The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-06-20

down. mere tHe cOHllIcI DeSau. 1Ho NY"
bers saw that they must either defend them
selves or allow the ruffians to beat them and
insult their wives and daughters. 1t did not
take them long to decide. They very soon
placed themselves in an attitude Of defence. =
Brother Birkammer, an exceeding y stout man,
seized their bully leader who had struck the
preacher, and with one thrust of his brawny
arm crushed him down between two benches.
The aid .de-camp of the bully ran to his relIe''
but it was to meet the same fate; for no sooner
did he come within reach of the Methodist,
than with crushing force he felt himself ground
on the back of his comrade in distress. Here
they were held in durance vile, till the sherlfi
and his posse came and took possession, and
binding them with ten others, they were carried
before Justice, who fined them heavily for the
misdemeanor. As soon as quiet was rest"red,
Bishop Ashbury occupied the pulpit. After
singing and prayer, he rose and said ne would
give the rowdies some advice:
"You must remember that all our brothers
in the church are not yet sanctified, and ad.
wise you to let them alone; for if you get them
angry, and the devil should get in them, they
are the strongest men to fight and conquer in
the world. | advise you, if you do not like
them, to go home and let them alone"
In speaking Of one Of his brother itinerants.
one to whom it was owing "that Methodlsm is
now the prevailing religion in Illinois" he says:
At the campmeeting held at Alton in the au.
tumn of 1888, the worshippers were annoyed
by set of desperadoes from St. Louis under
the command Of Mike Fink, notorious bully,
the triumphant bully of countless fights, in none
of which he had ever met an equal, or even Sc.
cond The coarse drunken rutfians carried 1t
with high hand-outraged the men, insulted
the women, so as to threaten the dissolution OF
all pious exercises, and yet such was the terror
the name of their leader-Fink-inspired, that
no individual could be found brave enough to
face his prowess At last, one day when Mr.
ascended the pulpit to hold forth, the
desperadoes on the outskirts of the encamp.
ment raised yell so deafening as to drown ut
terly every other sound. Mr.. Ms ark
eyes shot lightning. He deposited his Bible,
drew cffhis coat, and remarked aloud:
swat for few minutes, my brethren, while
| 60 and make the devil pray"
He then proceeded, with smile on his lip,
to the focus of the tumult, and addressed the
chief bully thus:
"Mr Fink. have come to make you pray"
The desperate rolled back the tangled fes.
toons of his blond.red hair. arched his huge
brows with a comical expression, and replied !:
"By goly! I'd like to see you do it, old s"or-
ter"
"Very WELL" said M, "wil these gentle.
men, your courteous friends, agree not to show
foul play?"
ain course they will they're rale grit, and
won't do nothin' hut the clear thing, SO they
WON'T" rejoined Fink Indignantly.
care You ready?" asked NJ.
"Ready as race horse with light rlder,'
squaring his ponderous person for the coming
combat.
BIT the bully spoke too soon; for scarcely
had the words left his lips when NJ made
a prodigious bound toward his antagonist and
accompanied it with quick, shooting punch
of his hercu'ean first, which fell crushing the
others chin, and hurried HIM to the earth like
lead. Then even his intoxicated companions,
filled with involuntary admiration at the feat,
gave cheer. But Fink was up in moment,
and rushed upon his enemy, excaming:
"That wasn't fair, so it wasn't"
He aimed ferocious stroke, which M
parried with his left hand, and, grasping his
throat with the right, crushed him down as if
he had been an infant. Fink struggled, sqnrn,.
ed and writhed in the dust, but all to no pur-
pose; for the strong muscular fingers held his
windpipe as in the jaws Of an iron vice. When
he began to turn purple in the face and ceased
to resist, NJ slackened his hold, and in-
quired:
"Will you pray, nows'
81 doesn't know word how" gasped Fink.
"Rcpeat after me-" commanded NJ.
"Wel, if | must, must" answered Fink,
"because you're the devil himself"
The preacher then said over the Lords pray.
er, line by line, and the conquered bully res
ponded in the same way, when the victor per.
mited him to rise. At the consummation, the
rowdies roared three baisterous cheers. Fink
shook Ms hand, declaring:
"By golly, you're some beans in bar fight;
I'd rather set.to with an old he bar in dog DAYS.
You can pass this ere crowd of nose smashers
with your picture"
Afterwards Fink's party behaved with the
utmost decorum, and NJ. resumed his seat in
the pulpit.
A HALE ANEcDorE.-When our friend,
Sam. A. Hale, was in Fayette county, seeking
the suffrage of the people for the office fudge
friend of his, on one occasion, with the great
gravity and becoming dignity, asked him to
"step this way, if you please Squire"
"They are telling tale on you Squire, that's
inj'ring you mighty badly"
"Ahr' said the Squire, "what is it,
"Why, they say you are brother of Ste.
phen F. Hale Esq, of Greene county,"