The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-06-30
NEW SERIES. ----F0L. /, NO. AZ.


that every now and then party of men
would sally out from this settlement, pain
ted and equipped like Camanches, with the
view of carrying off horses, plundering OF
numbering some marked man of neighbor-
ing county; then returning with great speed,
they would re-band their plunder, resume
their accustomed appearance, and defy pur-
suit or investigation. Not only did they
band together for their operations in this
way, but a single man would carry off fine
horse or commit murder with the mos:
open audacity, and if he only succeeded in
escaping here, was publicly protected.
do not mean to have it understood that
the whole population at this time were
men of such stamp avowedly.
There were some few whose wealth to q
degree protected them in the observances
of more seemly life-though they were
compelled to at least wink at the doings of
their more ruffainly and numerous neigh
bors; while there was yet another, but not
large class, of sturdy, strait forward emf
grants, who attracted solely by the beauty
of the country, had come into it, settled
themselves down wherever they took fam
cy-with Characteristic recklessness neither
caring nor inquiring who were their neigh
bors, but trusting to their own stout arms
and hearts to keep footing. OF course
all such were very soon engaged in desPer-
ate teuds with the horse thieves and plum
derers around them; and as they were not
yet strong enough to make head efficiently
were one after the other finally ousted or
shot. 1t was to exterminate this honest
class that the more lawless and brutal ofthe
others associated themselves and assumed
the name OF "Regulators." They number
ed from eight to twelve-and under the or
ganization of rangers, commanded by q
beastly wretch named Hinch, they profess
ed to undertake the task Of purifying the
county limits of all the bad and suspicious
characters; or in other words, of all men
who dared refuse to be as vile as they
were-or if they were, who choose TO act in
dependcntly of them and their scenes
This precious brotherhood soon became the
scourge OF all that region. When ever an
individual was unfortunate enough to make
himself o6noxiths TO them whether by
successful villainy, the proceeds which he
refused to share with them, or by the hateful
contrast of the propriety of his course--he
was forthwith surrounded, and threatened,
and his stock driven off and killed wanton-
ly-and if these annoyances End hints were
not sufficient to drive him away, they would
publicly warn him to leave the county in a
certain number of days, under the penalty
of being scourged or shot. The common
pretext for this was the accusation of having
committed some crime, which they them
selves had perpefrated with view of furnish.
ing charge to bring against him. This
hate was entirely ruthless, and never stop
ped short or accomplishing its purposes; and
in many bloody affray and cruel outrage had
the question of their supremacy been moot
ed until at last there were but few left to
dispute with them, and they were tyrannized
at will.
Among these few was Jack Long, uB he
was ca'led, who neither recognized or deni-
ed their power, and indeed never troubled
himself about them one way or the other.
He kept himself to himself, hunted incess-
antly, and nobody knew much about him.
jack had come of "wild turkey Breed" as
the western term it, for rowing family:
and though still young man, had pushed
on ahead of the settlement Of two territories,
aud had at last followed the game towards
the south and finding it abundant in Shelby
county had stopped there, just as he would
have stopped at the foot of the Rocky Noun
tans had it been necessary to pursue it so
far. He had never been in the habit OF
asking leave Of any power where he should
settle, and of course scarcely thought of the
necessity of doing so now; but quietly set
to work-buit himself nice log cabin, as
far off from every body as he could get
And the first thing that was known Of him
he had his pretty young wife and two little
ones snugly slowed away in it. and was
staying thedeer and bears right and left.
The honest brotherhood had made sever
al attempts at feeling Jacks pulse and as
certaining his availability; but he had al
ways seemed so impassively good natured
and put them off so pleasantly, that they coule
find no ground for either disturbing OF quarl
ling with him. What was more, he wa'
physically rather an ugly looking "Custom
err" with his six feet four inches of brawr
and bone; tho the inclination, just discover
ed in his figure, to corpulancy, together will
a broad, full good humored face, gave al
air of sluggshness to his ehefgies5 and al
expression of easy simplicity to his TEN
per, which offered neither invitation no
gratuitous insultnor provocation to dislike
He was the very impersonation OF inoffien
sive, royal honesty, slumbering on its con
sciols strength; and these men without ex
actly knowing why, felt some disinclinatioI
to waking him. He had evidently neve
beensroused to knowledge of himself, AM
} others felt just as uncertain what that knowl
edge might bring forth as he did, and wer'
. | L., ac L. H.