Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-05-27
So bbath of Murders.

Suddenly the door was thrown partial.
ly open for one Srief instant, aud the
fearless face of Bill Shelley appeared, as
he shouted in tones Of thunder
Ii ycu come one foot nearcr, we'll
bow you 20 h-llH
Quick as lightning the door was shut,
and fifty guns proHudcd through tie port
holes. An unacoun,ab!e panic seized the
multitude /; every man but one fled i'll
utter confusion and dismay, and many
did not pause iill they were miles away
in the country. Very different was the
conduct ii the only single exception. Al
bert Willis displayed the daring oG de-
mon. lie stood firm as a rock he tore
open his shirt bosom and dared his foes
TO fire; he banter ec them TO come out
and he would engage them all at once
HIS courage awoke one sentiment of
honorable feeling in hearts deid to every
other.
Fire upon him!' exclaimed Ball.
No. you shall not, said Bill! Shelley
he is too brave to lie shot down like t.
dog
For three months afterwards an extra
ordinary state Of things prevailed in the
city of Washington, snd especially about
Fayet,eryiie. Aiber; Willis rode cen
ilnually over the cnuulrr, sometimes with
one. but generally with "a half a dozen
wild looking rutlians by his side, all armed
10 the teeth, with ,Ube.barrelied sho,
guns and revolving pistols. Occasional
~ he was seen ON the Indian line at the
head of hundred Cherokee warriors.-
A thousand different runors were circus
Lated. Now it was, that he lay in wait
on the roads to asSnssinate his enemies
again, the news came that he WAS march.
ing with a thousand savages, TO lay he
county seat in ashes Often al The hour
of nIidnigh,, the guilty citizens Of the
vi.lage were startled from their slumber
10y the >hrIl blost Of solitary trumpet
from the centre Of he public square. Il
sfetned that their 4ne took malicious
pleasure in putting 'hem 10 tne agonie5 of
slow torture: all the while the compan-
ions vi that .odious clique never le(. their
fort.
At length Willis entirely disappeared,
and was not heard Of for a ,ear. Ball.
Sanders q Co. then issued from their fast
ness, and ven,ured Oh, to b.ealhe the fresh
air
Twelve months rolled away. when the
community was again agita ed by the oc,
-cur,ence of new catastrophe. All >he!.
ley was slain whru travelling alone on
Cane ii j.; and from every sign, the deed
had no, been dene til after a desperate
con est.
Both his pistols were found discharged
and hi, knife was broken in two. The
next week John Coulter was killed near
she same spot, and his rifle, too, lay emp
~, with The stock annihialed, beside
dim.
A fortnigh, followed, and Matthew Lee.
ner was discovered dead in his own office
which stood in the suburbs of Tho village,
some two hundred yards from any other
house. This appears the most singular
of all. The door was locked ; but win,
dow stood open through which the homi
eide had evidently made his escape, as
the print of two bloody hands had been
left on the blinds. There were so Two
words traced in blood on the floor
II lie Avenger.'
There had obviously been violent
combat. A e-locking knife, with
the poin! snapped off lay on the table
while The stiff fingers Of the corpse gr,sped
q dagger purple with gore.
1t is impossible to paint the terrors Of
4he clique at this swift succession of dis
asters. Ball, and the two surviving Shell
aeys ran away to Texas, never haI'lng I'LL
they reached the Trinity. An agent sold
sheir farms and grocery, and followed
with their numerous slaves. Soon after.
wards the fact transpired that Ball had
robbed the bank Of which lie was cashier
to the amount oiaone hundred thousant
dollars.
General Sanders set out on trip I,
Washington, ard was heard of no more
A long period elapsed without any fur
ther incident resulting from the Fayet.
terville war, and man had almost forgot
ten its horrors. Ball and the Shelley.
had become popular chiefs in Texas, witt
immense Gotten farms and vast influences
On the 9th of July, 1S49, aboat ten years
after the Sabbath of murders, they were
returning home with a friend from bar.
bacue given 10 Gen. Houton, at The town
of Crocket. the day before. 1t was sun
\ set when they reached the right bank ol
Trinity, and they waited few min
3 for the ferry.man to row across from
le opposite side.