Short Story - The Hanging Day - Grant Eagar
The
Hanging Day
It was a beautiful spring morning in Dodge City, a sleepy
town in western Kansas. Sarah stood alongside two others, one in his forties and a nineteen-year-old boy. In front
of them stood a gallows built out of scraps of old barn wood and whatever else
they could cobble together.
The young lady with long coal-black hair and ice-blue eyes,
moved her hands to try and get some circulation back into them. Deputy Broom
had tied Sarah's wrists tight. She frowned, seeing a lady go to the
gallows was a rare and wondrous occurrence. Broom, a large redheaded deputy
whose shirt did not cover his belly had even hinted he would let her escape for
the right offer, but she was not tempted. This however had given her an idea
and she suggested the same to the well-boned Sheriff Parker and had been
declined. She regretted killing her husband, but well, no buts she did the deed
and must now suffer the penalty.
The deputy gestured to the crowd of several hundred
onlookers wearing their finest clothes with festive hats and parasols. Kids ran
through the crowd with streamers and pinwheels being chased by dogs. Broom
said, “Ladies and gentlemen let us begin the proceedings, please back away from
the miscreants. We’ll not tolerate anyone interfering with a lawful hanging.”
The crowd ignored him, jostling for a prime viewing spot.
The sheriff raised his hands and yelled, “Quiet while I read the judgments!” He
explored his coat pockets and pulled out several crumpled-up sheets of
parchment. He straightened the papers and then climbed onto the gallows. He
felt in his shirt pocket and retrieved a pair of spectacles. He
glanced at the prisoners, “when I call your name step forward while I read the
judge’s decision. Akondo Silver-Chief, please step forward.” When a tall boy
with braids in his late teens did not move the deputy shoved him forward. He
sprawled onto the ground and the deputy brusquely pulled him to his feet.
Sarah said, “Show him some respect, there is no need to
treat someone so.”
Broom snorted. “Why does it matter, he’ll be dangling from a
rope soon enough.”
Parker cleared his throat. “That will be enough, it would
not hurt to show the culprits some compassion before we put them in the
noose. Now, Akondo, you’ve been found guilty of horse thieving,
resisting arrest, and assaulting my deputy. The judge sentenced you to be hung
until you are dead. Go ahead and step back. Jacob Jacoby, please step
forward. You have been charged with cheating at cards, stealing the
tithing from the poor box, grave robbery, lying, adultery, bigamy, public
intoxication, and kicking a dog. The judge sentenced you to hang until you have
drawn your last breath.”
After Jacob stepped back, the deputy gave Sarah a shove and
said, “Mam it’s your turn.”
She stepped forward and looked at the sheriff. He cleared
his throat and read,” Sarah Anne Sanchez, you’ve been convicted of poisoning
your husband, a Mister John Angus Sanchez, as well as bribery, and soliciting
prostitution. You have been sentenced to hang.”
She said, “I hadn’t meant to kill John, the rat
poison bottle said a tablespoon could kill a man so I thought a teaspoon would
just make him ill.” She offered a sheepish look, “well . . . it sounded right
when I planned it. Is it my fault he had such a weak constitution? Since he had
been unfaithful . . . again, I figured this would be my way of showing my
displeasure. He was a adulterous swine; God rest his soul.”
The Sheriff said, “That will be enough.”
She stepped back and glanced at the crowd who were chanting,
“Hang her! Hang her! Hang her!”
She frowned and spoke up, “That is getting annoying. I felt
the charge of prostitution was a bit harsh. I just asked the sheriff if he would
look the other way concerning the poisoning thing, I’d be willing to offer him
some of my time, how is that prostitution? I could make him some bread or mend
his socks. I didn't say anything about having sex with him. Now everyone thinks
I’m a tramp. And right here in front of all my neighbors.”
A lady in the crowd said, “That sounds a lot like soliciting
prostitution to me.”
“I said that is enough,” repeated Sheriff Parker.
The crowd continued to laugh and jeer at her. Even though
the community was highly religious it had never been tolerant. She regarded the
throng, should they be tolerant of me poisoning my husband? The pious folk
sure did enjoy a good hanging.
