section in various capacities,

I will here state that, which none but a thief and liar will
deny, that my good character and innocence of any crime from
the cradle to the gang’s Bastile, was established as truly and
plainly as can any other man in this Territory, in or out of
prison, establish his. But only to find that I had less con-
sideration and security to enjoy the fruits of my honorable
toil and unflawed character, than did the blood-sucking shys-

i
|

wena

320 STRUGGLING FOR LIBERTY.

ters and robbers the fruits of their secret intrigue and crime.
“Moral distinctions die out of the minds of wicked men.
They become incapable of moral judgment or of any sensation
of pity. The despoilers of homes seek the cover of night and
the protection of banded crime for their wickedness.”

“When the meanest citizen is oppressed, the proudest
might well tremble.”

‘Home, June 29th, 1880.

My Dear Huspanp :—....Have been circulating petition, but hear
that the Governor will not come out here [from the States] until fall;....
will complete it when we get ready to go toOlympia. [She gives the names
of ten persons as the only ones whorefused to sign petition for my release,
and they were either members of the gang, or were ignorant of my case. ]
‘Three weeks ago I weighed 122 pounds; to-day 104 pounds. I have a
fever every day...I tell you we will go well prepared to the Governor, with
strong petitions, etc., etc., and think it will be about the first of October,
a Figigeatsratara Cine et eberysdatcous erst aces oeaceatntenausceutes eR eAaARS LAER Sv SISY EFFIE.”

“ August 24th, 1880.

....Children have the whooping cough... .I am taking medicine for my
lungs—horehound honey, tar and rum—and I have to take for my liver
may-apple-root, and then add to that bitters to strengthen and make me
eat. I get tired before I get around. [I had always kept my family and
myself in good health without drugs or doctors ; but such trouble is kill-
ing to those who innocently suffer, though it be considered by the robbing
home ravagers as but paying sport to them. Indeed, the misery of their
victims is to them the essence of delight, and they think it tends to their
safety to break the health and spirits of such as are best esteemed by
others for their virtue, and even to resolve upon their utter destruction. ]

‘Home, September 19th, 1880.

Ga Ardea pis acest eoavige voalte> There is yet seventy acres of grain to harvest,
this ninety acres on homestead is threshed................. 00. cece ences
Wheat only thirty-five cents, delivered. [But hogs were a _ good
price, and I had my farm stocked to feed up all I could raise
on the whole 480 acres, which was mostly well fenced for the purpose. I
was fixed so that I could have made $1,500 to $2,000 a year clear. And
this Iintended to invest mostly in stock each year, which with their in-
crease would, in a few years, amount to $50,000, which will give an idea
as to this, the least phase of the ravage done me by the gang of robbers,
backed by a rotten government. Hogs were as high as eight cents on foot,
but my large stock of them, together with my other stock and most every-
thing else, was sacrificed and wasted away by my situation, until my
family and affairs were swamped in a general wreck so that the midnight
conspirators could fatten on human misery and blood. ]

id crime.
ced men.
sensation

1ight and

proudest

1880.
, but hear
til fall;....
3 the names
my release,
f my case. ]
I have a
vernor, with
of October,
EFFIE.”

1880.
licine for my
for my liver
nd make me
family and
ouble is kill-
the robbing
pery of their
pnds to their
bsteemed by
pstruction. |

1880.

to harvest,
ere a good
could raise
purpose. I
clear. And
ith their in-
bive an idea
of robbers,
ents on foot,
most every-
bn, until my
he midnight

THRILLING CORRESPONDENCE. 321

“December 20th, 1880.
rine cen As I have written you before I am not able to under-
take the journey to Olympia, so I have written to the Governor explaining
why I do not go, and Mr. N.... and P.... have written also; and now
the petitions, etc., will follow the letters. I would much rather have

taken them to the Governor, but I cannot go, and trust that sending them
WAL CCAS WOU cs ciettaiele sree vay yd ee Mesias EFFIE.”’

“January 28th, 1881.
RET OTS Iam anxiously looking for some word from you, and we

look for you by the 10th of February if not sooner........ will meet you
in Dayton........ I have so much to tell you........ get Clarence a knife,
Clyde a gun, and May and Inez each a doll............ [Think !]..am so

nervous, could talk better than write. Believing you will be home inside
of two weeks, I will close and wait until I see you. I am waiting.

‘Waiting, quietly waiting,
To hear his step at the door ;
Starting at every murmur,
Striving to rest once more:
Stilling her heart’s wild beating,
With hands clasped over her breast,
Praying for peace and patience,
Patience and peace and rest.

Long are the hours of daylight,
Weary and dull and long ;
Life’s work seemeth a burden
Hushed is her lute, her song :
Waiting, forever waiting,
For day to fade in the sky ;
Waiting for night’s dark shadow
Which brings the loved one nigh.

Waiting with painful longing, _

To lay his head on her heart ;
Waiting, though knowing always,

That they must forever part :
Powerless now to resist it,

The love which unbidden has grown,
Like ivy—creeping and clinging—

In love round the granite stone.

Waiting without an effort
To cast his image afar ;
Looking at him as travelers
Look to the evening star,
21

i .
q
j
}
it
i
t)
i

322 SrruGcGLuInGc For LIBERrry.

_ yee

Waiting, though knowing to-morrow
Will unite them—yes, for aye—
But waiting and hoping and wishing
To see him once more to-day.’ EFrie.”’

