Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-08-14
MONTPELIER, THURSDAY, AUGUST Ia, 1916.

stretched on the bottom in the straw. The barrel
of liquor was obtained-he got into the Wagon
lay down beside it, and started for home. All the
way he never raised his head, until, near the mouth
OF his lane, n log had been placed on the side Of
the road, which tilted up the Wagon in passing
over it SO as to roll the barrel on him. He forgot
his caution, and sprong up with his head out of the
cover to curse the boy for his carelessness and that
moment rifle was discharged. He fell back dead
--shot through The eye! The boy said that his mas
ter suddenly cut short his oath and exclaimed,-
There ne isl at the moment the gun fired. He
saw tall man with beard hanging down on his
breast, and dressed in skins, walking off through
the brush with his rifle on his shoulder.
The next man, named Garnet, about two weeks
after this, got up one morning about sunrise, and
IN his shlrt-sleeves stepped to his door and threw
1t open to breathe the fresh air. He was rubbing
his eyes, being about half asleep; and when he
got them fairly open there stood the gaunt avenger
beside tree in the yard-the fatal rifle levelled,
and waiting till his victim should see him distinct
ly He did see him-but itwas his last look The
bullet went crashing through his brain too! Long
is said to have told one of his friends that he never
IN single instance shot one of the men till he
certain the man saw and recognized him fully.
All wcrslSow gone bat Hinch and the two young
est men Of the party, Williams and Davis. The
two latter were permitted to escape. Whether it
was from relenting on the part of the dread aven-
ger or that he had observed some trnng thing in
their demeanOr on the occasion of the outrage he
was Furnishing, which recommended them to mercy
now that his resentmenthads so deeply drank of the
bitter delight of otonement, or that in his anxiety
TO secure Hnch, he confined his efforts and watch
funess TO him alone--I do not know. They made
forced and secret sale of their property, and
cleared out during the night But it was for Hinch
he had with passionless calculation reserved the
most inconceivabe torture He had passed him
by all this time, while one after the other he struck
down the tools and companions of his crimes. He
doomed him to see them falling around him, with
the certain knowledge that the avenging hate which
slew them burned with ten-fold intensity for his
life that it must and would have it, But when
would the claim be made? Should he be the next
one? Mo- The next one? No! But then each
succeeding death, sure to take one of their num-
Der, drove away every sophism of hope, and real
lied to him in bare and stern horror that his own
fate was as fixed theirs. AS each one fell away
the circle of doom narrowed slowly, steadily clos
ing in about him. Soon there would be no one left
but him! How could he call an hour his own?-
When could he feel safe That relentless subtlety
had baflled them ALL One, two, three, four, five.
six, seven strong men had gone down before that
fearful ri1o-eve,y one Qfthem shot through The eye
God of Heaven and the sharp agony would span
gle keen points Of burning light through his brain,
as if the ball were already bursting through
socket! Il too must be shot through the eye!' 1t
was worse than ten thousand deaths, and he died
them in lingering tortures told over day by day.
From the time of Recess death he looked chang
ed and stricken man. In few weeks he had lost
a great deal of flesh, and become pteousy hag-
gard--his eyes and gait and voice were all humble.
His turbulent and fierce anmallty faded before the
narrowing suspense Of this fear The bully and
the murderous ruflan trembled at the rustling of
leaf. His own Imagination became his hell-and
hungry remorse grew stronger and stronger with
feasting at his heart! He never left his house for
.lo g
spired him with some hope He procured fine
horse and set off one dark night for the Red Riv-
err Every body regretted his escape-for men had
looked on in quiet expectation upon the progress of
this affair." and in strong faith that the sense of wild
border justice would be gratifed in seeing this
stern, righteous and unparalleled vengeance con-
summated by the fall OF IInch-the monster in
stgator and chief actor in all the grievous outrag
es which had aroused the supplemented Long into
demon executioner of doom.
Hinch reached the bank of the Red River
sprang from his foaming and exhausted horse after
looking cautiously around-threw himself upon the
grass to wait for steamboat. In two hours he
heard one putting down the stream, and saw the
white wreaths of steam curling up behind the trees.
| How his heart bounded! Freedom, hope, and life
once more sprung through his shrivelled veins and
to his lips. He signalled the vessel; she rounded
to and lowered her yaw His pulse bounded high,
and he gazed with absorbing eagerness at the crew
as they pulled Justify towards the shore. A click
behind him He turned, with shudder and
THERE HE WAS! That long rifle bearing
straight upon him-those cold eyes dwelt steadily
on him for a moment-and crash and all was
forever blackness to Hnch the Regulator! The
men who Witnessed the singular scene landed, and
found him shot through the eye; and saw then the
murderer gallopng over the plain stretching out
from the top of the bank And so the vengeance
was consummated, and the stern hunter had wiped
out with much blood the stain of stripes on his free
limbs; and could now do, what was told he had
never done since the night of those fatal and fatal
y eXpiated stripes-look his wife in the eyes, and
receive her form again to rest upon his breast.
1t was an awful deed In view Of all its cir
cumsances, the provocation the character of Long,
the deranging influence of the outrage upon his
BRAIN though no indication appeared of impaired
sanity, mind is lost In uncertainty as to the
Judgment which should be passed upon it. He did
not remain in Shelby county but in what direc-
ton he had intended TO 90 after returning to Ar
kansas for his wife and children could never hear
He is probably living nov his quiet, good-natured
life, in the heart Of the wilderness and it is as
likely not that one of those two chubby boys
who rolled with him about the floor of the log-cabin
on that memorable night of which | have above
; simply related the events and the consequences,
will some of these days come to Washington from
Congressional districts beyond the Rocky Noun
tains.
From the Albany Cultivalot.