After reading the verdicts, the sheriff asked, “Do any of
you have any final words or confessions? I’m sure clearing the air will be good
for the soul.”
Akondo, the Cheyenne boy, stepped forward, and sang a song
of mourning in his native tongue with his head held high; several dozen Cheyenne in the audience sang
along with him. When he finished, he bowed his head.
Jacob, a short redheaded man in his forties said, “I have a
few things I would like to get off my chest. I would like to express appreciation for the kind and generous nature of the women in this town. I’ll have you know I had intimate
relations with Molly, the minister’s wife, five different times, Jenny, the
mayor’s wife, four times, and Anne, the sheriff’s wife, six times! She is my favorite, I call her Sweet
Anne.” There were screams of protest from the women mentioned and the
minister’s middle-aged wife fainted dead away.
Sarah said, “Jacob, you’re despicable.”
He sneered then gestured at Sarah. “One of these is true,
I’ll leave it to you to figure out which one. Now I had relations with this
fine lady twelve times, she couldn’t get enough of me.” At this Sarah kicked
him in the groin and he bent over. She kneed him in the face busting his nose
and he collapsed onto the ground. After a minute the deputy helped him back to
his feet, “the miserable witch wounded me. Sheriff Parker, you can’t hang me
like this, please give me time to heal.”
Parker pulled a pencil out of his pocket and wrote on the
paper. “Jacob, I’m adding defaming the character of honorable women to your
offenses.”
Sarah asked, “And me?”
“Okay, I’ll add assaulting a gentleman to your list; and
I’ll remove the prostitution bit.”
She gave him the thumbs up the best she was able. "That
sounds much better."
The minister came forward bible in hand. “Let me read a
scripture from the bible; in Mathew: ‘And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall
be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ God have mercy on your blackened souls. As
you burn in hell may you recollect all your dark deeds, feel sorrow for the
evil you have done and have the desire to change." He then offered a
long and fervent prayer on behalf of the unfortunate hell-bound souls and then
turned to go.
Sarah said, “Reverend Thatcher. Could you put a good word in
for me, I was in the church choir, and I even sang a solo. I haven’t missed a
sermon in three years.”
Thatcher asked, “What did your husband say when he learned
he had been poisoned?”
“Okay, he wasn’t very happy, he cursed me good before he
gave up the ghost, but I don’t deserve to hang.” Thatcher raised an eyebrow, “at
least not first.”
Jacob said, “Hang the witch, hang the witch, I want to see
her drop before I go. It will be great sport.”
The sheriff glanced at his wife, and she shook her head. He
said, “We all know who is going first.”
Jacob was led up to the gallows by the deputy. “Sheriff, you
have no sense of humor. You know I was just joking about having sex with your
wife.” A noose was put over his head, a
lever pulled, and the floor fell from below him. He thrashed and kicked then
finally hung still swinging back and forth. This was accompanied by wild
cheering and applause from the crowd. Sarah gasped and closed her eyes then
opened them and regarded him and felt ill. Did he deserve this for cheating in
a card game? There were also the charges of bigamy, stealing and kicking a dog that could not be
overlooked. Even though Jacob was a degenerate it was painful to see him
go. She however did deserve this fate; she had killed someone. She thought
of her husband, and despite the doctor's best efforts John finally passed following
two hours of suffering.
After Jacob had been cut down and his body laid into a pine
box coffin, Sarah was led up onto the stand and the noose slipped over her
head. She offered a silent prayer, God, I know I deserve a good
hanging, but it wasn’t my intention to kill John, just make him as miserable as
I felt. I truly am sorry, well mostly there is a small amount of wicked joy in
my heart. Please root that out of me.
Before the deputy could cinch up the rope the town warning
bell rang and off in the distance there could be seen one hundred Cheyenne
warriors on horseback racing towards them. The sheriff said, “Shit! We should’ve
hung Akondo first; it appears his kin are here to intervene. Everyone, run for
cover! He didn’t need to say this, the town’s folk had already scattered.
The deputy kicked at the drop lever right before running off,
and the floor only partially collapsed. Sarah had one foot on the edge and the
other dangling in space. God, is this your best effort to save my life?
