The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-10-31
RU' BELL THE STRIKER
A SOUTH. WESTERN SKETCH.
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BY WILL WHIPPLE

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,Of Columbia, on The banks Of the Mssissip
Ipi al that time place Of some local inter
est, from lhe fact Of rufian being impris'
Oned there previous TO his trial for murders
lag maG. The victim OF this feroclOus
murder had called at Stewards house after
sunset and begged lodging for the nigh
which was granted; but after The man had
sought The resting place pointed ouI 10 him
Stewart, IN a spirit of brutal sPorl, sci his
dogs upor him and urged them on until the
poor fellow after vainly attempting TO de-
lend himself from their attacks, was i,era,-
Iy torn to pieces, and then flung Out of doors
10 die.
The circumstances OF this horrible mur-
der may still be fresh in the memory Of
many buy The details of the capture Of the
murderer have never, we believe, been
made public. And as lhe personages cons
cerned in the arrest, together with the mode
IN which it was performed, afford a fine op-
Iporunity for exempli(ying some of The pc
cuiarlies of South. Western character, We
shall give the relation ss we heard it from
Tho mouth of one of the actors, indeed Ihe
principal in the affair. Bot TO begin at the
beginning.
About two weeks after leaving Columbia
we were standing al The door of small
house in the Iiue town of JonesboIo,' on
the WashlIa, and consisting Of five or six
log dwellings and a cotton shed Of the same
primitive architecture. Near where we
Stood were Two Arkansawyers, as they call
themselves, in earnest conversation, in the
course cl which one Of them used a phrase
which, though common at The South, was
At least new 70 us, II was.--AM he's q
STRIKER.
Now, although curiosity is said to be tie
peculiar prerogatIvG OF woman, we must
confess that man likewise has no small
share Of the same IickIIsh propensity; at
east we feIt it on that occasion, and step
ping forward said:
MY friend, wha! do you mean by
IrikelF
The man eyed US for moment, and then
.epicd--
why you see slranger-but stop a Bit,
dIl | take Prginny feast
"A Virginia FEAST thought we; what is
thar
We soon knew, for after diving into the
recesses of his cspacious pockets, ho drew
forth large piece Of chewing tobacco, and
after offering it 10 US with Have a chawF
he bit of sufficient TO poison horse, and
rolling il to HE side of his cheek, commec-
ed his explanation afresh-
why, yon see, sIraDger-Moses and
Aaron war strikers, George Washington
war striker, Gineral Jackson wa: a slrIk-
Gr, and that man thar, pointing 10 an indl-
IvduaI at short distance of, 'he's striker
and no mistake He aint felt his oats for
uothiu, tell ye.'
The definition puzzled US little, but
wo made out enough of it to understand
that all persons who perform deeds OF
IpTowess are strikers
The man thar indicated as a striker.
ws5 a Short lean, muscular man, dressed ~
The white blanket coat. With black stripes
round lhe skiI and over The shoulders, 80
common TO lhe South. lie bore 10 ne
bend Of his arm long rife, and at his side
a stained and greasy leather pouch for bull
lets, from which also depended long hun1
ing.knile in lis sheath.
After taking this survey. ~e turned 10
our new acquaintance and said
'Whai has he done, 10 have that lille Civ
en- hlmf
'Done-whaI, Ru' Bell! Didn'I he cap.
uvate Dick Steweart'
'Ihis then was the man who performed
that exploit thought we looking q. him
with sIlll more interest. for the fame Of the
deed spread far and wide through those
primitive regions, and we inwardly wshel
We could hear him relate lhe manner in
which It was achieved. A few days afier,
wards We we're graIiGed.