The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-12-13


drossHtag.
We learn from Capt. Bachelor, as we'll
as from several others of his passengers
who were witnesses Of this bloody scene
the following particulars Of feaffuf trage=
dy, enacted at the town Of Cairo, at the
mouth Of the Ohio. The character who
performed such desperate deeds was free
negro, we'll in this city by the name
Of Joe Spencer.
He had established a sort of floating no.
tel at that point, was a sharp fellow at eve-
ny game, and, as the sequel proves, was
afraid of nothing human, and in his last
moments-surrounde by an infuriated mob,
armed with death-dealing guns, cut off from
oil chances Of escape, alone out in the riv-
er, en- a burning boat, with the red hot fire
Kissing and wreathing around him, and COM
pletely encircled by living flame-he de-
fed and denounced his enemies in the most
daring way; and with the direct impreca-
tions on his lips, and armed with all his
weapons-a rifle, shotgun and revolver,
he plunged into the river and disappeared
forever. ..
THE CAIRO TRADEDY.-A negro by the
name of Joe Spencer, who kept hotel on
board of the wharf-boat at Cairo, was sued
for sixty dollars. When the officers went
to serve a summons on him he swore he
wouldn't go, and said there were not men
enough in the place 10 make him. He f.
nally by good deal of persuation, agreed
to 90. On his road to the Squires Office he
got keg of powder, took it in hand, while
he held revolver in tho other went into the
office and told the Squire that if he did not
release him he would blow the whole party
to HI.
They were afraid of him, and SO allowed
him to 60 back to the river. When he got
back, he went into fatboat, which he had
fitted up for boarders, and defed the town
TO take him. By this time the mob had be-
come large and very much excited, and
seemed determined that he should be taken
and the law obeyed. Thy tried for some
time to get him out, but could not succeed,
At length they concluded 10 scuttle the
boat and let her sink, but the first that near
ed her for that purpose was received with a
discharge of buckshot from the negro inside,
The firing now become general on both
sides, the negro having the advantage, be-
ing inside, In the attempt to sink the fiat
boat, five men were shot, some rather eri.
ously, but none were killed. They soor
found the advantage too much in the negro;
! favor; and the cry was raised to set the boat
on fire, and then went to work to carry il
into execution. Here another party be.
came interested in the tragedy. There were
three steamboats, laying near the fatboat
and their officers saw at glanCe that if the
fatboat was set on fire, the steamboats woul(
all of them be burnt up, so they put in thei
protest sgainst setting her on fire, unless
she was pulled out in the stream.
The mob paid but little attention to tht
officers at first, but they soon found, wher
they discovered four or five of them with
their rifles, that they were in earnest, as they
swore they would shoot the man that woult
attempt to set heron fire where she was.-
This was an attack in the rear and a little
more than was bargined for, and thinking
that they could not stand the fire of des
perate negro and a few determined men ir
the rear, the mob concluded that "discre
ton was the better part of valor," got {
yawl, made line fast to the fatboat, ant
commenced pulling her out into the stream
at the same time two men boarded her ant
set her on fire, but at considerable risk, al
the negro kept blazing away at them when
ever chance offered.
When they got her out about hundred
yards the negro cut the line that was towing
him and went adrift. The boat was all in :,
blaze at one end, when the negro came ou
on the other, clapped his hand on his breast
swore he was king of the black race, AM
would die like a man. The wind blowing
off the shore at the time, carried the boa
across the liver, and the steamboats, wer
saved. At this time the negro disappeare
for while, and all supposed he had destroy
ed himself, when he presently appeared will
a section of stove, and making one end e
a line fast to it, and the other end to hi
neck, overheard he went, and never cam
up, which was the last of the negro, an en-
to Cairo Tragedy."-LouisviAe Courier.
NUMBER OF THE INMATES OF LUNATI
AsYLuMs.-At the period of the censu'
y there were in the various lunatic asylum
S and other institutions for the reception
= the insane in Great Britain, l8,803 person
d 5000 males, and 9,SO4 females. The pre-
i portion which lunatics in asylums bears
the general population is in every ILL
d inhabitants in Great Britain. To every 1Ot
e 600 males and 100000 females living, thei
= were 88 males and 81 females in these inst
tutions The former ocnpations of innnti,