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


ton Henry laughed at all this, but insisted that
1t was maniac and to account for the peculiar
dexterity of his escapes and whole management,
related many anecdotes proverbial of the cunning
of mad men. The widest, most absurd, and in
credible stories were now af1oat amonr the people
concerning this deadly and subtle foe of the Reg
uators; for it was now universally believed and
remarked, that it was against them alone that his
enmity was directed The story of Henry was
greatly improved upon and added to; and as some
reports had it, the Madman as others, the, Bearded
Ghost, was seen in half dozen places at tie same
time now on foot, stalking with enormous strides
across some open glade from thicket to thcket-
passing out of sight again before the observer could
recover from his surprise then mounted, he was
seen flying like the shadow of summer cloud over
the praires or beneath the gloom of forests always
haggard and lean, dressed in skins with the hair
on, and that long terrible, heavy rifle on his shout
der! | noticed that there was only one class of
men who ventured to assert that they had actually
seen with their own eyes, these wonderful sights
and that was those who either had suffered, or from
their characters and pursuits, were most likely to
suffer persecution from the Regulators the class
OF hunter emgrants. These men were most in
dustrious in enlbeishing all the circumstances of
Character teats, and relentless hatred to the Regu-
lators as highly as the excited creduty of the pub
lie would bear They never saw him except in the
vicinity OF the homes of some one of these hated
tyrants In their versions, this being was forever
lowering around them, waiting the moment to strike
while they were alone and far from any help.
They carried this thing SO far as to attract atten-
ton to it, and arouse in the cunning mind of Hinch
the same suspicion which had occurred to Henry
and myself namely, that all this was the result of
profoundly acute and thoroughly organized scheme
OF this class, headed by some man of peculiar per-
sonaties and consummate Skill with the object of
eXtermlnating or driving off the Regulators. 1t
seemed impossible that, without collision with many
others, the murderer should have been able TO so
battle all pursuit. Ilinch and his band had been
thoroughly cowed and awed; but the moment this
idea occurred to him, the reaction of their base
fears was savage eXultation. Here was something
tangible; their open and united force could easily
exterminate an enemy who had acknowledged their
weakness in resorting to secret combinations and
assassination from 'the bushl' They forthwith
proclaimed war to the knife with the whole class
and during the next week several outrapes, so re-
Voting that will not detail them were perpetrated
upon these men in different parts of the country ;
and the fact that, during this general tumut moth
ing more was seen or heard of the mysterious Ri
feman, encouraged them with the belief that they
had succeeded in getting rid of him through the
intimidation of his confederates
They had now been for nearly fortnight in the
saddle had gluted themselves with vengeance.
and, as they conceived, broken down this danger
Gus conspiracy against their power; and if they
at least frightened off their singular foe They
now concluded they might safely disband. That
day, after they separated one of their number.
named Rees-almost as bad and savage a man as
llinch himself -was riding past thicket, in sight
of his own house, when he shot from it. His
negroes heard the gun. and seeing his horse gal
Looping up to the house rderless and snortng Wild
ly, they ran down, and found him stretched in the
road, dead. He ,cqS shot in The e3je and the ball
passed out at the back of his head
When Hinch heard this, he turned perfectly iv-
i'd, his knees snote together, and with horrd oath
he exclaimed, It's Jack Long with vengeance >
1t was perceived, for the first time, that all the
men had been shot through the eye, instead of in
the back of the head, where the ball had only pass
ed out after entering at the socket. The other
heads had been too unpeasantly mutilated for eX-
animation, and this had not been before observed.
OF course, every body was satisfied now, that this
terrible being was in one way or other identified
with Jack Long: for the notoriety of his favorite
mark and his matchess skill instantly occurred to
ALL as accounting for much that was unaccountable
in these occurrences This produced a great
change in public feeling. The better sort began
to consider that they understood the whole matter.
The lynching Jack had received was fresh in their
memories and they supposed its severity had shak-
en- his mental balance and made him monomaniac,
and that the disease had endowed him with mar
velous cunnng-the staunch murderous hate
ana Ule unudluIdl appearance, WHICH ildQ created
such sensation. They could not understand how
a being so Supplemented and sluggish as he was
reputed to have been, could have been reused to
such deeds by the mere depth and power Of his
natural passions. But monomanac or not, such a
vengeance, and the daring conduct Of the whole
affair, were very imposing to their associations and
prepossessions, and they heartily sympathzed with
him. 1t only while the general uncertainty
left every man IN doubt whether his own person
might not be next the object of this murderous aim
that the public were disposed to back the Rangers
in whatever violent measures they might choose tc
resort to- to drag the secret to light and the actor
to punishment; but that it was apparent his whole
hate was levelled against the Rangers and all thai
uncertainty was confined to them, be he devil
ghost, mailman, or Jack Long, the public had nc
intention of interfering again. 1t was persona
issue between him and them-they might settle i
between themselvesl Indeed, men felt in their in
most hearts that every man of the ten engaged il
the lynching of Jack Long deserved dozen time
over to be shot; and now they looked on coolly
rather enjoying the thing, and earnestly hoping tina
Jack might have the best of it, And of this there
seemed to be strong probability; for the Regu
lators made only one more attempt to get together
but another of their number being killed, on hi
way to the rendezvous, his body bearing that wei
known and fearful signature of skill the remaining
five, perfectly unnerved and overwhelmed with ter
ror, retrcated to their houses, and scarcely daret
Tor several weeks 10 put lhef heads outside VI tel
own doors.
The class to which Jack had belonged at leas
those of them who had managed to keep a footin!
during the relentless prescription of the Regula
tors, now began to look up, and limited that the,
| had known Of Jacks return from the time of Ston
er's murder, and had aided and abeted his purpos
es in every way in their poweri furnishing hin
with fresh horses, when the noble animal he rod
back from the States became fdtguod assistin,
ms flight and concealment and furnishing him witt
information, as well as spreading the eXaggerate
stories about him. One bluff old fellow remarked
You are fools to talk about Jacks being crazy
He's as calm and cold as frosty morning up il
old Kentuck; and his heads as clear as a bell !
He's just got his Indian-fghtin' and Tory hating
blood walked up in them by them stripes. That
blood you know that's more dangerous than cata
mount, when it once gets riz
Jack was now frequently seen, but it was know
that his work was only half done, and that he mean
| to finish IT, and he was reTarded with 0reat curios