ter his own and his father's cattle. He
was absent on this business some little time. On his return his wife
informed him that a neighbor had been talking about her in his absence,
and had given her a bad character, and that on account of it she had
become the talk of the entire neighborhood. The enraged husband compels
his wife to go with him, and they proceed to the neighbor's house.
Hendricks took his gun with him. When they reached the neighbor's gate
they halted and called the unsuspecting man out of his home. Hendricks
then asked him if the charges were true as to his talking about Mrs.
Hendricks. The neighbor neither affirmed nor denied the statement. At
this Hendricks leveled his gun and shot him dead on the spot. He and his
wife in a few hours after were arrested, and, as it was too late to
take them to the county seat that night, they were guarded in an old
log house in the neighborhood. Hendricks was fastened to the wall with a
log-chain. During the night some one, supposed to be the brother of
the murdered man, came to the window of the house in which they were
confined, and, placing the muzzle of a gun through the window, shot
Hendricks. The ball struck him near one of the eyes, rendering him blind
in that eye, but did not kill him. The next day the two prisoners were
taken to jail. They were tried, and both found guilty of murder in the
first degree. The husband was sentenced to be hanged, while the wife
received a life sentence. They were both taken to the penitentiary.
After they had been there a short time Hendricks lost the other eye,
from sympathy, as they call it. For a time the husband and wife remained
on good terms. They were allowed to visit each other once a month. After
a while she tired of him and would have nothing more to do with him.
She served four years, and received a pardon. Hendricks still remains in
prison, and is a pitiable and helpless wreck. He is totally blind, and
his nervous system entirely shattered. He can scarcely lift food to
his mouth. He is so weak that it is with difficulty he walks about the
prison park. An aged prisoner waits on him constantly to care for his
wants, and to see that he does not commit suicide. Abandoned by his
wife and friends, left to his own sad fate, totally blind and physically
helpless, he is another testimonial to the truth that "the way of the
transgressor is hard," and it also illustrates how much trouble
may arise from using that little member cal