“It was some cowboy by the name of Matt Jensen,” Doyle said. “Ain’t none of us ever seen him before. He drawed on Frank and kilt him when Frank wasn’t expecting it.”
“Where is Jensen now?”
“I don’t know exactly where he is now, but tomorrow mornin’, Sheriff Bell is holdin’ a hearing, and this fella Jensen promised the sheriff that he will be there then.”
“I want you to make sure that we have that hearing packed with people who will tell the same story you just told me.”
“Yes, sir, well, ever’one who was sittin’ at the table with us will tell that story,” Doyle said. “We’ve done discussed it.”
“What about anyone else in the saloon?”
Doyle cleared his throat. “Well, sir, here’s the thing. It could be that the others didn’t see it exactly like we seen it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Seth Lovejoy said. “We need to make sure that our story is told. Morrell?”
“Yeah, Boss?”
“I want you to go back in town, and take at least ten men with you. You’ll find all the building materials you need at my building and lumber store. I want you to build something for me, tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight. It has to be finished before the hearing starts tomorrow.”
“All right, what do you want built?”
“I’ll tell you when you have your men together,” Lovejoy said.
“I know you are planning on starting the drive tomorrow,” Matt said. “So you can go ahead if you want to. If I get through this hearing all right, I’ll catch up with you.”
“We won’t be going tomorrow because we need to see to burying Mo. Also, I need to send a telegram to Big Ben to tell him what happened. But, what do you mean if you get through the hearing all right?” Clay asked. “You said the sheriff believed you, didn’t you? And didn’t all the others in the saloon back you up?”
“Yes,” Matt said.
“Don’t worry, Matt. We aren’t going to leave until this is resolved.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
When the town of Dodge City awakened the next morning, they were startled to see a fully erected hangman’s gallows out on Front Street, right in front of Lovejoy’s Building and Lumber Company. There was also a professionally painted sign, sitting on an A-frame in front of the gallows.
PUBLIC
HANGING
ON THESE GALLOWS
OF MATT JENSEN
THE MAN WHO KILLED
MY SON
FRANK LOVEJOY
“Look at that!” Dusty said he and everyone else from the cattle drive came out of the hotel the next morning. “I thought this wasn’t supposed to be anything but a hearing. Looks like they are ready to hang him.”
“I wouldn’t read too much into it,” Tom said.
“What do you mean? If the town has already built a gallows, they mean to hang him,” Dusty said.
Tom pointed to the sign on the store behind the gallows.
D ODGE CITY BUILDING AND LUMBER
Seth Lovejoy,
“I expect Mr. Lovejoy had that built in front of his own property in order to make the others in town think that Matt is guilty.”
Everyone from the upcoming cattle drive, Clay, Maria, Dusty, Tom, Dalton, Smoke, Sally, Falcon and Duff were present for the hearing, which was held in the Ford County Courthouse, Judge Anthony Blanton presiding. There was no jury, as this was an inquest only, but the gallery was filled with both witnesses and the curious. And because this was an inquest only, there were no lawyers for the defense. There was, however, a prosecuting attorney who was representing the State of Kansas, and he handled the interrogation.
The first person to testify was Sheriff Bell. Bell testified what had been reported to him by many of the eyewitnesses in the saloon.
“Sheriff Bell,” the prosecutor said. “Several weeks ago there was a shooting incident in which Frank Lovejoy killed two men. Do you recall that incident?”
“Yes, of course I recall it,” Sheriff Bell said.
“Why is it that Frank Lovejoy wasn’t put in jail for that shooting?”
“Because there were enough witnesses who testified that it was a fair fight,” Sheriff Bell said.
“In fact, it was more than fair, wasn’t it?” the prosecutor continued.
“What do you mean?”
“Is it not true, Sheriff, that Lovejoy allowed the two men to hold the pistols in their hand, telling them they could shoot as soon as they saw him start his own draw?”
“That is true.”
“And what was the result of that experiment?”
“Lovejoy killed both of them.”
“That being the case, is it reasonable to assume that in a fair fight, another skilled gunman, even someone as skilled as Mr. Matt Jensen obviously is, could beat Lovejoy? And not only beat him, but shoot him before he could even get off one shot?”
“It doesn’t seem reasonable, I admit,” Sheriff Bell said. “But that is exactly what all the witnesses have reported.”
“Not all the witnesses, as we shall soon see,” the prosecutor said. “Witness is dismissed, Your Honor.”
Rebecca was the next person to testify. She explained that she was Dalton’s sister, and that while she and Dalton were involved in a family discussion, Frank Lovejoy interfered. She then told how Lovejoy had challenged Dalton to a gunfight, and then killed Moses Coffey when he tried to come to the boy’s defense. He again threatened to kill Dalton, but Matt Jensen had stepped up.
“Frank Lovejoy drew first,” Rebecca said. “But Mr. Jensen was faster.”
Tom, and Dalton also testified in Matt’s defense. Their testimonies mirrored Rebecca’s, as did those of at least three other witnesses who had no connection to either party, other than being saloon patrons at the time.
