Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-11-23
col. IIavxl..ns ana the coart.

specimen OF the daredevil frontier man that ever
saw, at least in Alabama His real name was Jim
Fielder-to which his neighbors frequently added
the expressive prefix DEVIL And he snas Devil
fearing neither God man. nor beast and if not nvul
nerable possessing at least tenacity of life that
most astonishing He had been once struck down
with broadaxe and his brain absolutely cloven to
considerable DEPTH and for several inches in length
yet he made no particular difficulty of surviving and
that, too with all his faculties uninjured. Is
The /" Colonel7 beingwhat, in his region and times,
was called cow-driver, had cultivated the art OF
equitation, until he and his favorite bay--whom ne
named He'll became perfect centaur No feat
was too difficult for them. have myself seen them
do things which would make the gallant Col. Mays
blood run cold He'll the most perfectly trained
animal that ever saw followed his master like
dog and when the Colonel got drunk and lay in the
road, would stand by him and guard him for hours
"Col Hawkins" used to be very fond of attending
the Circuit Courts of his county at which, after
time, he became an insuferabe nuisance. The Sher-
IFS were always afraid of him the tavern-keepers
dreaded him and the Judges never could get hold of
him. In one of his mad Freaks have seen him.
while court in session, mounted on HeIn charge
up the steps and into one door of the Court House,
furiously along the aisle, and with tremendous leap
clear the steps, out of the other. al
I remember we'll the first session at which I ever
saw him. Court was held, temporarily in two
story wooden building; end of which rested on
the ground, the other (the front) being on brick
work, or blocks, two or three feet high. A Judge
was preSluInS whose QlSClngulSneQ was Gyrdn-
ical petulance-a judicial wasp whose sting
protruding His Honor, however, met his match in
COl Hawkins, and, no doubt, thinks of him to this
day with emotins of horror.
For the first day two of the court week. our he
TO being rather sober behaved remarkably well but
about the middle of the week he got on regular
froic and Immediately turned his attention to the
disturbance of the court. For this purpose he had
prepared number of leaves of bread, and collecting
all the scraps of the kitchen of his tavern he pro-
IL
citadel was impregnable side, by reason of the
house having one end on the ground and all the
other approaches the Colonel ndustriously fortified
by building walls of large loose rocks leaving only
single entrance, and few portfolios through
which he might cast his missiles at any adventurous
besieger. -.ss.-,3-...5.
Here it must be remarked, that the town was par
hcuiarly populous an the dog 1rdy-f that be not a
solecism- Jim being aware Of the fact had pro-
Vided himself with a hunting horn, an instrument on
which he was a most capital performer. There were
in the village at the time think three full packs
of hounds; and as to the ours though never took
their census, can certify that they multitude
nous. ~
Prepared now at all points, the Colonel took his
place within his fort" and waited until sound Of
busting from above indicated that the court was
transacting business. Then, toot too to-toc totoo
foot, toot toot went his horn
Three " several and distinct simultaneous bowls,
from different quarters of the town. responded to the
blast! -...,
loot! toot totoo to-too! foot! foot! foot
Again three dire bowls responded but this time
they seemed conyerging to common centre-Jim's
SubcuriGn ratification ....-..
"My God, Mr.. Sheriff. said the little tiger on the
bench, what is all that blowing and bowling a.
bout ~
al spose," replied the Sheriff. with wild look fo1
he knew the Tartar he had to deal with g s'pose
its comp'ny of hunters going out after deer"
"WaI'-the Judge invariably sounded the in
wsll, short" WAL my God do the hunters of this
country hunt the public square ~ .r
1oOt tOot too to-hoo to-to-to-to tohoot went Jm's
horn again and the hounds, with multitude of their
half brethren Hof low degree having by this time
assembled under the house, sent up long, loud
and most deafening response. Jim then gave them
all bread and meat scraps in token of their ap
proyal. He then blew another blast,' and again
fifty sixty canine Threats beched forth the hdeous
sounds!
A'M My God! Mr.. Sheriff, I fine you ten dollars,
said the rritated Judge"G Go and stop that noise.'
The Sheriff went down, and having ascertained the
strength of the Coones position, endeavored to
him out
"Come out Jim, old fellow, and I'll stand treat
WILL by George!'
"Toot! toot !" the reply and then the how
from the dogs who began to let themselves OUT
The Judge fined the first deputy, up stairs, five
dollars, for the new attack upon his nerves.
Several adventurous special deputies at length
under to take our hero by storm - but they very
soon returned with bruised heads and defled clio
thing Jim, with inimitable sang foid held the horr
to his mouth with hand while with the other h
sent his rocks with terrible effect at his assailants
His allies too the dogs gave him occasional sly as
sstance by nibbng at the more exposed parts of tn
persons of the invaders and these being obliged t.
20 "upon oil fours" under the house, these attack
in the rear" were in the highest degree yexatous
unpunishable
loot! toot toot!
Howl howl howl howl!
The contagion spread to the crowd assembled o.
the public square, ~. G....H
:. And each-for madness ruled tho hour
Would try his expressive pow'r."
Yell after yell went up from the crowd All wa
confusion and peal after peal of the odd and min
gled discord foated up, roar after roar of unsup
pressed laughter shook the Courtroom!
The Judge was pale with rage, Every fibre of hi
frame trembled with excitement but he could onl
fne-so he fined the Sheriff an hundred dollars 70
reporting the Colonels fort mpregnable, himself in
vncible and his forces determined to stand to hin
to a dog! He then adjourned court, "until the nu
sance could be abated'
AS soon as the Colonel perceived that he had STOP
ped all legal proceedings, he suspended his blasts
and dealt out double rations to his forces From on
of his PORTFOLIOS in front, observing that the Judg
strolling about the square, and that the She
riff was consulting with dozen Or SO of his friend
he watched his opportunity, and horn in hand,
slipped out unperceyed except by friends, and reaet
ed his steed which was tied in the bushes near By
Mounting He'll" he blew blast so loud and long
that every hound responded at once and in MI
nent more, dashed in upon the square, with his 70
lowers in full cry! Here he went, "like mad :" no
clearing an old woman and her cake stand at iuml
and now bounding lightly over group of half d.
zen on a fallen log. Ye gods! how the crowd sea
tered Espying the Judge, he dashed up to him
circled round him, in Camanche style, and BLOWN
his horn the while, evoked the most hideous how
from his troop! Round and round he dashed-tf
Judge petrifed in centre, paved, mouthed, and SINE