The true Democrat., 1855-10-09

gentlemen, except that if Abe hilt any hand he
 aforementioned what was in it! And now gen.
 tlemen of the jury, because my client was seen going down to Frog Level, with bottle
 of liquor in his pocket, and the witness can't
 remember that he hilt any hand at all, when
 bully hands was out, and him the best player in the crowds that-is that, l say, gentlemen of the jury, is that any reason that my client
 was guilty of the crime of gambling!
 It is almost needless to say that the jury saw the non sequitur and acquitted the defend ant
 The Hero of an Infamous Career.
 A contributor to the Empire State gives the thrilling history of the notorious Ned Buntline," alias E. Z. c. Judson, the founder of the know nothing organizations:
 Everybody remembers the Astor Place riot that occurred few years since, in the city of New York, originating in personal difficulty between Mr. Macready, the distinguished Eng fish tragedian, and Edwin Forrest, the great American gladiator Forrest became jealous of Mr. Macready before a New York audience, and he made a deliberate and malicious attempt to destroy his popularity. For this purpose a number of his friends were engaged to hiss Macready while on the stage. First and fore most in this gang was man by the name of udson, better known as "Ned Buntline," au- thor of 1he Mysteries of Nea0 York
 The difficulty, hitherto entirely personal, now became general, large portion of the first citi- zens of New York being indignant that stran- ger, and favorite with them, should thus be treated in their midst. Lmge crowds assembled at the Astor Place, with "Ned Buntline" at their head, haranguing them in most vocife- rous manner, his rallying cry being "down with the foreigner!' Attempts were made to demolsh the theatre in which Macready was performing The military were called out and ordered to fire on the mob. A number of citi- zens were shot down, several of whom were on the ground merely as spectators. Ned Bun tline" was arrested and sentenced to the peni- tentiary for five years. Leaving him at Sing Sing cutting stone, letus revert to a few blogra- phical "reminiscences in the life of our hero.
 He was formerly an officer in the United States navy, hence his soubriquet, "Ned Bunt- line" At St. Augustine, Florida he became acquainted with and married beautiful girl of Spanish parentage. She is represented as hay ing been lovely character-mIld, beautiful, graceful, and intelligent. We have seen her miniature likeness, and, five possess any skill in physiognomy, those traits are distinctly mark ed. From his drunkenness, debauchery, and abandonment of her, and from his personal abuse, she faded sickened, and died in two or three years
 Ten years ago he came to Nashville, Ten nessee, and commenced paper, the name of which we do not now recollect. He then wrote, and still writes, beautiful stories, and occasion- ally pieces of poetry, possessing no inconsider- able degree of merit. From his position as an editor from his address, and from the talent he had exhibited as writer, he found an easy ac- cess in the first families in Nashville Having one evening" at a fair held in Masonic Hall, been introduced to Mrs Portertield, wife of wealthy and respectable merchant, an intimacy between her and Ned soon became manifest Mrs. Portcrtield was then considered the most beautiful and magnificent woman in Nashville We knew her in her beautiful home, the mother of a sweet child, the idol of noble husband, and the object of admiration and af- lection. We have seen her since her fall, beau- tiful even in her ruin-tall and graceful, with as majestic and symmetrical figure and as queenly a bearing as Cleopatra's; with a clear soft yet beautiful complexion, with profusion of hair, black as a ravens wing, large, dark, expressive eyes, with long dropping lasher, and in each cheek beautiful dimple in which play a thousand smiles every time she speaks she is yet beautiful
 A report soon came to the ears of the confi- ding husband of criminal intimacy between his loved Mary and the ex-officer of the navy. He promptly repelled the insinuation, having too much confidence in his wife to cherish such suspicion for moment It came again, how ever, in such way as to startle him. He be- lieved, and, with revolver in his hand, he sought the ruiner of his happiness, determined to take his Hfe On making the accusation, he denied it in the most forcible and pathetic man. ner, barring his bosom to Porterheld, telling him to shoot, if he deemed him base enough to perpetrate such deed-that his honor was dearer to him than his life, etc. He desisted, feeling that the man had been wronged. Thus the matter remained for several weeks, when such evidences of Ned Buntlne's" guilt and his wfe's unfaithfulness reached him as no lon ger to leave him in doubt He sought him again with the same purpose as before. Ned, having learned his intention, fled from him, i'll the direction of Sulphur springs, near the city. Porterfield fired several times, but without el feet. After running some distance, Ned fell down, and while on the ground, he turned and shot Porterfield through the head. He was near him and fell dead by his side Ned lmmedia- tely returned to the city and gave himself up to the authorities, was tried, but acquitted on the ground of self defence.
 The citizens were in a rage. He had wrong ed and killed one of the most respectable of their number. On leaving the court room, se- veral shots were fired immediately at him; he fled to the City Hotel amid the shouts of his pursurers. He reached the third story and lock ed himself into a room. The door was forced open, when he jumped from the window on to the ground below. Stunned and crippled by the fall, he was easily taken A large num- Der of the citizens conducted him to the street on the Cumberland river, and hung him to one of the bars across the awning post The moment he was hung off the rope broke Another was procured, and as they were about tying it around his neck he made the most pa. thetic appeal to them to spare his life, asking for an opportunity to explain himself, asserting his innocence, and telling them it was shame, and cowardly, for so many to take the life of defenceless man without affording him an op- portunity of defence. Meanwhile, the author ities of the city came to his rescue, and he was placed in the county jail for protection. After there for three months, the public feeling somewhat abated; he was privately con- veyed some distance down the river, when a steamer took him to Pittsburg, Pa., the resi- dence of his father.
 Being at Nashville when these events oc- curred we have given them briefly, but in ac- cordance with the best of our recolections.
 Spending the summer and autumn in Europe two years since, we became intimate in the fla mily of Dr. Bateman. distinguished surgeon and physician. at No. 6 Isington Square, Lon don. While there we often heard them speak of beautiful and accomplished lady from New York, Mrs. B., who, with her beautiful boy, had spent much time with them, and to whom they appeared very much attached. On leaving London we were requested to bear a package of letters to Mrs. B. We complied, and found her to be all that she had been re- and the daughter of one of the first citizens of New York. On nlearning her history, we found it to be full of romantic but painful interest
 She had been the wife of Judson, alias IN ed Buntline," and he was the father of her noble boy, born while he was engaged at the Astor