Lucky (pt3)

At the trial, that prosecutor said a lot a things like: “The law is the law,” and, “With clear premeditation, Tipton Lange murdered Thomas Bradshaw in cold blood,” and, “The jury must remember that their personal feelings must not get in the way of what they know the truth to be! The jury must remain impartial and remember that a life has been taken against every law known to mankind!”

They knowed Tipton killed Bradshaw anyways. They didn’ need nobody to tell ‘em. And that’s the way it come out in court. Sure, they felt sorry for the boy, but they couldn’ deny Tipton killed Bradshaw.

Tipton’s lawyer was ‘pointed by the court. He didn’ have much to say ‘cause there wasn’ much to say. No one blamed him.

So Tipton had to hang.

They built up the scaffold and sent the preacher in to talk with the boy. Tipton repented of his sins and walked with the Sheriff, quietly, to be “hung by the neck until dead.” But when they tried to hang ‘im, the rope broke, just like I already told you. So the Sheriff sent the deputy to the store to get another’n, and they set the boy up to be hanged all over again.

You wouldn’ believe it, but it’s true: The second rope broke too.

Everybody was stunned into silence for a moment or two. Then somebody shouted out, “It’s a miracle!” The crowd begun to yell and clap their hands. They started chantin’, “Innocent! Innocent! Innocent!” The Sheriff just scratched his head. He was rightly dumbfounded. But he got everybody to quiet down and said he was goin’ to have a talk with the Judge. So everybody went home and Tipton went back to jail, a hero of sorts.

The Sheriff talked it over with the Judge and the lawyers and, from what I heard, the Judge was goin’ to let Tipton off. They sentenced him to hang and they done it. Twice. So he served his sentence. But the prosecutin’ lawyer was proud of his conviction and he pointed out how Tipton was to hang “until dead.” He argued and quoted the laws, left and right, ‘til the Judge went along. I imagine he was tired of listenin’ to the windbag.

But the Judge made that lawyer agree that if somehow Tipton wasn’t killed in the next hangin’, they was to let him go free.



TO BE CONTINUED...



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