Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-09-30


Snake y ohnson is man Of considerable
nolorieiy al Port Lavacca, Texas, where
he keefs.a store with a email assortment
of dry goods and groceries, principally
Of whiskey {; and, 10 use his own words,
makes Hdecent and respectable living
Snakeis a man Of small prelensions. and
honestly avows that .'he wasn't brought
up no ways Superior 10 most folks, aud
sin't 'tnoarcount at algebray, but knows as
well asinost folks that when he gives ten
dollarsFor berri!l of whiskey, and re.
tails il out for eighty, he can't be losin'
much.tn There is nothing remarkable
about lbe. appearance Of Mr. Johnson. He
is tall, round. shouldered, powerfully built !;
has gotta long, sharp piercing gray
eyes, ashard mouth. and good many
lines onshis face that indicate courage and
cunning, In his district he is looked up
to as pretty sharp sort Of chap, and has
held ,belafice Of sheriff.
Whils Sitting IN the head Of an empty
'Ehiskey:barrel a short time since in his
shop at the Port, surrounded by number
ofneigh60rs, steamboatsmen. recruits, &C.,
the subject Of his having been sheriff oil
The country was brought up. . g.. s-'
Snake,oo out his plug Of tobacco. cut
off small piece, pul i, into his mouth,
shu, up his jack-knife, said, "Did ! ever
tell yol, gentlemen, about my aclin', in
my official capacity as sheriff Of this ere
county soon afer | was elected :"
"Noitno !" exclaimed dozen voices,
"lel's have it,"
.Welsgeltlemcu,' said Snake, ii wou'l
be ugly,5an' as l don'l think auy OH ye
hev heerd it afore, | don't mind relain'
the circumstance You all on You know,
an those that don't will Know it now, that
] alters act right up 10 the mark and dom
do uothin contrary 10 law, 10 say nuthin
o. gospel
'Oh, Eve know! we know = was the
general exclamation.
N.Welllhen, that's pint's settled, an I'm
glad on3it, coz shouldn't like to hev he'd
fight aethe first start, an | should hev
sartinly licked The first feller that sed he
didn,tkaow it. Well. 10 continnu, soon
arter I'd been 'lecied sheriff, was siltin
out thar onto the door step, tbinkin2 il
was about lime to hev job, when two
chaps cane d ridin' down the road as e
a hull tribe Of Injuns was rearin' and
pitchin7 arter 'em. They charged right uE
t0llie daafapd axed me if knowed the
sheriff EIsp,.d 'emI he'd seen him once'
lsoeiNaca hey anfei is.ts Aaspo,s-ssha
they could find him. an I told ''em reck
ened he was sitliu' OH his door sleP.-
oh sed they, .be you Snake Johnson!
l told 'ein rerkeGed ! was the ouly maT
o that name in these parts, AMI was slIsr
itf of the county o boot. Well, they go
Off an passed small sample of old hale
face behind their shirt collars, an' SET
they'll come 10 get me to execute the sen
teuce Of the law. Well, gentlemen, ses
I'm perfectly agreeable! I'm alters OF
hand, an' as sheriff Of this county | vii
see ha, bis majesty The law shall be obey
ed accordin' 10 Hoyle J.
Well jest trouble you to mount you
horse and come up 10 --, sed they
a small town about six miles back here
gentlemen Well was little kind o
Gurus TO know what was expected to do
so Just axed GIN. Seys they, View,
got feler up there ;nal's been convicted
Of horse steain' an is sentenced to b
hung. aud we want you to execute hin
acc0rdin' TO, law. We could hev huns
him ourselves. but we didn't want TO he,
no Iynchn' about it, and determined II
hev the sheriff, who is duty authorized II
bopo folks IN choke him off' ~.
We'll, gentlemen, | saddled up old San
Ia Anna, an' we started off When / go
10 the place thar was about hundred
folks thar waitin' for me, some gray
headed old chaps, an some red.headet
young ones, an thar was The culprit, too
about as mean a lookin' while man as
ever did see; he was res'lar built Gus
an when he was pin,ed ou didn't zee
very bad at the idea Of hangu' of him
Good = exclaimed one of his auditors
.Goodr said the uarrator.' Maybe yo,
wouldn't think it good, If you he'd you
neck as clos't 10 moose as his was Well
as | was sayin' thar they were. An oil,
feller come up to me, shuk hauds. an' Sc
he, Mister Sheriff, you've been called a
, the leg Representative Of the law to ham
j that miserable cuss char who has bee
convicted of horse stealin', so do your dul
an put him out Of his misery as soon a
possible .3ra,
Certainly, sir, Ssays !, kind o sliG', an
f disniGed, where's The document!' -
Fetch the document J. says the old fel
Ter, an 10 about half a minute ano:he
chap took long coil O. hemp rope out 9
his saddle bugs, and handed it to me-
! This is. the rope ses l. Yes, sirT. Sc
he. 'Bu, want the order Of the court fo
his execution ses-I Order h-ll!!' Sc
, the old feler,. kind O. rfled; he aint ha
, no court trial = T.
! .lNha,!' ses 7, faint had no court ,ria
. an' you want me TO hang him! I 'air
] apoin' to hang no man without fair lria
III =, ,,int mn ysy 10 do thinps,'