The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-04-25

ave have business of pressing impor.
tance with him, and if you will open the
door," said Van Zandt, "we will walk in
and remain till he returns"
"No," said Catharine. "when he went to
church he left particular directions not to
have the doors opened till he returned.---.
You had better call when church is dis.
missed"
mo. I'll be id if we do," retorted
he, "we will enter now or never"
impossible" returned she, "you cannot
enter until he returns"
"Open the door," cried he sor we will
break it down and burn you and the house
up together. So saying, he threw himself
with all the force he possessed against the
door, at the same time calling upon his
friends to assist him. The door however
resisted his efforts.
"Do not attempt that again." said Cath
arine, "or you are a dead man." at the
same time presenting from the window a
heavy horseman's pistol ready cooked.
AT the appearance of this formidable
weapon, the companions of Van Zandt,
who had crossed the street at his call, re-
treated.
"What" cried the leader, "you towards,
are you to be frightened at the threats of
a girl?" and again throwing himself vio-
Iently against the door. The weapon was
Immediately discharged, and Van Zandt
fell.
The report was heard at the church,
and males and females rushed out to as
certain the cause.
On looking towards the residence of
Judge V. they perceived five men run
ming at full speed, to whom the Judges
negroes and several others gave chase; and
from an upper window of his residence a
handkerchief was waving, as if beckoning
for aid.
All rushed towards the place, and upon
their arrival Van Zandt was in the ago
nies of death. He still retained strength
to acknowledge that they had long con-
templated robbing that house and had fire.
quently been concealed in the neighbor-
hood for that purpose, but no opportunity
had offered till that day, when lying con-
cea!ed in the woods, they saw the Judge
and his family going to church.
The body of the dead tory was taken
and buried by the sexton of the church, as
he had no relations in that vicinity.
After all absence of two hours or there
abouts, the negroes returned, having sue
ceeded in capturing Finley and one of the
strangers, who were that night confined,
and the next morning, at the earnest soil
citation of Judge V. liberated on the pro-
mise of amending their lives.
1t was In the month of October of the
same year, Catharine V. was sitting by an
upper back window of :ther fathers house
knitting; though autumn, the weather was
mild, and the window was hoisted about
three inches. About sixty or seventy feet
from the rear of the house was the barn, a
huge old fashioned ediice, with upper and
lower folding doors; the lower doors were
closed, and incidentally y casting her eyes to-
wards the barn, she saw small back door
on range with the front door and win
dow at which she was sitting, open, and
number of men enter. The occurrence
of the summer Immediately presented it.
self to her mind, and the fact that her fa-
ther and the other males of the family were
at work in the field at some distance from
the house, led her to suppose that, that op-
portunity had been improved, probably by
some of Van Zandt's friends, to plunder
and revenge his death. Concealing her.
self, therefore, behind the curtains, she mar
rowly watched their movements. She
saw mans head slowly rising above the
door, and apparently accommodating the
premises: it was Finley's. Their ob]ec-
was now evident. Going to the "armory,"
she selected we'll loaded musket, and re-
sumed her place by the window. Kneel-
ing upon the floor, she laid the muzzle Of
the weapon on the window, still between
the curtains, and taking deliberate aim she
fired.
What effect she had produced, she knew
not. but saw several men hurrying out of
the barn, by the same door they entered.
The report again brought her father and
+, .o +Lo bouce and IN roipo