Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1845-03-20
RUTLAND, THURSDAY. MARCH 20 lsij

over our lfoauers iorlned a TALL yiag ground
snj hcadQusrter hefe--s em,ngly WITH
the de,ef TN tnation 10 bold the country good
agssna the intrusion OF oil hones persons,
and ~ a soU Of "Alss,ia" OF the Wcs,, for
the protection Of ooi,a VS. and villains Of ev-
cry grade. And indeed 10 such an extent
had the prose npion, been carried thai II
had become VIGOROUSLY as much as mans
Iifc or conscience was worth who setled
smosg them with any worthy purpose in
view iof he must either fall into their con.
frdrracy-lcave or die This was perfect.
~ understood and The object of,his eonfed.
eracy may be readily appreciated, when It
IL known rhai every now and then party
OF mcn would sally on, from their settle.
men,, painted and equipped like Cuman-
chees, with tho view OF carrying of tho hor'
Sos plunderlng, or numbering some marked
man ofa neighboring county then rc,yr
ming with great speed, they would re b5lnd
their plunder resume their accustomed MP
peArance, and defy pursuit or ,nves, gatIon.
Not only did they band together for their
operations ia this way, but n single man
would carry ofa fine horse or commit a
murder with the most open audachy, ma
if he only succeeded in escaping here, was
publicly protected do not mean TO have
i, understood that the whole population at
this time were men OF snch stamp avowedly
There were some few whose wealth to a
degree protected them in The obser vance. OF
a more seemingly lfe-thoueh they were
compelled at least TO wink al the dolngs of
their moro rutfilny and more rulnons
neighbors; while there was yet another,
but not a large class, oil sturdy. Nraightfor.
ward engrsnls, who, attracted solely by
the beauty Of the country. had come into ii,
se,IleI themselves down wherever they
took hncy--with characteristic reckless.
ness neither caring nor cnq1IfIng who were
their neighbors, but trusting IN their own
stout arms and hearts 10 keep n footing -
OF course all such were very soon engaged
in desperate ieuds with the horse thieves and
plunderers around them and as they were
moi sc; strong enough TO make head ELI
clenty were one after anott er finally Gust,
ed or shot Il was TO eS,crmnatc this hon.
est lass thatthc NOR lawl.ss mud brutal of
the other associated themselves and assumed
tho name of Regulators" They number
ed from eight 10 ,welve-nnd under the or
gdnlzlilon OF rangers, COMMANDED by
bea.ly wretch named Hluch, they profess
ed 10 undertake the task Of purifying the
county Limits Of all bad &snsricious charac.
tiers, or IN other words, of all men who
dared refuse 10 be as vile as they were-or
II they were who chose 10 act independents
y Of them and their schemes This pre-.
cous brotherhood soon became the scourge
Of ali tina, region. Whenever an indivsiu.
al was unfortunate enough to make himself
obnoxious to them, whether by n successful
vlllainly the proceeds OF which he re.
fused TO share with them, or By the hate.
iul contrast OF the proprlety Of his course -
he was lonhwnh surrounded -lhrcn,cned -
had his stock driven of or killed wanlony
and II these annoyanccs and hints were
no, sufficient to drive him away, they would
publicly warn him TO leave the county in q
ccran number OF days, under tho penalty
OF being scourged or shot. The common
prdext for this was the accusation of hay
Jog committed some crime, which they
themselves had pcrpc,ra,ed with the view Of
furnishing n charge to bring against HIM
Their hate was entirely ruthless aud never
stopped short Of accom- plishng lis purposes
and in many a bloody fray and cruel outrag,
had the question Of their supremacy been
nootcl, until at last there were bu, few Jeff
to dispute with them, nnl they tyran
lzed ut Will.
Among these few there vas Jack Long
as he was called, who neither recognized
nor denied their power and indeed never
troubled himself ubou, them one way or The
other He kept himself to himself and
hunted INC, ssanlly, and nobody knew much
about him. lack had come OF "wild ,ur
key breed as the western term is for n
rowing family, and though still young
onan, had pushed on ahead Of the seulemcn
oftwo .prrnorlcs, and had At las blIowe.
the game towards the south, AMI finding i
abundant in Shelby county had STONED
here, just as be would have stopped a, IN,
foot OF the Rocky Moun,nlns. had it beer
necessary 10 pursue It 80 far Hr had nev
CT been IN the habit Of asking leave Of an,
power where he should settle and ofcours,
scarcely Thought ofthr necessity ofdoing 5,
now; bm qaitIy set 10 wofk-bui. him,
n nice log cabin, as far off from evcrvboI,
40 he could gd II. And the first thing Ia
was known Of him, he had his pretty goonl
= wife and two lmIe once saugly slowed n
=" way in II. and was staying the deer anC
n. bears night and left
IT. The honest brotherhood had made sew
s. eral attempts Al feeling Jack 5 pn.c ani os
III ceT;aluIng his availability but be had aI
n. ways seemed so impassSeIy good na,ured
m and put them Of so pl'asantly, that ,hcy
10. could fni no grounds for either disturbing
IN or quarreling with him VIVA, was more
". he was physIcaisy rather an ugly lookin.
er customer" with his six fee, four inches o
lie Drawn and bone; though The inclination