still like the old Colts. .44-40. If that wont
stop him you'd better throw the thing down and take off runnin. I like the old Winchester
model 97. I like it that it's got a hammer. I dont like havin to hunt the safety on a gun.
Of course some things is worse. That cruiser of mine is seven years old. It's got the 454
in it. You cant get that engine no more. I drove one of the new ones. It wouldnt outrun a
fatman. I told the man I thought I'd stick with what I had. That aint always a good
policy. But it aint always a bad one neither.
This other thing I dont know. People will ask me about it ever so often. I cant say as I
would rule it out altogether. It aint somethin I would like to have to see again. To
witness. The ones that really ought to be on death row will never make it. I believe that.
You remember certain things about a thing like that. People didnt know what to wear. There
was one or two come dressed in black, which I suppose was all right. Some of the men come
just in their shirtsleeves and that kindly bothered me. I aint sure I could tell you why.
Still they seemed to know what to do and that surprised me. Most of em I know had never
been to a execution before. When it was over they pulled this curtain around the
gas-chamber with him in there settin slumped over and people just got up and filed out.
Like out of church or somethin. It just seemed peculiar. Well it was peculiar. I'd have to
say it was probably the most unusual day I ever spent.
Quite a few people didnt believe in it. Even them that worked on the row. You'd be
surprised. Some of em I think had at one time. You see somebody ever day sometimes for
years and then one day you walk that man down the hallway and put him to death. Well.
That'll take some of the cackle out of just about anybody. I dont care who it is. And of
course some of them boys was not very bright. Chaplain Pickett told me about one he
ministered to and he ate his last meal and he'd ordered this dessert, ever what it was.
And it come time to go and Pickett he asked him didnt he want his dessert and the old boy
told him he was savin it for when he come back. I dont know what to say about that.
Pickett didnt neither.
I never had to kill nobody and I am very glad of that fact. Some of the old time sheriffs
wouldnt even carry a firearm. A lot of folks find that hard to believe but it's a fact.
Jim Scarborough never carried one. That's the younger Jim. Gaston Boykins wouldnt wear
one. Up in Comanche County. I always liked to hear about the old timers. Never missed a
chance to do so. The old time concern that the sheriffs had for their people is been
watered down some. You cant help but feel it. Nigger Hoskins over in Bastrop County knowed
everbody's phone number in the whole county by heart.
It's a odd thing when you come to think about it. The opportunities for abuse are just
about everwhere. There's no requirements in the Texas State Constitution for bein a
sheriff. Not a one. There is no such thing as a county law. You think about a job where
you have pretty much the same authority as God and there is no requirements put upon you
and you are charged with preservin nonexistent laws and you tell me if that's peculiar or
not. Because I say that it is. Does it work? Yes. Ninety percent of the time. It takes
very little to govern good people. Very little. And bad people cant be governed at all. Or
if they could I never heard of it.
The bus pulled into Fort Stockton at quarter to nine and Moss stood and got his bag down
from the overhead rack and picked up the document case out of the seat and stood looking
down at her.
Dont get on a airplane with that thing, she said. They'll put you under the jail.
My mama didnt raise no ignorant children.
When are you goin to call me.
I'll call you in a few days.
All right.
You take care.
I got a bad feelin, Llewelyn.
Well, I
stop him you'd better throw the thing down and take off runnin. I like the old Winchester
model 97. I like it that it's got a hammer. I dont like havin to hunt the safety on a gun.
Of course some things is worse. That cruiser of mine is seven years old. It's got the 454
in it. You cant get that engine no more. I drove one of the new ones. It wouldnt outrun a
fatman. I told the man I thought I'd stick with what I had. That aint always a good
policy. But it aint always a bad one neither.
This other thing I dont know. People will ask me about it ever so often. I cant say as I
would rule it out altogether. It aint somethin I would like to have to see again. To
witness. The ones that really ought to be on death row will never make it. I believe that.
You remember certain things about a thing like that. People didnt know what to wear. There
was one or two come dressed in black, which I suppose was all right. Some of the men come
just in their shirtsleeves and that kindly bothered me. I aint sure I could tell you why.
Still they seemed to know what to do and that surprised me. Most of em I know had never
been to a execution before. When it was over they pulled this curtain around the
gas-chamber with him in there settin slumped over and people just got up and filed out.
Like out of church or somethin. It just seemed peculiar. Well it was peculiar. I'd have to
say it was probably the most unusual day I ever spent.
Quite a few people didnt believe in it. Even them that worked on the row. You'd be
surprised. Some of em I think had at one time. You see somebody ever day sometimes for
years and then one day you walk that man down the hallway and put him to death. Well.
That'll take some of the cackle out of just about anybody. I dont care who it is. And of
course some of them boys was not very bright. Chaplain Pickett told me about one he
ministered to and he ate his last meal and he'd ordered this dessert, ever what it was.
And it come time to go and Pickett he asked him didnt he want his dessert and the old boy
told him he was savin it for when he come back. I dont know what to say about that.
Pickett didnt neither.
I never had to kill nobody and I am very glad of that fact. Some of the old time sheriffs
wouldnt even carry a firearm. A lot of folks find that hard to believe but it's a fact.
Jim Scarborough never carried one. That's the younger Jim. Gaston Boykins wouldnt wear
one. Up in Comanche County. I always liked to hear about the old timers. Never missed a
chance to do so. The old time concern that the sheriffs had for their people is been
watered down some. You cant help but feel it. Nigger Hoskins over in Bastrop County knowed
everbody's phone number in the whole county by heart.
It's a odd thing when you come to think about it. The opportunities for abuse are just
about everwhere. There's no requirements in the Texas State Constitution for bein a
sheriff. Not a one. There is no such thing as a county law. You think about a job where
you have pretty much the same authority as God and there is no requirements put upon you
and you are charged with preservin nonexistent laws and you tell me if that's peculiar or
not. Because I say that it is. Does it work? Yes. Ninety percent of the time. It takes
very little to govern good people. Very little. And bad people cant be governed at all. Or
if they could I never heard of it.
The bus pulled into Fort Stockton at quarter to nine and Moss stood and got his bag down
from the overhead rack and picked up the document case out of the seat and stood looking
down at her.
Dont get on a airplane with that thing, she said. They'll put you under the jail.
My mama didnt raise no ignorant children.
When are you goin to call me.
I'll call you in a few days.
All right.
You take care.
I got a bad feelin, Llewelyn.
Well, I
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