Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-08-07

arms, thighs and legs, were i"iiy uc'eiopNN'
indicating The greatest strength ana aeuviy'
His person, taken altogether, was a model lot
a Hercules, except as 10 size. he mist Vis'ea
ST. Louis, as a keel boa, man, in the year
lsi4ar 1915; and occasionally afterwards, I'LL
1922, when he Joined Henry and Ashiey's com
psny of Missouri ,rappers. Many shooting
feasts OF Mikes are related hereby persons,
who professed to have witnessed Them. VIII
relate some Of them, and you can make such
use of them as you please. In ascending inc
Mississ,ppi above the mouth Of the Ohio, ne
saw SOW with eight or nine pigs OH the river
bank: he declared in boatman phrase, he
wan,ed>a gig, and took up his rifle 20 SHOOT
one: but was requested not TO do so. MIKE,
however. LAID his rife TO his face and shot al
each pig SUCCESSFULLY, as the boat giidea up
the river under easy sail, about forty or my
wards from shore, and cut off their tails close
10 their rumps, without doing them any DINER
harm. In 1921, short time before he ascend
ed the Missppi with Henry and Ash''ys
company. being on his boat at the landing In
ihi. port, he saw a negro lad standing or Inc
river bank, hcedless'y gaping, IN great ondcr,
ment al the show abou, him. This boy hao
a strange sort Of foot and heel, peculiar to
some races Of The Africans. His heel pro'rsd-
ed several inches in the rear Of the leg, SO as
to leave nearly as much Of The foot behind as
before il. This unshepeiy foot offended Mikes
eve. and outraged his ideas OF symmetry so
much that he determined TO correct II. He
took aim with his rifle, some thirty PAGES ds~
tan,, a, the boys unfortunate heel, and actuai-
" shot i, away. The boy fell crying murder,
badly wounded Mike indicted in The
circuit court Of this eoun'y for the "fftrce, and
was found guilty by jury have myself
seen the record Of the court. II appeared IN
evidence, that Nike justification OF tue Offence
was, cha, the fellows long heel prevented HIM
from wearing a genteel boot" His particular
friend, Carpenter, w.s, also, great shot; and
he and Mike used 10 fill ii" cup vii whis'
kew, aud place 1t on their heads by turns, and
shoot at II with rife, at The distance OF seven
" Yards. twas always bored through, with
out injury 10 the ont on whose head n was
placed. This was often performed, aud they
liked til rra the beier, because /! showed
,hgir confidence in each other
In 1922 Mike and his Two friends Carpen'c or
and L lbo,, engaged in St Louis with Henry
md A .hley, to 60 up the Missouri with them,
in ;hr three-fold capacity OF boaimen, tra2pers
and hun,ers. The first year company OF about
sky assembled as high as the moutH OF yellow
s'one river. where hey huil Tort for The par
pose of trade and security. From this place
small detachments Of men ten or twelve IN
company, were sent 90, 20 hunt and rap on
The tributary streams 1t he Missouri and yell
low Stone. Mike and his two friends and nine
q, pliers, were sen; to The Muscle Shoal river, a
tributary Of the yellow Stone. When the win-
ter set in, Nike and company returned 70 hi
,i.aa p.a, The mouth uf the Yellow s .nnf:-- ri
a hole, or cave in the bluff bank OF the RI er,
for winter house, in which they resided du-
ring the winter. This proved a warm and com
modious habitation, protecting the inmates
from winds aud snow Here Mike and his friend
Car p-nter quar,eled deadly quarrel, the Cause
II which is MOI certainly known. but was thought
to have been caused by rivalry in the good
grsces Of a squaw. Tive quarrel was smothered
for line by he inerposiiion of mutusl friends.
On the return offspring, the party revisited the
fort, where Mike and Carpenter, over cup Of
whiskey, revived the recollection Of their pas.
quarrel; but made a 'reay OF peace, which vas
to be solembized by heir usua' 'rial Of shoot
ing the cup Of whi,k, from off each Others
head, as their Custom was. This was at onoe
the test Of mutual reconciliation and renewed
confidence. A question remained to be settled:
who should have the first snot. To determine
this, Mike proposed 10 "sky copper" with
Carpente'; that is to throw up copper. This
was done, and Mike won the liisr shot. Car
2en,er sened 10 be fully aware Of Mikes un.
forgising temper, and ,rrach"rous intent, for
be declared that he was sure Mike would kill
him. But Carpenter scorned his life too much
to purchase itby d breach Of Ills solemn com
pact IN refusing to stand the test. According
ly, he prepared TO die. He pequea,hed his
gun, shot pouch, and powder horn, his belt,
pistols and wag"s TO Talbot, in case he should be
killed. They went,o he fatal plain, and whilst
Mike loaded bis rife, and picked his flint, Car
pent.r filled his Tin cup with whiskey 10 the
brim, and without changing his features he pla,
ced it on his devoted head as a target for Mike
10 shoot al. Mike leveed his rife a, the he d of
Carpenter, at the distance of six,y-f,e yards.
After drawing bead, he took down his rifle
rom his face, and smilingly said, "hold your
,nddle steady, Carpenter, and don't spill The
Shisksy, ss shall wan: some presently" He
ain raise cooked his piece, and in an instan,
Carpenter fell and expired without groan.-
Mikes bali had penetrated The forehead in the