Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-07-24
AN UkWELcCMEGUEs
BIZ sYLvANUs COBB. JR.

. n Colu WiutSt o HiRut lOuuI,
4 stage load of US gathered about th
warm fire of a tavern bar room in
, New England village. Shortly al
: ter we arrived, pedlar drove u]
and ordered that his horse shoul,
be stabbed for the night. After ",
had eaten supper We repaired to .h'
bar room, and as soon as the ice wal
broken our conversation flowed free
lily. Several anecdotes had been re
lated, and finally, the pedlar was ask
ed to give us story, as men Of biz
profession were generally fall o.
adventure anecdotes. He was ashorl
thick set man, somewhere about for
ty years of age, and gave evidence
Of great physical strength. He
ave-his name as Letuel Viney, and
his home was in Dover, New Hamp.
shire. iz
"Well, gentlemen he commen.
ced, knocking the ashes from his
pipe and putting it in his pocket,
"suppose I tell you about the;1ast
adventure Of much consequence that
happened to me? You see / am now
right from Far West, and on my
way home for winter quarters. 1t
was about two months ago, one pleas
ant evening, that ] pulled up at the
door Of g small village tavern 10
ncockcounty, Indiana. / said twas
pleasant meant twas warm, but
it was cloudy. and likely to be very
dark, sol went in and called for supper,
had my horse taken care Of and after
/ had eaten / sat down in the bar
room. 1t began to ram about eight
o'clock, and for "a while it poureddovn
good, and it was awful dark out Of
doors.
Snow ] wanted to be in jackson
- = + =
early the next morning, for I ex-
pected aload Of goods there for me,
which | intended to dispose Of on
my way home The moon would
rise about midnight, and 4 knew If
it did not rain could get along
very co mfortably through the mud
after that. So ! asked the landlord
if be would not see that my horse
was fed about midnight as / wished
to be off before two. He expressed
some surpri Sc at this, and asked me
why ] did not stop for breakfast. /
told him that had sold my last load
all out, and that new lot Of goods
was waiting for me ut jackson, and
| / wanted to be there for them before
the express agent left in the MORN
ing. There was a number Of people
sitting round while ] told this, but
/ took but little notice of them, one
man ouiy arressing my.atteution. !
had IN my possession small package
of cards. which | was told to deliver
to the Sheriff at Jackson, and they
were notices for the detection Of q
notorious robber named Dick Hard
head. The bills gave q description
of bis person, and the man before me
answered very we'll to it. In fact
it was perfect. He was 9 tall well
formed man, rather slight in frame.
ard had the appearance Of q gentle
man, save that his face bore those
hard, cruel marks, which an observ,
ing man cannot mistake for anything
but the, index to a villainous disposi'
ton.
@When ] went up to my chamber
| asked the landlord Who that mar
was, describing the suspicious indi.
vidual. He said he did not know
him. He had come there that after.
noon, and intending TO leave some
time during the next day. The
host asked me why ] wished to know
If ever ] was acquainted will
bin, / resolved not te let the land