Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1840-04-04
M NY

AN INCIDENT of THE REVOLUTION
IN tas simmer of l77o. during ono Of tho dark
o., periods u ouf revolutionary struggle. in ih'
then snail village Of 5----(hosg', II nav
bears n more d gniiisJ title in this State, ii"d
-. me If thr frnee snd ,ruest pstfio's
| within ,hs limits If the Old 1hifiern.' aud Diet
in tho confidence Of Washington. Like mos
men Of biz tine and substance, he had furnished
himself Wit, aims sud anma1i,io,. sufficient T.,
arm tho males o: his household. These consisted
Of himself, three sotts, AID shout twenty FIVE re
srocs. The female pat Of bis buusc consisted 81
hi. wife. onc taugllsr. Ca,hstios, about eighteen
year. Of aas. the heroine of OR tale. and several
slaves. Inihe secsnd ssaty of hisdvsiIin3 Lousr.
immediately over the front door. was . small
room. called the srtnory.' in wbieh the s'us were
deposi,rd and s'wnys krlt 'sady for lmlnriia's
use. Aioui the tine q. which W. introduced our
story. Tho ne,ghborhvod Of the village WIS much
annoyed by The no ',ufonl prowliass and depfeda.
tons Of numerous Jeriss.
Il sra. on n calm, blight Sabbath afternoon IN
the nf,srsad simmer. ~brH Jvd1e V mad his
family. with The exception Of his ~iausl'tsf CDth-
ariuc aud ~ Old disposed female sIave. were o..
tending service 10 tie village church. Not a
breath ji.Avt bed the spreni!; Of tie a,norhcse--
not y sound ~rrofaDr1 The s.efsd stiffness VI The
Jst; The 'ipes wsro dangerous. aDJ Cai,arine
bsr,elf and the old s'ase remained 10 Tho house
until ihr te'u,n Of ibe family from church. A fsp
wa head II the from. door. 'Su'rIy,' saiI CsiL.
urine 10 thu slave. the family have not yet GENE
home, church eanGot te Dismissed. 'Tbs rap we
repeated. i vii see who it is. said Catharinc. -
she rau up stairs into the afmo,y. On opening
the window snd looking down she saw six mrn
.,anJins -, HE front too,. sud on the oppn-it~
i'll. Of ihr street. three Of whom she knew we,e
ferries. vino formerly resided in the village. TIER
nsn,e- were Van Z,nd., Finley and She'd IN; The
otter three @crs siraugefs. but sas bsJ iessDst ~
believe them 10 be If the same %po',irsl stamp
from th. company IN which she found ,bem.
Van q ,Bdt vas a DOiaiions character. and iic
nn nhs AID enornsify Of bis efin,es had rendered
hi. name Infamous. 10 that vicinity. Not a mur
der " a robbery was commited within miles o.
S-- hat he did not set the credit If planning
or exccufine. III characters Of Finley and siel.
DIN WIRE also Deeply stained with crime, hu. Van
Zand' was a mss,e spirit in iniqaiiy. The sp
| pearaucs OF such cha,arier.. under such citeatn.
stances nas, have been truly alarming - a young
lady Of Catharjne's age. II no. 10 sny Iady. going
or old. Do, Cattatine y-iossesad her
father. .pifii-'ibe s,isit Of the iitnss.' Van
Zindt was ..aading 90 The s'oop rapping al the
door, while his e"npSr ions were hiking In o
waispc, or the opposite aide Of the street.
r.. },I-. VT n.,,.f n.baJ Nac Z.nf,
when b.. raw CsthsrIne a, the window sbove.
He is not said .he.
We have tusiness Of pressing importance With
him, aid if you will "pen tbs door, said Van
Z,nd,. we in walk IN and remain till he re-
turns.
No faii Catharinr, .vhrn be went 10 church
te leh particular directions not 10 hsvc the d',rs
opened until be and the family returned. VOC
had better call when church il dismissed.
M, m be DID If we d. returned 10, swe
will enter nav ~ never
in possible cried she, you cannot onter until
ne rtiurns.
.Oppn the door, cried BE-. sor wen hiesk j,
down. and burn you and the house up together
50 saying, he threw himself with all The force bc
possrssed. against The door, q, the {. me time cali
ing nyon his companions to assist him. The
door. how-.rr resis,rd his ef"rss.
D, M, attempt ina, again, said Ca,harinT, 'or
yet are a dead man. a. tbs same time presenting
from tho wi,sdow a heavy hotsenran's pistol ready
cncksd.
81 the sight Of this formidable weapon. tbs
companion. Of Van Zand,, who had c.os.sd the
stree, at his call. retreated.
.Ws.aa! cried The leader. .you Did coward!
are you frightened at the threats Of a girl! and
az IL he threw him elf violently against the Jaor.
The weapon was immediately discharged, and
Van Zands fill.
The rspns, was heard at the church, and mae
ard females u once rushed OFT 10 ascertain The
cau-e.
On locking towards the residence Of Judge
v-they pereei, ed five nsa running st fui!
speed, to whstD the Judges negroes and several
Others gave chase; and from an upper window OF
his residence a HANDKERCHIEF wa. waving, as If
heckoning for aid.
All rushed towards the place. aud upon their
arrival, Van Z4ndt was /, the sgouiss OF death:
He sill retained strength enough to acknowledge
that they had long Contemplated Tol'bing that
house. snd had frequently been concralrd IN the
neighborhood for that purpose, but no opportunity
had offered unit! tina. DAY. when. lying concsaird
in The woods. they saw the Judge and his family
going sa church.
The body OF tbs de.d Tory was tsken and bn-
red by the sexton Of tue church. az be had 30 re-
la,ions in that vicinity.
Afer al sbsence Ct two hours or .hsresseu.s.
tie negroes returned. having succeeded n cap'u-
ring F,nIay AID ono of tho stranssrs. who were
that nigh, confined. and the next morning. a: the
rarre.t 50 ic,sa,ion OF Judge V--!iosrAied, on
ihs promise Of amending theft lives.
/, was in the month OF October Of the same
year, that Catharine was sitiics iy an up
per back wiadow Of her fa,her's hoas,. kaiitins;
though autumn, The weather was mild. and the
was h.isted sboa, thr-e inches. About
sixty CT seventy fee; from the rear OF the house
was the barn. u huge old fashioned rj.ice, With