Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-10-08
A SHERIFF OUTwITTED.


In early times, before The first land sales
of the beautiful White Water valley, where
Connersville, Liberty, Cambridge City,
Centreville and Richmond now stand, there
lived upon the east bank of White Water,
a mile above Connersville, a most remark
able woman by the name Of Betty Frazier.
She was a small. tough looking. rather
swarthy woman; /; her husband, George
Frazier, was poor cripple, and with their
children, was entirely supported by Betty.
They had settled upon small fraction of
government land, intending to purchase at
the sales The Land Office was at Gin
cinnati, and Gen. James Finlay was the Re-
ceiver. The spring of The year. after Sc
we're winter, had come the sales were to
take place the next winter, and Betty had
the season before her to raise the money to
pay for the land. She commenced with
a young stock of hogs, taking care oil
them daily, driving them to the best mast,
and preparing good patch of corn to fin
ish the fattening process. She had one
horse on'y % tend her crop. and ultimately
to ride to Cincinnati when she drove her
hogs down t, sell, and buy her land About
mid summer she sow horseman ride up
to her cabin. She met him at the bars
..WeIl General Hannah, how do you do %
Very well, Mrs. Frazier" "What on
earth has brought you all the way from
Brookvile to my poor cabin ? - g am
sorry to tell you, Mrs. Frazier, that am
the Sheriff and have an execution against
your property" "Well General, always
submit to the law come with me to the
stable apd l VII give you my only horse as
the best can do" There were no eek
emp,ion laws then. Betty and the Gen
erai proceeded to the stable. 1t was a
strong log building, with a single door, no
window, overlaid with solid platform of
logs, and filled above with hay for the
horse. The door fastened on the outside.
with large wooden pin in log. There
general, is the horse--take him." The
General stepped in and commenced UNITY
ing the horse. Betty Immediately fastened
the door on the outside. driving the pin
into the hole to its full length, and left the
General to his reflections while she attend
ed to her household affairs. Time passed
away night came on; but no relief came
to the captured General. Morning came,
and with it came Betty. "Wel, General,
how did you sleep last night % Not
very well. | am ready to compromise this
matter; if yeu will let me out and show
me the ford over the White Water, (the
river was muddy and high, l will leave
you and the horse, and return the execu-
ton no property found" "Upon hon
or?'' Eyes, upon honor" Betty opened
the door. The General mounted his horse
and silently followed Betty dcwn to the
river side. "There General You will 90
in just above that big sycamore, and come
out at that haw bush you see." The Gen.
ersl started. at the second step both horse
and rider were under water out of sight.
and the hat of the General was seen float
ing down the river. Still, he being one of
the pioneers, and his horse trained swim
mer. gallantly stemmed the current and
exactly struck the haw bush, his horse
swimming to the very shore, while Betty
stood on the bank screaming--"I guess
the Brookvllle officers will let me alone
now till have sold my pigs and bought
my land.' But the end was net yet. Time
rolled on the pigs grew to be well fatted
hogs. Betty mounted her poney the lit
tie boys started the hogs for Cincinnati
they had ten days to get there before the
land sales: the distance was about seventy
miles. Nothing unusual occurred on the
road until they arrived at New Trenton, at
Squire Rockofellows. The night was
stormy ; the snow fell deep; and the next
morning found Betty at the usual hour on
the poney, well wrapped. with an infant a
few hours old IN her bosom She arrived
with her hogs at CINCINNATI the day before
the sale, sold them for cash, and the late
General Findlay told me that she stood by
bis side on the box aud bid off the land,
with her infantin her arms Surely "truth
is stranger than felton, ~ sfl
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