American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-11-22

nous, while the itinersnt used but his enor-
ons fist, WHICH was as effective, however,
in the SPEEDY settlement Of belligerent, iss-
ues as any knife or pistol ever forged out
Of steel. Let the reader judge from the
following anecdotc: 81 if-h" ~ Fs'9f Qy4
Atthe camp meeting held at Alton. In
the autumn of 1898, the .worsbipers were
annoyed bya setot deaperadoes from st.
Louis. under the control of Mike Fink, a
notorious bully. the triumphant hero of
couhtless fights. III none of which he had
ever met an equal, or even second. The
coarse, drunken rufilans carried It with q
high, hand, eutrged the men aud insulted
the women. so as to threaten the dissolution
ofaH pious exercises; and yet. such was the
terror the name Of their leader, Fink, ,iuspi-
red, that no one could be. found brave en-
ough 70 face his prowess. li.e.
AT last, one day, when Cartright ascen-
dcd the pulpit to hold forth, the despera-
does on the outskirts Of the sncampment,
raised a yell SO deafening as to drown ut.
terly every other sound The preachers
dark eyes shot tightening, He deposited
his Bible, drew off his coat, and remarked
aloud: ila- ''', ,.'. Xxx ,s5
l.."Wait for few minutes, ny brethren,
while | go and make the devil pray" q
He then proceeded, with a smile on his
lips, to the focus Of the 1turhult, and adj
dressed the chiefbully: | ,' +, ,,i,5'l-ts .,e'l
"Mr. Fink, l have come to make yoo
pray '4;' t ' ,, ,s' ,,,,S ,,. l 81 to,'.,l
The desperadoe rubbed back the tang.
led festoons Of his blood red hair arched
hisShuge brows with a cotnical expression
and replied. Il ~ II Y " u ~ IL ~
"By gollyS Id.like to see you do it. old
snorterl' .......-5.-C YaGnI TIT iI'1
VERY WE'LL" said Cartrisht, ''will those
gentlemen. your corleous friends, agree no
to sh sw foul play?" sAaEg;fw
"1n course they will, They're ralc
grit, and Won't do nbthin' but the oleal
thing, 50 they WON'T rejoined Fink, in
dignanty. ' ''s'.''''''1 BID ''.... 5' ''t.
'"Are you ready?" asked the preacher
"Ready as a race horse with light ri
der" answered Fink, squaring his ponder
GUS person for the combat. .," .l..F .t-,.#
The bully spoke too soon; for scarcely
had the3words left his lips. when Cartrigh
made a prodigious bound toward his an,ag
onist, and accompanied it with a quick
shootingpunch ofhs lIerculean Jf;st, ,whicl
fell, crashing the others chin. and hurriet
him to the earth like lead. Then. even hi
intoxicated cohpahions. filled with admi
ration at tho feat, gave cheer. But Finl
wssup in a moment, aud rushed uponh hi
enemy, exclsiming: - ~, g., ~ a-r d,
y-S|fhat Wafh's done fair, so /. warr'.p' J
He aimeda ferocious stroke which tn
preacher parried with bis left hand, an,
grasping his throat with the right, crushe,
him down asif he, had been AZ. infant
Fink struggled, squirmed, and writhed il
the dust; but all 10 no purpose; for th
strong, muscular fingers Reldhis windpip
as in the jaws Of aniron vice. When h
turned purple in the face, and ceased Il
resist, Mr.. Cartright slackehed his hold
and inquired 7'! o., Is '.'''' is5 +, ',',I .,, %.
s."Will you pray now?" d. .l..la J..
81 doesn't know word how" gaspe
Fink. u 5 s--t 70 ... n,,'e.' -'a-'
-. "Repeat after me. -. " ..rla.-.., ~.
."Well if must, / must" answered
Fink; "because you're the devil him
self" ',s -. .-,'' o., FL,
The preacher then said over the Lord
prayer, line by line, and the conquere
bully responded in the same way; when th
victor permitted him to rise. ,.' ,t.
At the consummation, the rowdies roai
ed three boisterous cheers, and Fink shoe
Cartwright BY the hand declaring:
"By golly, you're some beans in a 'ba
| fight I'd rather set to with an old he -ba
In d6g-days. You can pass this ere crow
ofI6se st1ashers, Blast your picturP' 8
Afterwards Fink's party behaved wit
coruhl, and the preacher resumed his B
BILE and pulpit! ,,- ~ ..- f,.',. >. ,1.., '. '
An odd scene, that, certainly; and IN,
very, apostolic" say you, sober reader
We Join you in the remark; but it is cha
acteristlc, as we said in another case.