The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-08-19


the far-off forests, where the flowers
bloom and the bright birds sing, and lib
erty lives forever among her green leaves;
for they have realized the truth, which
poets only sing as a fiction, that human
ity can never be as free in the market
place as on the mountain-in the city as
in the solitude of the wide woods, where
the rills murmur eternal songs, and even
the dropping dews make music as they
fall. t ...... ....t.t
Nor is it any wonder if such spirits,
such "angular heads" with organs like
enormous promonotories, should so often
be driven to excess, and carry their lib
erty into license, their daring to despera-
tionl In the morals of towns they have
seen so much imposture, that many of
them learn to doubt the reality of one
half the virtues, and they are so thor
oughly disgusted with the hollow hypoc-
risy of urban social life they almost, or
altogether, cease to value the bitter boon
of existence itself.
On the 9th day of Obtober, 1889, l
was sitting on the portico in front of the
Lone Star" tavern, in the town of Ma
cogdoches, eastern Texas, surveying with
much interest a spectacle that to me,
was not only new, but entirely unique,
and l may say, before that time, also un-
imagined.
had on my arrival as stranger in
the little village on the previous evening
and indeed it was my first visit to the
young republic, which | had determined
to perambulate and thoroughly map out
in nv mind. The hotel where | had TAX
en- up my transient lodging was situated
on one side of the public square, in the
centre of which stood the temple of JUS
tice-a large log house, composed of un-
hewn trees, with the bark on, and the
longest that could be found in the neigh
| boring forests, so as to make the hall as
capacious as possible. 1t was the first
Monday of the District Court, the day
for the empannelling of the grand and
petit nrics, when it was expected also
that several notorious lynchers would be
indicted and put upon their trial. In
fact, almost the whole population of the
country had occasion to be in attendance,
as parties, witnesses, officers, or in some
other character. Consequently, at nine
O'Clock in the forenoon, when was seat
ed near the door Of the tavern before
mentioned, the open space OF several
acres around the court house was densely
throngcd by hundreds, orit may be thou
sands, of human beings, in high state
of excitement, both from moral and phys
ical causcs-the first relating to the agl-
tation on the subject of lynching; and
the second consisting of copious fiery
streams, perpetually flowing into lnnu-
merable thirsty throats from the dozen
groceries with which all sides Of the pub
lie square were 50 fully provided. 4.
The noise, confusion, and strife were
truly indiscribable. For the last two
hours, there had been fstic fight, on an
average, at least every twenty minutes,
while loud quarrels and fierce denuncla-
tions had for the same period been lnces-
SAINT. Oaths might be heard more awful
than ever fell from the lips of sailor
Shouts were uttered wilder than ever a
painted savage yelled in the heart of bat.
tie. Thick crowds of men were swayed
to and fro, as everybody essayed to ap-
proach the different focal points OF COM
bat where the knocks were most numer.
Gus. In fine, it was more like the orgies
of fiends in pandemonium than an assem-
bly met for the service Of, justice. Eve.
nv now and then, the report of pistol
sounded through the tumult, or the flasi
Of a bowie knife might be seen in the
sunlight, but as yet no one was killed o.
mortally wounded.
| Presently perceived a rustic-lookins
man, considerably past the meridian O
life, riding towards the tavern. tie Wa
dressed in very coarse common clothing
and his personal appearance indicated
poverty but such an inference was con
tradicted to certain extent by the noble
animal on which he rode, and by the fin'
duelling pistols that showed their costl,
gold and silver mounting above the hois
ters on his saddle-bone. Although hi
countenance, as we'll as form, evince'
many effects Of age, and his long whit
hair seemed thin and dead as it wave'
, around his shoulders in the wind, bis fac
. was ruddy and cheerful, wearing an as
pect Of great boldness and indomitabl
courage and possessing an Irish cast no
to be mistaken.
AS this person arrived within fey
rods Of the portico where | had my seal
the landlord issued from the door wit
, hurried steps, and features infamed to a
expression of wrath and hatred the mos
perfectly Internal that ! ever remembe
to have observed, familiar as | have bee
4 with scenes of mortal strife. He rushe
/ towards the elderly stranger, and sait
/ in hoarse, menacing voice; lss IS 6