The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-02-09

"My God!" exclaimed, as they ali passed
around me, "Gentlemen, what have
done?' -. -
so, we know, you,, exclaimed half g
dozen voices; s"vou needn't roll your
sanctimonious eyes, that game don't take
in this country. Come, strad,lle the rail
and remember The stack yard!'' l grew
mere and more bewildered; it seemed like
"a dream; could moi imagine what posi-
BILE offenceI was to suffer for, q had never
exhibited Joice Heath in North Caroline }
and l continued to- exclaim gentlemen,
what haveI done?"
"Come, make him straddle-th rail; we'll
show him how TO hang poor factory girls"
shouted some chap: frdm the. crowd.
The:man who had me by the collar then
remarked Come, MIR. Avery, IFS no use,
you see we know you, and We'll give you
a touch oflyDch law, and start you for
home again.
My name is not Avery, gentlemen, you
are niistakenin your man, exclaimed.
Come, come, none of your CANNON,
stradd!e the rail, Ephraim," said the man
who had me by the collar. The rail was
hroughtto such level as to allow me to
be 'straddled" on ii without difficulty, and
was about to be placed according to or.
dcrs, MS the ruth flashed upon me,
..Gentlemen,' exclaimed, IL am not
Avery; dispise the villain as much as
you can;sbul my name is Barnaby Diddle-
dun; belong to The Circus which arrived
here last night, and am sure Old Turner,
my partner, has hoaxed you with this ri:
diculous story.
eff he has. we'll lynch him. said one
of the mob,
"Well, he has, Ill assure ynu," re-
piled; so just walk tofthc hotel with me
and I'll convince you of the fact.
This arrangement they reluctantly as
sented 10, keeping however, close hold
upon me. AS we walked up main street
on which the nav State House is situated,
the mob then received reinforcement of
some fifty or sixty, and was marched
like a malefactor up TO the halel. Old
Turner stood on the Piazza ready to burst
with laughter. I appealed to him for
Gods sake to explain this matter and let
me be liberated. He conrinued to laugh.
bu. finally told them he believed there
was some mistake aboutit; "ihe fact is,
says he, my. friend Barnaby has got new
sui, Of clothes on, and it makes him look
so much like Priest, concluded it must
be Avery"
Tie mob saw the joke, some were for
Jerking my coat off and rolling me in the
mud, whlesothers swore that Old Turner
deserved the fate intented fr me; the
majority Of the people roared with laugh;
ter, and declared it was good joke, and
that l must look sharp and pay my part.
ner Off forit. I was exceedingly vexed.
and when the mob had dispersed, / asked
Old Tnrner what OH earth cnuld,induce
him to play such an outrageous mean
trick upon me.
"My dear Barnaby," says he, "it was all
for our good; remember all we need TO
insure success is notoriety; you will see
this will be noised about the City as a
trick played by one of the Circus Mana
gers upon the other,and our Pavilion will
be crammed tomorrow night.
1t turned out as he conjectured;-
joke was ineyery PERSONS mouth. The
Legislature was in session, and we soon
become acquainted with everybody, and
had immense audiences during our stay
there. This however, did not induce me
to forgive Old Turner, for knew full that
self.interest was an after consideration in
this case, the joke being promsted solely
by a desire to see some fun, without the
least regard at whose expense it was per:
petrated.