Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-02-13

lore on .S'eanboat--tSs24ction-
Boattnen's Justice.

lore on Steamboat--Ssa4ction-I
Bodtitcn's Justice.
The st. Louis Herald tells this story:
A week or SO ago, the good steamboat Helen
Marrow ice-bound at Rattlesnakc landing,
twenty miles below this city--was the scene of
one of those little romanccs which will some
times occur in spite of fcs. dull realities. We
state the facts related to us by passenger.
The Helen Mar-was bound down the Ohio
for this city. Al Paducah, II young man from
Tennessee came aboard, and took passage in the
cabin. He was from the country, and being
away from home with pocket iull of rocks
he was not long in making the acquaintance of
all on board, from the fireman to the captain
Among the passengers was young girl Of sew
enteen, to whom the Tenncsscean paid marked
attention, and it was evident, that she was not
Indifferent to his Establishments,
The ice was rnnning thick in the river as the
Helen Mar turned her bow up the Mississippi
and her progress was SLOW The young Tonnes
seean would frequently join the circle gathered
around the stove, but presently paid all his at
tentions to the young lady. Presently, She sell
dom appeared in the ladies' cabin, and her STEP
recently rs light as the antelopes, was heavy and
slow; her cheek was pale and her eyes dim and
swollen. Tears were seen 10 steal from under her
iringed e-lids, and it was whispered that sobs-
deep, hcart-broken Sobs of anguish and despair,
were heard from her state-room in the silence of
night. when Others slept.
The boatmen began to suspect that something
was wrong; they canvassed the matter among
themselves, and resolved upon an investigation.
The irail vessel being eaky they determined TO
overhaul her and discover the cause. With
that dclcacy characteristic of Western hoatmen,
they said nothing to the girl herself but called
upon some of the lady passengers 20 interrogate
her.
The girl was young and artless. With tears
and sobS she confessed she had yielded 10 the
Young mans opportunities, and had fallen from
virtue. She blamed him not, however, but took
MI the blame upon herself
II was at 10 o'clock at night when this fact
WAS communicated TO the crew and passengers
composing che court otiaquiry.' They were no.
long in making up their verdict. Their decis
ion was that the two crafts should be dashed to-
gether.
The Tenncsseean was arraigned before the i'm
pera,ive tribunal and made acquainted with the
sentence. He had TO take the girl or be left high
and dry on sanG-har. where he would freeze
to death in less than hour. He 'caved in at
oncc---said he was wiling to do what was right,
and would make the wsonged lady mistress Of
his plantation in Tennessee. The girls consent
was also obtained, and the next step was to find
u hiaChSintn tilefe Was no one On poaiN autiIof
lied TO .otieia,e ON such interesting occasions
and about midnight the boat landed at Chester
on the Illinois shore, and messenger dispatch
ed TO procurea parson or Justice of the peace.
4 Justice found, jerked out of bed, and
| marched down TO the boat, rather against his
| Will, and the marriage ceremony in the Sucker
State being exceedingly brief, the deed was done
| IN less than tsco minutes.
| Having piloted the two crafts safely into port,
and tied them up snugly together, the joviai
/ hoatmen resolved 10 have night'ot it After
| drinking 10 the health of the bewil3ered Justice,
| they sent him ashore and recognized the court
| as u board o commissioners to assess damages
| The proceedings on his occasion were OF the
| most mirlh provoking character. Our iuior-
mant saws they were indescrbahly amusing
Many proposals were made 10 intlict some lu,ii-
| crous sort OF penalty upon III: bridegroom, and
| the speeches delivered we're highly honorable
10 the bar of the steamboat. 1t was finally
agreed that the young man should pay fine; a
census takcr was appointed to count noses, and a
| that the happy fellow should pay fonr dollars
and a Aa!f in legal Illinois curreney--coon ssins
| excladeG-to be expended in spiritual comforts
| for the honorable court. The Ending of the
cour; was announced with preliminary oh yes,'
through the KEY hole of his stase+oom door, and
| he Was ordered, under pain of divers threats
and penalties, TO shell ont
The last We heard of the newly married couple,
they were snng.y demiciied in elegant apart.
ments at Barnum's ST. Louis Hotel-haring made
the Trip by land from the point where the Helen
Mar WAS frozen In.