Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-07-18

daring conduct of the whole affair, we're very
imposing to their associations and prepos.
sessions, and they sympathized heartily with
him. 1t was only while the general uncer-
tainty left every man in doubt whether his
own person might not be next the object of
this murderous aim, that the public were dis
posed 10 back tho Rangers in whatever vic.
lent measures they might choose to resort to,
TO drag the secret TO light, and the actor to
punishment; but that it was apparent his
whole hate was levcllcd against the Rangers,
and all that uncertainty was confined TO
them, be he devil, ghost, mailman, or Jack
Long, the public had no intention of inter-
fering again. Ii was a personal issue be-
tween him and them--hey might settle i.
between themselves Indeed, men felt in
their Utmost hearts that every man of the ten
engaged IN the lynching of Jack Long de-
served dozen times over to be shot and
now they looked on cooly, rather ENJOYING
the thing, and earnestly hoping that Jack
might have the best of il.
And of this there seemed n bc a s,rono
probability for the Regulators made only
one more attempt to get together; but an
other of their number being killed, on his
way to the rendezvous, his body bearing that
well known and fearful signature of skill,
the remaining five, perfectly unnerved and
overwhelmed with terror, retreated TO their
houses, and scarcely dared for several weeks
to put their heads outside of their own doors.
The class to which Jack had belonqed. al,
least those of them who had managed to keep
a footing during the relentless prescription of
the Regulators, now began to look M, and
limited that they had known of Jacks return
from the time Of Stoner's murder, and had
aided and allotted his purposes in every way
in their power; furnishing him with fresh
horses, when the noble animal he rode bacl,
from the States became fatigued; assisting
his flight and conccalment, and furnishing
him with information, as well as spreading
the exaggerated stories about him. One
bluff old fellow remarked:
you are fools to talk about Jacks being
crazy! He's as calm and cold as a frosty
morning up in old Kentuck and his heat
as clear as bell ! He's just got hs Indial
fgh'in' and Tory-hating blood walked up il
him, by them stripes. That's blood 20,
know that's more dangerous than a cata
mount, when il once gets riz y
Jack was now frequently seen, but il wa
known that his work was only half done
and that he meant to finish it, and he wa
regarded with great curiosity and awe. TIL
five wretched men were entirely unstrun
and panic-stricken. They made no altemy
at retaliation, but all their hope seemed t
IIein the effort to get out of his reach. Tina
long and heavy rifle haunted them dav an
, night. They saw its dark muzzle bearn
on them from every bush, and through til
chinks Of their own cabins
One of them, named White, was an in
vetcrate topper, with all his terror, could nc
resist his inclination for liquor, and after
confinement Of nearly three weeks, deter
mined to risk all and go to the store and bu
him barrel. lie went in a covered wag
gon, driven by a negro, while he lay stretch
ed on the bottom in the straw. The barr.
I of liquor was obtained-he cot into the wae
gon-lay down beside it, and started 70
home. III the way he never raised his hea
until, near the mouth of his lane, a log ha
I been placed on the side of the road, whic
f tilted up the Wagon in passing over it so q
10 roll the barrel on him. lie forgot his can
ton, and sprang up with his head out of tn
cover to curse the boy for his carclcssnes
, and that moment rifle was discharged. II
fell back dead-shot through the eye! TIL
, boy said that his master suddenly cut sho
his oath and exclaimed, There he is =
the moment the gun fired. lie saw ia
man with beard hanging down on h
breast, and dressed IN skins, walking o
o through the brush with his rifle on his shou
= der.
9 The next man, named Garnet, about tw
f weeks after this, got up one morning abo,
n sunrise, and in his shirt-sleeves stepped /
!. his door and threw II open to breathe III
4 fresh air. He was rubbing his eyes, bein
h about half asleep; and when he got the
n fairly open there stood the gaunt avenger be
r side a tree in the yard-the fatal rifle levc
led, and waiting ill his victim should see hi
4 distinctly. He did see him-but il was h
a last look The bullet went crashing thr
r his brain too Long is said to have to
d one OF his friends that he never in sing
$ instance shot one of the men ill he was Gel
n tain the man saw and recognized him fully
IT All were now gone but Hinch and the tw
d youngest men of the party, Williams and d;
i Wis. The two latter were permitted to e'
!, cape. Whether it was from relenling on Il
!. part of the dread avenger,-or that he ha
j. observed some trifling thing in their demeal
or on the occasion of the outrage lie wi
= punlshng, which recommended them to me
d cy now that his resentment had so deep
4 drank of the bitter delight of atonement,
r that in his anxiety to secure Hinch, he col
N fined his efforts and watchfuIness to hi
IN alone-I do not know. They made force
y and secret sale Of their property, and clea
: ed out during the night. But it was f
" Hinch he had with passionless calculate,
OF reserved the most inconceivable torture. /
v had passed him by all this time, while OIL
. after the other he struck down the tools al
III companions of his crimes. lie doomed hi
to to see them falling around HIM with the ce
r. tain knowledge that the avenging hate viii
rs slew them burned with ten-fold intensity
lis his life that il must and would have il !!
q. But when would the claim be made I! Shou
~ he be the next one No the next on,
H. No! But then each succeeding death,
,ir sure to take one of their number, drove aw
" every sophism of hope, and realized to h
ke in bare and stern horror that his own f
ad was as fixed as theirs. As each one
- away the circle of doom narrowed --slow
n steadily closing in about him. Soon tn
CHI would be no one left but him How co
Nv he call an hour his ownl When couldhe
he saiel that relentless subtlety had bafled III
EN- all ! One, two, three, four, five, six, Sc,
4 4 4 L. Al.