Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-05-17
a BORDER OUTRAGE.

a BORDER aOUIRAGs.,
a To the early settlement made nea
: Vicksburg, Mississippi, there was
miserable want of law and morals
= Might became right, ,and weakhande
n justice stood but poor chance to b
felt, or even heard. aa,s I,1..4 8, bas
e Among the ugodly. reprobate
:! that infested the land, living by n
honest labor,and to no useful end, WA
y one Eugene Damon, a gambler b.
profession, a bully by practice, tb
terror of the mere peaceful, portion
of the citizens. Damon was marrle'
man, and. what was stranger, his Wit
WAS as. much of rowdy rs he was
travelling with him in all his exeur
sions. assisting him in time Of 7neet
by counsel;and, unless common repor
iscandalized her, lending a strong han0
occasionally, when it was needed.
For several years this couple re-
sided near town | shall call Wilder,
"a place now deserted, wrecked in the
banking hurricane of 1887. ~f
There they occupied a neat, one
story dwelling of their own,and when
not absent upon professional excur-
sions, there keptan open ho use to all
whose hand was against every man,
as theirs was. .4> = a s5I d!
This class of beings cannot be
said, in. the long run, to enjoy much
happiness, but they make up the de-
privation by enjoying themselves
very fast when they get al it. i {
This accounted for the uproarous
singing and shouting that invariably
accompanied their orgies at Damon S
dwelling, and from the ferret,red OF
their eyes, and the polkberry-scallet
of their noses observable on days
subsequent. e..si ~ ','.@s
Nobody ever fought there, however,
for the proprietor always commenced
his feast with the avowal 'that he had
character to sustain,' and made
every one of his guests surrender his
knife and pistol into his keeping until
the end of the spree. ~ szf
Tins while every public meeting
at Wilder produced this fsticuffing,
shooting and stabbing, there never
was diffieulty.of the sorta! Damons
thus corroboratipg Milton's Devils
with the damned hold concord; men
only disagreed | question whether
Milton was ever more aptly quoted
in his life.' ga 80
In the town of Wilder traded the
substan tial firm of Fahnestock, ,Bever-
ly& Co., ,produce merchants. ] say the
substantia firm, ,for, while other houses
smashed without assets of any sort,
thisestablishment paid fifteencentsen
the dollar; and so remarkable was this
even considered at the time, that 1T
was proposed in New York to present
them with a service Of plate. 'tei
(! The house had Just received are
mittance of funds on accountot some
shipments ofcotton,to the very band.
some amount of four thousand dollars.
1t was duly locked upin the iron safe
in the eoanting-room, and the part
ners returned to their homes as con
Gdent in its security as they we're
10 their own solveneya But when
the store was unlocked the next
morning The safe, sad dsmisnomer, was
found to be wrenched open, the money
drawer empty and the valuable pack
ages distracted. - 80. :, :.
0Vain would be any attempt 10
describe the scene. hFahnestock col
Jared Beverly and demanded the mon
ey. Beverly chased the company
into the street, the companysc
fire, murder, thieves,all in aibfeathp to e
know Who left the store last. = y :
People crowded in from all parts
TO find Fahnestock gasping IN his
chair, Beverly cutting up most ex.
travagapt pantomimes, and then =; !, the
company dissolved in uncontrolliole
anguish TWAS painful sight that
affair was. The danger OF a man !,
falling from grace never excited hall
50 much distress in the heart OF the
actors as tie loss of that money.
Among the lockers Oh, and ey ia. !
the least concerned of any, appeared
Esgene Damon, who examined 'hs !,
b;ck-lock with d shrewd smile, anu !.
youchsafed it rs his opinion tina. y
was 4 a'i Juicy thing!' iangaage that Ger. Ger.
tainly meant something, although although
none Of the bystanders knew wha.
Great rewards were offered 70 =, III
duce the thief to be honest. Inc Inc
Temptations held oot, went 80 50 'a' =