The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-12-19
ITEMS FOM CARI0!....BY NOSE.


amongst us, which, doubtless, ere this you
have had inklings of, through other sources.
| refer to The Spencer mob.
Last Monday, ne"eve, colored person,
engaged at hotel keeping, was arrested for
trespass, oy a Mr.. Gordon, of our place, and
required to appear at once before the mogls-
trate. Joe at first refused to obey the sum-
mons, but finally accompanied the officer,
carrying under his arm keg Of powder and
ia his hand a loaded revolver cooked. APP
pearng before tie magistrate, he demanded
that his idea of justice should be aw arded
him. or he would discharge his piece in his
keg Of powder. The trial was held in the
Cairo Hotel, and had he carried his murder
Gus design into execution, at least hundred
souls would have been ushered into eternity.
Justice, however, was not warped by his
threat, and all parties retired.
The news Of the outrage soon spread over
town, and men, seemingly with one accord,
abandoned business and repaired to the
wharf. In an hour or SO hundreds of per-
sons, citizens and strangers, had gathered on
the wharf to consult as TO the best course to
pursue under the circumstances. The more
the matter was discussed, the more the crowd
became exasperated, and finally it was
agreed to make him leave the State. A num-
Der Of persons, of respectable standing,
waited upon the negro, and advised him OF
L. (nrr. ...A xxru fnrn
on board the wharf boat Patrick Henry (the
cabin of which he kept as hoieD, locked
! in a state room, and armed with his keg of
powder, two shot guns and revolver. he
was informed that halt hour would be CIV
en- him to make his escape. He consented
to 90, and leaving the wharf boat, repaired
to his own boat, Immediately below, where
he again locked himself in state room, and
became silent to the appeals Of mis- wife and
friends, to leave. Az hour elapse d-ci,izens
now offered To accompany him-to guaran-
ty him a safe passage from the State-but
these proffers he treated with silent con-
tempt. AT iris the crowd in waiting became
> deeply incensed, aud resolved upon action.
Augurs were procured, and the boat scut.
tied; but with that ingen 'ity for which the
negro was distingushed,h e checked the leak
aud saved the boat from sinking. A few
moments afterwards he shots citizen in the
arm-repaired to the hold of his boat-re'
loaded his piece-returned, and again fired
his discharge taking fearful effect. Al
s this all hopes of pacification were killed, anc
the immense crowd collected, assumed the
; character of a mob. TIE boat was from
its mornings, towed out into the Ohio (du
ring frequent shots from the negro conceal
= ed on board), and then set en- fire. The
: beautiful craft was soon a bulk Of flame. -
Extending backwards the tall mast in the
was wrapped in fire, but as il guarded by al
> overwhelming Providence, the proud bird Eel
: from its fastenings, through the mountain Q
" flame into the Ohio, and was rescued entire
, ly unseared. The Ohio soon became bIacl
=" with skiffs, loaded with armed men, incense,
beyond measure, watching for Spencer's ap
pc france. A thousand eyes were fixed upoI
the burning wreck, every person believin!
+" that he had suffered death by burning. A
> soon, however, as the last fragment of tn
boat became enveloped in smoke and fame
- he rushed upon the guards, in full view of hi
A enemies, and with desperate leap plunge
ia headlong into the Ohio, never to rise again
Thus. and not otherwise, terminated he hi
g. existence.
IL | have little TO say in continuation.
y. must admit it an awful transaction--but a
ns at the same time urge it as one Of those rar
4, cases where the laws are inefficient. II Wa
10 the act of tie people (many of whose live
as well as the lives of their wives and chi
dren were jeopardized by the nesro's conduc
is at the hoteD--and what the people do in fai
~ resentment of public outrage, can but en-
lie dorse and justify.
AZ As the reader may have heard tina
d, several hundred persons were killed an
o, u ounded during the Spencer affair, will re
mark that Spencer is the only one suppose
-, to be dead. Six or seven citizens and on
stranger were shot, but q are recovering
What might have been done in the way ,
wv killing aud wounding, if Spencer's supply
er ball had not become exhausted, fortified
al, he was, with ready access from the ncld to b
M locked rooms above, will not pretend
of say. Certainly there would have been gre,
BIZ slaughter. Spencer was fearless and da
cir gerous man. He was very shrewd-f
ahead Of his kind in this respect-but in h
last encounter acted with that kind of br
Fl very 4 think one might exoe.t of n ssdru,