Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-10-08
DEATH IN THE EYE;
OR THE DUEL ON HORSEBACK.
BY CHARLES sU11IERFIELD.


Of the Texan Lynchers. He well de- !,
served the title he had won by many a :
desperate deed. He possessed such in
credible skill in the use Of all sorts of
murderous weapons, that it might be pro-
nounced virtual suicide to even think of
encountering him, so rapid was his mo-
tion, SO unerring his aim.
Death in the eye" told truly the mark
at which he always ired-a mark he had
never once missed-while such was his
astonishing quickness, his antagonist usu-
ally without pulling the trigger. An en-
emy stood no better chance by resorting
to the sword or bowie knife, against one
III whose hands the flash of steel was like |
lightning-as swift, as might to slay-
one who appeared to surpass all other
men as much in strength as in activity
giant in stature, gladiator in practice,
fiend in courage.
His biography in itself was more thrill
ing than novel, wilder than the widest
xDmance; and the very first act of his
Dreadful daring revealed, in all their force
and fullness, the two essential elements
of his characteristic ferocious ardor of
his appetite for revenge, and the iron
pertinacity of his indomitable will.
At the age of twenty he pursued the
assassin of his brother, all the way from
Carolina to Canada, and shot him dead at
the dinner table of tavern in Quebec
yet such had been the cunning of his pre-
vious arrangement for the event, that
aided by numerous relays of swift hor-
ses, he effected his escape safely to the
South.
The achievement cost him ten thou
sand dollars. From this time forward
his life was one long war. Almost every
month in the year saw him in some fata
duel-fatal to others only; never hurt
the occurrence of casual affairs, often a
bloody as his more regular combats. H,
was the Napoleon of the knife and pis
tol. But the truth of impartial histor,
compels me to record that this man, s.
fearful in his deeds, whose right arm wa
reeking with gore to the elbow, was nc
commonly the aggressor in his counties
quarrels. Often the friends of those h
had vanquished in fair fight assaulte
him from motives of revenge. The fam
Of his prowess provoked the vain jea
ousy of others. He acquired the peri
Gus reputation of matchless hero-th
ardent, the desperate, the ambitious woul
win, if possible, his laurels. Ever
young Hercules longed to kill the lio
so as to clothe himself in the skin, al
thus was Borland forced to maintain 6
interminable war. 1t is so in all profe
sions. There can be no peace in .hiG
places-storm, hail and thunder, mu
break around the mountains brow.
This duelist was one of the Garlic
settlers in Eastern Texas, where he /
came the chief of the lynching party.
In his own county of Harrison, he pt
sessed boundless influence indeed,
e. 20
limits. Hence he might have openly {
fed the law, had such been his pleasul
adopted wiser and safer course. AT
perpetrating any homicide, he invaria
submitted his own case to the grand ju
sure of triumphant acquittal on tr
by his friends and thus, should pul
sentiment ever turn against him in
future, he would be enabled to pl
efectual verdicts in bar of past offent
At length the time arrived which
Colonel had so long anticipated.
wealthy aud intelligent class of citiz
began to change the current of opin
in Harrison, so that in the county e
ton the friends of order by slight
jority, gained their candidate for she
This was terrible blow to the lynch
as it deprived them of their secure '
tage ground in packing juries; and
increase their danger at this unpropit
crisis, new judge was appointed. 1
were still numerous, thoroughly arr
desperadoes to man, and determine
the first court TO muster all their siren
so as to control and overawe their
ceedings.
AT nine o'clock in the morning of
second Monday in September, 1912
new Judge took his seat on the benc
lie was a stranger from the West W
name alone had transpired, and "
appearance at first inspired the desl
does with hope, and the friends Of c
will, ~ c,,1 ary,-obat,eicr,