Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-17
DAILY EVENING STAR.
A BORDER oUTRAGEF
Br ROBERT NORRIS, K.f. Q ]

In TIE early settlements made below
Ficksburg, Miss, there was miserable
want of law and r1orals. Might becams
right, and weak handed Justice stood but
| poor chance to be felt or. even heard.
Amongst the ungodly reprobates that
infested the land, living by no honest la.
Dor, and to no useful end, was one Eugene
Damon, gambler by profession, a bully
by practice, the terror Of the more peacea.
BILE portion of the citizens. Damon was
a married man, and, what is strange,
his wife was as much of. the rowdy as be
was, travelling with him in all his excur-
SionS, assisting him in time of need by
counsel; and, unless common report
scandalized her, lending strong hand
occasionally, when a strong hand was
needed. 20 . T. {, o.fDiH ess lDBas .yoi
For several years this couple resided
near town i will call Wilder, a place
nov deserted wrecked in the banking
hurricane of 1887. j, I-sagsiD e.. -
There they occupied neat, one story
dwelling of their own, and when not ab.
sent upon professional excursions, there
they kept open house to all whose hand
was against every man, as theirs was.
This class of beings cannot be said, in
the long run, to enjoy much happiness,
but they make up the deprivation by en-
joying themselves Uery fast, when they
get at it. This accounted for the up-
roarious singing and shouting that inva-
riably accompanied theirorgies at Damon's
dwelling, and for the fcrretted of their
eyes, and the pokeberry scarlet of thei,
noses, observable on days subsequent.
Nobody ever fosght there, however, for
the proprietor always commenced his
feasts with the avowal g that he had
character to sustain,o and made every
one of his guests surrender knife and
pistol into bis keeping until the end OF
the spree. 1g5g.i 81 Z. r.
q Thus, while every public meeting at
Wilder produced its fisticufiing, shooting
and Stabbfng, there never was a difficulty
ofthe sort at Damon's thus corroboratine
Millions ''Deyils with the devils damned
hold concord /; men only disagree % /
question whether Milton was ever more
aptly quoted in his life. -. ...- -.
In the town of Wilder, traded the sub
stantial firm of Fahnestock, Beyerley &
Co., produce and commission merchants.
/ say the substantial firm, for while all
other houses smashed without assets OF
any sort, thiS establishment paid fifteen
cents on the dollar and so remarka bic
was this event considered at the time,,
that it was proposed in New York to
present them with service of plate
The house had just r. ceived remittance
of funds on account of some shipments
of cotton, to the very handsome amount
of four thousand dollars. 1t was duly
locked up in the iron safe in the counting
room, and the partners retired to their
homes, confident in its security as they
were in their own solyency. But when
the store was unlocked next morning,
the safe, sad miSnomer, was found to be
wrenched open, the money drawer empty,
and the valuable package distracted.
Vain would be any attempt to describe
the scene. Fahnestock collared Beverley.
and demanded the money. Beverley
chased the Co. into the street, the Co.
screaming fire, murder and thieves. all in
a breath, to know who left the store last.
People crowded in from all parts, to find
F. gasping in his chair, B. cutting up the
most extrayagant pantomimes, and the
Co. dissolved In uncomfortable anguish.
1t was a pitiful sight, that affair was
The danger of a mans falling from grace
never excited half so much distress in
the hearts of the actors as the loss of that
money. l.-..
Amongst the lockers on, and by far the
least concerned Of any, appeared Eugene
Damon, who examined the pick-lock with
a shrewd smile, and vOuchsafed it with
his opinion That it was juicy thing ,n
language that certainly meant something.
although none of the bystanders under
stood what Great rewards were forth
with offered to induce the thieves to be
honest. The temptations held out even
went SO far as to propose to give five hun
dred dollars, and no questions asked, ii
the money were returned. But as this
involved the clear loss of three thousand
five hundred cash already in hand, hon
esty remained at discount, and the pur-
loiners generously permitted the sufferers
to ask as many questions as they pleased.
Fahnestock, Beverley & Co., never heard
of their money afterwards.
The ambiguous language used by Mr..
Damon had excited various suspicious,
which his free manner of living, and the
hushness Of his money market shortly
afterwards added considerable weight.
So shrewd an individual could not but
see, in the sideway glance and muttered
remarks elected by his passing down the
street., each aay, that something, was
brewing; but like man who has smell
rattlesnskes before, he only held his head
the higher and walked by. His wife, to
whom b, had impaired these suspicious,
counseled him to prepare his weapons,
but laughing at her fears, he continued
his daily walks, with no other defence
than the usual tools of a gambler, viz,
a bowie and two brace of double barrel.
He had speedy cause to regret his care
lessness, however, for while drinking at
the Coffee Fl use, one evening about dssk
he was suddenly seized from behind,
blindfolded, gagged and conveyed to a
skiff in the river, in which he was hur-
riedly rowed across to the opposite side
before he could form the shadow Of an
idea what fate was contemplated for him.
Carrying him up the bank, his cap.
tors four in all, led him halt mile back
through the den, tied MIN to holly tree,
and opened the object of their lawless
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