere In our own state, where a man t>y the name of Hoyt Hayes was accused of killing his wife up in Oconee county. It seems from the record of the case which I have read that the story which was told by this man was that he was waked up In the night by (lis wife,who was in a delicate condition ind was about to be delivered of a ;hild, and who expressed great despair ind alarm about what might be the result of giving birth to the child, he said that he was waked in the middle nf the night by his wife who told him there was a noise going on out about the cattle pen and that he had better investigate it, that he went out there ind while he was gone he heard the explosion of a gun and that when he tame back into the house and looked into the room where his wife had been eft he saw her dead with her head alown all to pieces from a double-barrelled shotgun which was lying at her side, he immediately went to get his neighbors, he ran 1 considerable distance of two or three miles and got some one he knew to go with him, leavnn. Iilu n,l#A ?a hn f/Minrl KlXXf UflfrVft )ut making any further investigation :o find out whether she was dead or not, laving seen his wife there on the bed vith the weapon at her hand and when ie came back with his neighbor they vent in there and found her dead with ;he gun beside her and the theory was idvanced that she had committed suicide. As soon as the neighbors came n before anything was disturbed, they 'ound the gun lying by the side of the voman and an iron poker by the gun ind on top of the bed, by her hand; :he theory was that she had lain in bed ind put the gun alongside of her head vith the barrel at her head and had aulied the trigger with the piece of ron and blown her head all to pieces so that her brains were scattered all jver the bed around her; that the theiry that was relied upon by the de!ense to establish suicide and in addiJon to that was produced a note claimed to be in her handwriting in which ihe stated that she intended to kill nerself and that her husband had always been kind to her; those were >ome of the circumstances of the case." rudge Memminger went on to explain hat the state had relied upon the evi Jciitc ui mtr gun anu mc uvu iu :hat it was inconsistent with the the>ry of suicide and absolutely impossijle for the woman to have committed suicide. Judge Memminger, after tellng the jury that Hoyt Hayes had been :onvicted and the letter sent to handwriting experts in New York said. The Governor Criticized. "Acting on the testimony of these 'xperts, testimony to which I confess ! don't attach much importance, the governor gave a respite *o the man and subsequently pardoned him, but italvays appeared to me that even If the latulwriting experts had been light, tuppose he ha<l compelled her to write hat note and place it there where it jouid be found, that would be a consistent theory, suppose he had taken -run ami fornod h?r tr do that Ollt here in the woods with no one around, hat could have been done. This is iust an instance that I cite you in a ase of circumstantial evidence." The court in its opinion says: Respecting this alleged error, his lonor did not violate the provisions of section 26. article 5, of the constitution is construed by the court in Not ris vs. .'linkscales, 247, S. C., 523, as follows: "We therefore conclude and hold that t would be impossible to declare the aw applicable to a case on trial with?ut connecting the legal principles involved with some statement of facts, tctual or hypothetical. It was the in ention 01 toe iramem m uu* new cuuititutinn in amending section 26. arti le that the trial judge in charging he law of the case should lay before he jury that law as applicable to a supposed state of facts; but that in so loing he should carefully avoid repeatng the evidence on the facts at issue, nuking no statement of the testimony ither in whole or part. We are clearly >f the opinion that under section 26, is it now reads, a judge may, in dedaring tiie law applicable to the case, wise that law upon hypothetical timings of fact by the jury and instruct lie jury that if they believe so and so rom evidence they have heard then oieh and such will be the legal result. !n sii doing if h?* bo careful not to re,?eat any of the testimony nor to iniinuate directly or indirectly what Is n evidence, he willl be chargeable leither with stating the testimony nor [Continued on Fourth Page.]