The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-12-20
A Bloody fight at Cairo.

negro by the name OF spencer, who
kept hotel on board the wharfboat af
Cairo was sued for six dollars. When the
officer went TO serve the summons on him
he swore he would n. 60, and said there
was not men enough in the place to take
him. He finally, by agood deal Of per.
suation, agreed to go. On his road to the
Squire's office he got keg of powder, took
it in one hand, while he held the revolver
in the other, went into the Office, and told
the Squire that The did not release him he
would blow the whole party to h--n.-
They we're afraid Of him and allowed him
to 60 back to the river. When he got back
he went into the fiat boat, which he had
fitted up for boarders. and defed the town
to take him. By this time the mob had
become large and very excited, and seem
ed determined that he should be taken
and the law obeyed. They tried some
time to get him out but could not succeed.
AT length they concluded to scutile the
boat and let her sink; but the first that ne ar
ed her for the purpose was received with
discharge of buckshot from the nogro In.
side. The firing now become general on
both sides, and the negro having the ad-
vantage. In the attempt to sink the fla,
boat. Ave men were shot, some rather Sc
rieusly, but not any killed. They soon
found the advantage was too much in the
negro's favor, and the cry was raised to
set the boat on fire, and then went to work
to carry it into execution. Here another
party became interesting in the tragedy
There were three steamboats, lying near
the fiat boat. and their officers saw at q
glance that il the flat boat was set on fire
up, so they put in their protes, against set
ting her on fire, unless that she was pulled
out in the stream.
The mob paid but little attention to ths
officers at first, but they soon found, wher
they saw four or five of them with their ri
ies, that they were in earnest, as they
swore they would shoot the m an that woule
attempt to set her on fire where she ther
was. This was attack in the rear, and {
little more than was bargalned for, ani
thinking that could not stand the fire OF
desperate negro in front and few deter
mined men in the rear, the mob concluded
that ''discretion was the better part o
valor," got a yawl. made line fast to tn,
flat boat and commenced pulling her ou
into the stream-at the same time twt
men boarded her and set her on FIRE, bu
at considerable risk, as the negro kept bla
zing away at them whenever chance ol
: fered.
When they got her out about hundre'
yards the negro cut the line that was tow
ing him, a2d went drift. The boat wa
now all in a blaze at one end, when the ne
gro come out on the other .claped his hand
:, on his breast, swore he was the king Of tn
y black race, and would die like man. Th
. wind blew off the shore at the time, cal
y ried the boat across the river, and III
Z steamboa ats were saved AT this time tn
negro disappeared for awhile and all sur
y posed that he had destroyed himself. .whe
:, presently he appeared with section Of
;. stove, and making one end Of the line fa
y to it and the other end to his neck, Owe
board he went, and never come up, whic
y was the last ofthe negro, and an end to tn
, Cairo Tragedy"