The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-03-14
From the Democratic Review.
THE SHOT IN THE EYE.
A Story Of Texas Border Life.
nj c., WILKINS EIMI.

NV word for it, reader, should never
have veniured 10 construct protested ro-
nance out of incidents SO wild and strange
as those of this narration. 1t is only with
the hope that you will accept in good
faith the assurance given inthe same spi-
rit. that these things surely did occur
while was in the country, and most OF
them within my personal knowledge
,ha, venture TO relate them at all. Re-
member. the scene is laid in frontier
county of Texas. and if you have even'a
remote conception of the history Of that
Republic and the general character of its
social elements. you will be prepared for
a good deal. But, though you might even
have visited its cities and older settle
men,s, You would still find i, difficult TO
realize all that is true of frontier life, un
less by extended travel and experience
your faith should be forfeited.-When
you can have to say, as can. what mine
eve have seen and ears heard'-on that
ground alone you will be 'ft audience
though few to receive as matter Of
course, relations which would doubtless,
for the moment, shock others as mon
s!rous in improbability, If not impossible
i,y: The man of high civilization will
find difficulty in understanding how such
a deed as am about to relate, requiring
months to consummate, would have been
carried through in the open face of law
and the local authorties-but the man
who knows this frontier will tell him tina,
the rifle and bowie knife are all the law
and local authority recognized. Witness
the answer President Houston gave when
application was first made 10 him for his
interposlion with the civil force to quell
the bloody Regulator Wars which after
wards sprang up in this very same coun-
try-'Fight it ont among yourselves, and
be Id 10 your A speech entirely
characteristic of the man and the country,
as it then was II was in the earlier
stages Of the organization Of this same
Regulator association that our story COM
mences.
Shelby county, lying in Western Tex
as, on the border of the Red Lands was
rather thinly settled in the latter part Of
80. What population it had was gener-
ally the very worst caste of border life.
The bad and desperate men who had been
driven over our frontier formed a raIlying
ground and head quarters here-seeming-
ly with the determination to hold the
country good against the intrusion OF all
honest persons, and as sort of 'Alsalia
of the West, for the protection of outlaws
and villains Of every grade. And indeed
to such an extent had his prescription
been carried that i, had become notorious
ly as much as a mans life or conscience
was worth who settled among them with
any worthy purpose in view for he must
either fall into their confederacy-leave
or die This was perfectly understood /;
and the objects of this confederacy may
be readily appreciated, when it is known
that every now and then party Of men
would sally out from this settlement, pain
ted and equipped like Comanches, with
the view Of carrying off the horses, plum
derng, or numbering some marked man
OF neighboring county; then returning
with great speed, they would re-band their
plumber, resume their accustomed appear
ance, and defy pursuit or investigation.
Not only did they band together for their
operations in this way, but a single man
would carry off fine horse or commit a
murder with The most open audacity. and
If he only succeeded in escaping here,
was publicly protected. l do no, mean
to have il understood that the whole pop
ulaion at this time were men Of such
stamp avowedly.
. There were some few whose wealth 10
degree protected them in the observan-
ces of more seemly life-though they
were compelled to at least wink at the
doings OF their ruflianly and more numer.
Gus neighbors while there was yet an
other, but not large class, of sturdy,
straightforward emigrants, who, attracted
solely by the beauty Of the country, had
come into it, settled themselves down
wherever they took fancy-with char.
acteris,ic recklessness neither caring nor
enquiring who were their neighbors, but
trusting in their own stout arms and hearts
to keep footing. OF course all such
were very soon engaged in desperate
feudes with the horse thieves and plum
derers around them; and as they were
no, yet strong enough TO make head eff
cien,ly-werc one after another finally
ousted or shot. II was to extsrminate
this honest class tina, the more lawless and
brutal Of the other associated themselves
and assumed The name Of Regulators.
They numbered from eight TO twelve