Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-09-28
An Appeal 10 Heaven.
NJ A. n. en,rsss.

. i
Late in the feil of 1880, Grand Prairie
iii Illinois, was burned over u,te hight, aud
III t,iietise ntfiount of daniage done I'd The
farmers living in and aong its edge. MI,
uerolis iences destroyed. and crops OF corn,
read. for gathering were laid waste; while
nnmnerla4s stacks Of grain and hay, put
nj luf the Wiiter ilse were set on fire
aud buried to The atouhd. The havo,s
was worse because of the conhagration
coming suddenly aud quite unexpectedly,
IA when the night came on no fire was dis
ceriihle and such burtings Were invariably
perceived long before night set in, md
warned the lt,rniers to he prepared But
the evening Of, this catastrophe, when the
sun went down and darkness covered the
prairie 20 smoke arose from The southern
edge Of the plain. nor could any lnrid glare
be seen resting upoh tile sky to i,i,licate
the grass was OH fire. As it generally
took a whole night for the flames 10 cross
the prairie, all the farmers living OH the
northern edge retired to their beds in ap-
parent security. But in the middle Of the
night mauy Of tbsm were awakened to
find tlleir lences on fire, their habitations
surrounded by flames, and in sonie instances
even the houses in a bright b'aze, from
which they with difficulty escaped alive
"a man whose family was composed Of u
wife and only daughter, the latter some
seventeen years ofage, who resided some
six miles in the Prairie, had has house les-
e., A 4
in the flames. The daughter was saved BY
the daring energies Of a young tnan NAM
ell Clyde who had discovered The fire and
arrived Just in time to tear her from the
building ere the roof fell III
The morning after the connanration the
inhabitants of the little village Of Button,
situated on the edge OF the pain, were set
in cesnmofiou by runners of the fire being
the work of some heaftless scounlrel who
had thus gratiied his malice upon some
individual by irl,uing the entire commune
ty. Those runors at lehgth became n FIX
ed faet Ms about ten o'clock uaii named
Gray, rowing character, with no oste,s-
bic means Of livelihood, appeared before
the squire of the village, and stated that he
wished warrant issued for tie arprelen-
sion of David Clyde, for setting tile prairie
Oh fire the previous evening, by which so
much waste of property and wanIon sacri-
flee OF life had occurred. I'D. .a......... ..
The warrant whs issued mud placed in
the hands Of the constable for serving and
while this official was absent in st arch of
Clyde, the young man himself came into
the squire q Office and entered comp aint
against Gray, but was informed that Gray
had first appeared aud obtained a warrant
for his arrest, which was then in the hands
of the constable. .-..
He seemed taken aback when he was
informed that Gray had first appeared, but
promising the squire that he would be
present at O'Clock that atternoon to ur1-
dergo an examination, he took his depar-
ttre. Word was sent to Gray TO be pre-
sent ut the appointed time and as the cusc
was All unusual one, tho Justices room was
crowded to hear the statements of the two.
Gray story was short. lie swore that
having woif trap set some distance out
in the prairie, he had taken mp his lodgings
near by il the night Of the fire, and about
IL O'Clock he was aroused by the howls
aud snars Of wolf, which had been
caught iii the trap. lie rose TO go to it
when he discovered horseman near by,
who dislnounted from his steed drew out
a steel, flint aud tInder from his pockets
aid striking light, thrust it in the dry
grass which instantly b,azcd up, and fav-
ored by strong southern wind. sped away
toward the settlement, and in the exact
Of Mr. Fishers house That the
hnrseman, whom he recognized as Mr.
Clyde. then mounted his horse aud rode
away. fsI fst' Gr-#
This statement had been listened to with
hreathess attention, aud as Gray had de.
livered it apparently III cool and truth.
lul manner, it had on=iderable weight
upon the audience, But it produced no
effect upon David Clyde The features of
The young man were as calm as ever, and
his countenallee underwent no chanye
during the recital of Gray. When the
latter was doue he rose to his feet and ex-
claimed
My statement of the facts as they oc-
urrea upon the evening Of that most de-
potab,e fire, will be much more minute
han that 81 my accuser, aud will occupy
nore time; but hope that not only the
Justice but the audience also. will listen |
patiently to what have to say. It is well
,nown " many here, that have a brother
esMing in Walnut Grove, aud upon the
light OF the fire | was returning from
,i-it TO him. When about ten miles the
,ther side Of Mr.. Fishers as was riding
eisure'y along, saw u man short dis,
nnce ahead Of me kneeling by the road
ide, and apparently eudeavoring to light
fire with steel aud tiider. started my
lorse into a gaIlop at the same instant
living a shout, and the man sprung to his
eet, bnt dropping burning lock Of grass
= he did SO into the Irairie, the dry hay
# which was instantly in a blaze.
.Scoundrel. | exc aimed in a lond
atp haI I rs h, I,,. |