But late Saturday night, the 9th, Lem Beebe and
Jim Lane come to my house and told me all -- told me
the whole awful 'sassination, and my heart was
broke. And THEN I remembered something that hadn't
took no hold of me at the time, because reports said
this prisoner had took to walking in his sleep and
doing all kind of things of no consequence, not
knowing what he was about. I will tell you what that
thing was that come back into my memory. Away late
that awful Saturday night when I was wandering
around about this prisoner's place, grieving and
troubled, I was down by the corner of the tobacker-
field and I heard a sound like digging in a gritty
soil; and I crope nearer and peeped through the
vines that hung on the rail fence and seen this
prisoner SHOVELING -- shoveling with a long-handled
shovel -- heaving earth into a big hole that was
most filled up; his back was to me, but it was
bright moonlight and I knowed him by his old green
baize work-gown with a splattery white patch in
the middle of the back like somebody had hit him
with a snowball. HE WAS BURYING THE MAN HE'D MURDERED!"
And he slumped down in his chair crying and sob-
bing, and 'most everybody in the house busted out
wailing, and crying, and saying, "Oh, it's awful --
awful -- horrible! and there was a most tremendous ex-
citement, and you couldn't hear yourself think; and
right in the midst of it up jumps old Uncle Silas, white
as a sheet, and sings out:
"IT'S TRUE, EVERY WORD -- I MURDERED HIM IN COLD
BLOOD!"
By Jackson, it petrified them! People rose up wild
all over the house, straining and staring for a better look
at him, and the judge was hammering with his mallet
and the sheriff yelling "Order -- order in the court --
order!"
And all the while the old man stood there a-quaking
and his eyes a-burning, and not looking at his wife and
daughter, which was clinging to him and begging him
to keep still, but pawing them off with his hands and
saying he WOULD clear his black soul from crime, he
WOULD heave off this load that was more than he could
bear, and he WOULDN'T bear it another hour! And
then he raged right along with his awful tale, every-
body a-staring and gasping, judge, jury, lawyers, and
everybody, and Benny and Aunt Sally crying their
hearts out.
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