Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-05-15
VOLUME A6.-NUMBER Ill.

quite dead. During all the time when
these violent aud active demonstrations
were being male, and the whole populs.
lion astir end on the alert. nothing fur.
Their was heard Of the Bearded Msdman.
Not even FAINT glimpses Of him were OBJ
tanned, and Hnch and his parry, while
returning from the hanging mentioned
above, were congratulaiing themselves
upon the result OF his sagaci,y, which, as
they bolsterous.y affirmed, had been moth
ing less than the routing of this tormida.
BILE conspiracy and the Tightening Of this
crazy phantom from the field. They felt
SO sure Of being rid OF him now, that they
dlsbanded at the grocery 10 return to their
homes.
One Of their number named Rees, al
most as bad and bruiel man as Hinch
himself, was going home alone late that
evening. AS he rode past Ticket in
full view of his own door, his wife, who
was standing in it watching bic approach,
saw blm suddenly stop his horse aud turn
his head with a quick movement towards
the ,hlcket--in the next moment blue
smoke sprung up from il, and the ring Of
rifle shocked upon her ear. She saw
her husband pitch forward on, Of the sad
die upon his face, and thought she could
Distinguish tall figure stalking rapidly
OFT through the open wood beyond, with
rife on his shoulder. She screamed
the alarm, and with the negroes around
her, run to him. They found him entire.
| ly dead, shot through The eye, the ball
passing out at the back part Of the head.
A perfect bleze Of universal phrensy burst
lorta al the first news OF this fourth muir.
der, but when the curious circumstance
noted above followed on after il, very
different effects and great changes in The
character ofthe excitement were produc.
ed. When Hinch was told that Rees had
been shot through the eye. and that, from
the course OF the bah in the other cases,
it was probable that all the others had
been shot in the same way, he turned
livid as the dead of yesterday--his knees
smo,e together--and with a hoTrid bias
phemy he roared out 'Jack Long, Jack
Long!" then sinking his voice to multer
Tor his ghost come back for vengeance"
Other citizens not connected with the reg.
ulators, felt greatly relieved now that this
Inscutable affair was, TO some degree,
explained. They remembered a, once
the peculiar circumstances of Jacks not.
ed mark, and the lynching he had receiv-
ed, though many still persisted in the be.
lief that It was Jacks ghost, for they said
-"How could it be any thing else, when
the Regulators lett him for dead Z"
But, ghost or no ghost, il was univer-
sally believed that Jack Long and his III
fie were identified somehow with the ac-
tor in these deeds. The designation OF
the heads, IN the other instances, had pre-.
vented this discovery until now but eve.
~ body brenthed more freely since il had
been made. 1t was the painfully hsrass.
ing uncertainty as to the object Of these
assasslnations-wa any individual
IN the county might not be the next vic
tIm. and the propensity for murder ind:s.
crlmnate-which had caused such deep
excitement, and induced the people TO
aid the Regulators. But now that this
uncertainty was fixed upon the shoulders
of the "Bloody Bsnd," and their own
freed of the unpleasant burden they were
greatly disposed 10 enjoy the thing, and,
instead OF assisting them any further, to
wish Jack success from the bottom OF
their hearts. They felt that every one
OF these wretches deserved to die thous-
and times at all events, whether il was
a single issue between him aud the Regu.
ators, and no one felt the slightest inciua-
II to interfere. Those who prolessed to
be very logical in solving the question, as
to what he really was, reasoned thst il
must BE- Jack, in she body, beyond a
doubt; but that It was equally certsin
that the injuries he received must have
deranged his mind, and that il was from
the fever OF insanity that he derived the
wonderful skill and sternness OF purpose
which he displayed. They could not un-
derstand how nature so easy and sim
pie as Jacks was reported to have been,
could 5s reused by any natural energies
OF slumberng passion 10 such terrific
deeds. Those OF Jacks own class, VINO
had escaped the extermnatIng violence
oi Hlnchs hate. now began TO look up
and come out from their hiding Places
They laughed at all these versions abou;
Jack, and insinualed that he was calm as
May morning, and that his head was
clear as a bell. One lesty old fellow
broke loose with something more than
InsInuatIon. in crowd OF men III the
store who were discussing the mater,
"You all are pack Of fools 20 talk about
his being ghost or crazy man. tell
you he's alive as snakes tongue ell
over. and leetle venemouser. As for
beIn' cracked in the bore, he talks il out
Jest as clean as his long gun where's been
dom all this work. | let YOU know,
Jack come of Tory-hsiin' Injun fghlin'
generation, and that's blood wber's hard
to cool when it gets riz. Them stripes
has sot his bristles up. and il u lake
some blood TO slick 'em down again."
Hnch heard Of this bold talk, and half
maddened between rage and fear, made
one moro desperate effort to get the re-
mainder OF his company together. They
were now afraid TO ride singly; and those
who were nearest nsghbors collected the
night before under an escort OF their ne
groes, and started for the rendezvous at