Well, you’re not doing a very good job of it. Finally, the trap door
gave way and Sarah was hanging in space with one toe on the edge of the opening
and the other kicking out in space with her arms tied behind
her. Fortunately for her, the noose had not been cinched up.
When the Cheyenne entered the town there was no one outside,
just the two prisoners. The chief came forward and cuffed his son upside the
head then cut the ropes that held his son’s hands. Sarah offered in a
strangled voice, “You can’t leave me like this! Take me with you. I
would make a fine squaw. I love the Cheyenne. At the very least cut me
loose.” The chief spoke angrily to Akondo in his native tongue, and she
interrupted them, “could you please cut me down first, then give your son the what for.”
Akondo turned to her. “We cannot help you; you must make
your own path. We do not get involved in white man's affairs. Tell the Sheriff
we’re leaving two horses here to account for the horse I stole. May good fortune
guide you." The Cheyenne mounted their horses, and Akondo added, “I
suggest having the sheriff repeat your charges.”
“What good will that do?”
He shrugged. “It may surprise you.” He then rode away.
"You are the most worthless Cheyenne I ever saw. A pox
on you!" After several tries, she caught the edge of the opening with her
other foot, and standing up straight, she lifted a leg and pulled a slipknot,
and the rope was released. She fell headlong through the opening in the floor
onto the ground. Sarah gasped for air. Finally free!
She lay in the dirt, after a minute; Thank you God, I know hanging is what I deserve, I appreciate you sparing my life. She finally struggled to sit up and noticed the
sheriff squatting, looking down at her. "Young lady, you have more lives
than a barn cat." He climbed into the pit, helped her to her feet, lifted her out of the pit, and
led her back onto the stand.
What Akondo said came back to her. "Sheriff, before you
hang me again could you please read my sentence one more time."
"Sarah, you just want to delay the inevitable." He
turned to where the deputy was hiding. "Broom! They’re gone now, come out
from underneath the porch and help me finish the hanging."
The deputy crawled out from under the porch and climbed the
gallows and reset the trap floor. Sarah offered the Sheriff a bright smile.
"Please Sir, could you read it one more time, it'll only take a minute.
I think it would restore the appropriate mood of justice since we were interrupted. The townspeople
are returning. I know they would
appreciate it.”
The Sheriff scowled and reached into his pocket and fished
out the parchment. He read, "Sarah Anne Sanchez, you’ve been convicted of
poisoning your husband, a Mister John Angus Sanchez, as well as bribery, and
assaulting a gentleman. You have been sentenced to hang.” He turned to her, “we
have heard this before, why the need to repeat it?”
She smirked. "It did not say to hang me until I was
dead, just to hang me. I have already been hung. I admit it was not a great
hanging but a hanging nonetheless."
The sheriff frowned and cursed several times. "I should
have caught that. Now, what am I supposed to do?"
The judge who was out in the crowd came forward. “Sorry
Parker, that was an oversight on my part. Even though it did not say to hang
her until she was dead that was implied. I’d say go ahead and hang her again.”
“Your honor, I think you realized killing my husband was just a
misunderstanding and you were hoping that I would survive. Think of this as
serendipity. I have been given another chance at life; do you really want to
take that away from me?”
The crowd began chanting again, “Hang her, hang her.”
The Judge snorted, “You are not helping your defense, the
only misunderstanding is how much poison you gave your husband.” He sighed,
"Miss Sanchez, I must admit you are correct, you have been hung after a fashion, you are now free to go." He turned to the clerk, “Let it be known that
justice has been served and Miss Sanchez has been dutifully hung.” This news
was accompanied by boos and hisses from the crowd.
A little girl in a blue paisley dress came forward and said,
"Judge, I missed the first hanging, everyone was blocking the view. Could
you go ahead and hang her anyway?"
"Janie?! Shame on you, I was your Sunday school teacher,
is that the thanks I get?" asked Sarah.
Parker said, "I'm sorry folks but she has been hung.
The show is over. Now calm down and go home." He then untied her hands and
turned to go.
"Oh, Sheriff, by the way, the Cheyenne left two
horses tied up over yonder to account for the horse the boy stole. If you notice they are fine horses. They
now think you're square."
The Sheriff shrugged, then walked over and untied the horses. "I guess
this will have to do." He then led the horses away.
The End
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