‘Home, February 10th, 1881.

alestreuscsnnuete's We are hourly expecting you home, as the petitions, etc.,

ue etc., to the Governor were mailed the 18th of January, over three weeks

alt ago, and you have probably received money ($50)...... Heo es If this is a

i failure, but I cannot think it is, I shall see you in the spring, for I will go

aa and see you end the Governor myself.......... eee cece ees Oh, George,

(ee Iam with you in my dreams every night and all the day........I can do

nothing but wait as patiently asIcan............ They say, ‘ George will
come as fast as he can.’ Oh, do not tarry a moment.

‘ All through the day, watching for you,
Though I am far away I will be near you ;
I cannot cheer you, yet I will stay,

I will be near you all through the day.

All through the day, seeking in vain,
Wings for the hours—weighted with pain
All things are drear—nothing is gay,

Yet I will be with you all through the day.

Worn is my frame, wan is my cheek,

Low are my accents, broken and weak, |

Yet sweet to think of you all day, 1

And I will be with you, all through the day. EFFIE.” ]

: From a friend visiting my wife at this time : E

this ‘‘Ar youR Hong, February 10th, 1881. §

ir | Dear Frrenp :—We are looking every time the dog barks to see if I
, i" you are coming.......... I almost Anow the Governor cannot pass your
petitions by, but would be much better satisfied if Mrs. F.... had taken

i it herself. Mr. .... started a week ago to meet you, and we are hourly |

looking for you. I am writing this and, at the same time, hoping you ‘

may not get it till it returns. But if you are fated to stay there until ;

this may reach you, and it helps to pass a lonely moment, I shall consider .

it was not written in vain...............0 0 Children are calling in as n

they pass from school to hear if you have come........ and if you delay FS

longer than Saturday, I am afraid I will not have the pleasure to help .

welcome you to your own dear home and family. 5

Your friend, Mrs, F. G. M... bs

m

| From a sister:—All of my people being in accord with be

her as to my case, as are my friends also elsewhere; none

EFFie.”’

881,

tions, ete.,
ree weeks
f this is a
x I will go
h, George,
..1 can do
teorge will

EFrie.”

1881.
ks to see if
pass your
had taken
are hourly
oping you
there until
all consider
ing in as
you delay
re to help

+. M...

ord with
re; none

TurILuInc CoRRESPONDENCE. 823

of whom have been able to discover any fault of mine to
justify the robbery and persecution practised against me, and
are alike startled at the plain and evident fact, that a peace-
ful, law-abiding, well-to-do, respected citizen can be thus
shanghaied from his hard and well earned home, to be pil-
laged of his livelihood, liberty, love and happiness, and con-
demned to a horrible, lingering, tedious death, without re-
course that even a cannibal would get in his own country.

‘© A Sister’s ceaseless tears,
Needs no imploring, passionate appeal.”

‘‘September 19th, 1879.

My Dear BROTHER :—....... 0. cece eee ee If ever in the world there
was a case of justifiable homicide, yours is clearly and surely one; and to
me and to us all, itis very strange the jury did not see it in that light.
You certainly pursued an upright, straightforward course in the matter,
doing just what you should have done...........66. A strange community,
indeed, you must have been surrounded hy to permit such work. But be
patient, by the time the upright portion of your community have time to
get their eyes open to a just sense of right and wrong, you will be par-
AONOAC Oth aiser och ce tiech 6 ece avec Macceudetsire M. J. 8S.”

Everybody, except members of the gang, or those having
had experience, thought that just as soon as one’s neighbors
who knew the man and the case best of all, should petition for
his restoration to them that the Governor was bound to act
accordingly: little did they think that the blacklegs would
spurn to even look at their petitions, when secretly opposed to
members of the gang.

‘‘September...... 1879.

ete We would very much rather have you right and where you
are than wrong at home...............065 That L.... must have been a
very silly fellow to have lost his balance of mind as he did....you was
the one [Jumper] was after, and L.... only an obstacle in his way ; and
just as soon as he could jerk the gun from him, of course, you was the
one he would have killed....You are mistaken about one thing you wrote
to the Governor, ‘that your children were disgraced ;’ now that is a very
mistaken ilea; had you committed a crime, then the case would have been
avery different one. No, no, there is no such thing as disgrace about it
to you or yours....Think of the Chisholm affair in Mississippi ? see how
much worse off—the Judge and two children murdered....and as I said
before, you must consider the class of men you had to deal with... .Your
statement is just a straightforward thing, and Iam glad you published it

824 STRUGGLING FoR LIBERTY.

and so are we all....What a shame to the Territory to allow such work as

has been enacted with you. Your loving sister, M. J. 8.”
‘*December 28th, 1879.
IRATE He who assaults another’s life, by that action forfeits his

own—the same may be allowed in defence of our property when violence
is menaced....The verdict is a mystery to be solved....Here, or in any
other civilized community, the verdict would have been ‘‘served the
villain right.” If a man’s rights are no better protected than that, it is a

very bad place to live............. M.J.S....”
‘March 9th, 1880.
Reece Do not think that truth and virtue is at discount in the world

because, by adhering strictly to these and other virtues—as in your case—
you be lodged for a season in prison; that is no proof of those virtues
being wrong; they have triumphed in the past and will in the future,
and you will live to see it........ M.J.S....”

‘‘ January 3d, 1881.
Dear BrotuER :—Be patient, my boy, and you will not be there long,
and we wish the Governor to turn up something for you as a redress for
the wrongs you and your family have suffered.................. And be
thankful also, George, that your children are spared to see you through,
and vindicated as you surely must be, as the truth, though crushed for a
time, will sw7vely rise triumphant in the end. Trustin the Lord..........