t his watch and said: "It is now
10 o'clock. Those doctors from Monroe will be here by twelve. I can
have everything exactly ready by that time."

A bright ray of hope passed into Belton's bosom. He had two hours more
of life, two hours more in which to plan an escape. Dr. Zackland was
busy stirring about over the room. He took a long, sharp knife and
gazed at its keen edge. He placed this on the dissecting table near
Belton's feet. He then passed out of doors to get a pail of water, and
left the door ajar.

He went to his cabinet to get out more surgical instruments, and
his back was now turned to Belton and he was absorbed in what he was
doing. Belton's eyes had followed every movement, but in order to
escape attention his eyelids were only slightly open. He now raised
himself up, seized the knife that was near his feet and at a bound was
at the doctor's side.

The doctor turned around and was in dread alarm at the sight of the
dead man returned to life. At that instant he was too terrified to
act or scream, and before he could recover his self-possession Belton
plunged the knife through his throat. Seizing the dying man he laid
him on the dissecting board and covered him over with a sheet.

He went to the writing desk and quickly scrawled the following note.

"DOCTORS:

"I have stepped out for a short while.
Don't touch the nigger until I come.

"Zackland."

He pinned this note on that portion of the sheet where it would
attract attention at once if one should begin to uncover the corpse.
He did this to delay discovery and thus get a good start on those who
might pursue him.

Having done this he crept cautiously out of the room, leapt the back
fence and made his way to his boarding place. He here changed his
clothes and disappeared in the woods. He made his way to Baton Rouge
and sought a conference with the Governor. The Governor ordered him
under arrest and told him that the best and only thing he could do was
to send him back to Cadeville under military escort to be tried for
murder.

This was accordingly done. The community was aroused over the death
of Dr. Zackland at the hands of a negro. The sending of the military
further incensed them. At the trial which followed, all evidence
respecting the mob was excluded as irrelevant. Robbery was the motive
assigned for the deed. The whole family with which Belton lived were
arraigned as accomplices, because his bloody clothes were found in his