Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-02-20
The Pioneer Boa,men Of the sIississfp-
nj River.

4
A class of men far superior in all that makes
the man to titled noblemen, navigated the Mis-
sissippi thirty years ago. The following anec-
dote will illustrate the keen sense Of honor that
prevailed among them:
"As an illustration Of their rude code of hon.
or, is remembered the story of ''Bill McCoy.H-
He was master spirit, and had successfully
disputed for championships almost every ia
| nous sand-bar visible at low water At terri
BILE row, where blood had been spilled and Il
dark crime committed Bill was involved No
mentary off bis guard, he fell into the clutches
of the law. The community was excited, vic
tim was demanded to appease the oft-insulted
| majesty Of justice. Brought before one of the
courts holding at Matches, then just closing its
session for the summer vacation, he was fully
committed, and nothing but the procurement of
enormous bail would keep him from sweltering
through the long months of summer in DURANGO
vile. 1t was apparently useless for him to cx-
pect any one to 60 on to his bond; he appealed,
however, to those present, dwet upon the hor-
rors, to him more especially, of long imprison-
ment, and solemnly asseverated that he would
present himself at the time appointed for trial
at the last moment Colonel W, a wealthy,
and on the whole rather cautious citizen, came
to the rescurc, and agreed to pay ten thousand
dollars if Mccoy did not present himself to
stand his trial. 1t was in vain that the Colonels
friends tried to persuade him not to take the re-
sponsbty; even the Courts suggestion to let
the matter alone was unheeded. Mccoy was re-
leased Shouldering his rifle, and threading his
way through the Indian nations, in due time he
reached his home in "Od kaintuck." sa
"Months rolled on, and the time of trial ap-
preached. AS a matter of course, the probable
tiles of McCoyts return was doubted. The pub
lie had doubts-the Colonel had not heard from
him since his departure. The morning of the
appointed day arrived, but the prisoner did not
present himself The attending crowd and the
people of the town became excited-all except
the Colonel notwithstanding was moving on
a-pace-the court was on the point of adjourning,
when distant huzza was heard it was borne
on the wings Of the wind, and echoed along,
each moment growing louder and louder. Fl
nally, the exciting cry caught up by the
hangers on about the court of justice. Another
moment and McCoy-his beard long and matted,
his hands torn to pieces, his eyes haggard, and
sun burnt to degree that was painful to behold
rushed into the court room, and from sheer ex
haustion fell PROSTATE upon the floor.
"Old Col. W embraced him as he would
have done long lost brother and eyes unused
to tears filed to overlooking when Mccoy related
his tale. Starting from Louisville as "a hand on
boat" he found in few days that owing to
the low stage of the water in the river and other
unexpected delays, i was impossible to reach
Naches at the appointed time by such mode of
conveyance. No otheS ordinary conveyance, in
those early days, presented itself. Not
to be thwarted, he abandoned "the fiat" and
with his own hands, shaped canoe out of the
trunk of fallen tree. He had rowed and pad
died, almost without cessation, thirteen hundred
miles, and had thus redeemed his promise al
most at the expense of his life. His trial, in its
progress, became mere form; his chiyalrous
conduct and the want of any positive testimony,
won for him verdict of not guilty, even before
it was announced by the jury or affirmed by the
Judge"