Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-02-11

I14l1ND 1tODlNIIlt.
TIE FIGURE OF 0. 81 -
4 IN the year lS22, the Great Forest in the neigh
borhood OF Frankfort was infested by poachers. :
When game was not to be ioun6in sufficient plent
for their wants. thes waylaid the travellers on tn
I high road which passed through portion OF tn
forest and after stipPing them Of alhtheir effects
betook themselves for concealment in the rcccsse
o:the woods. .Poachcrs and brigands were, in tia
age, ncarlv synonymous terms; indeed, at al peri
obs there il q g-ear AFFINITY betvccnthe two charac
tiers. a nm, whose nightly occupation Is 10 g
cat in tho pursuit. Of game, with arms AM
skilled 81 the;r use, IS always ready 70 IRE upon an,
one who shah be rash enoushto oppose himself u
his deprcda,ons. Even at this day, in the heart o
emil ghteucd EnSland, scarcely month passes with
gu. the Newspapers supplying with details Of DIES
/ perste encounters of this description.
Two centuries ago, throughout Europc, life and
property were but slightly protected Compared with
the arrangements OF our advanced system. When
the poacher failed 70 capture suticency of game
the temptation TO supply the want BY obtaining the
ready possession of purse well filed with gold
was Irresistible to the -hslfsayage minds of men
living IN taulcss state. he Intercourse had this
advantage that Il psecluied the necessity OF going
to market and disposing of the game under suspi-
cious circumstances, and at reduced Price. while in
either case the prize was wonby the mere pulling
OF trigger.
Tue leader Of the band Of posei,ers which fire.
iqueuted this forest was young man OF goo! fam
lily, residing near village upon the skirts OF the for
est. Libertinisn had ,urcd him into crime. Pas
s:onately euamored of a young girl who Lad refus-
cd him in marriage, he decided upon her abduction.
For this purpose he associated himself with some
Wild youths, OF dubious or decidedly bad character;
and 70 escape the vengeance of the laws which, the
IL L.I ,eroA
together to pass their lives In the midst of the for
SkillfuI and fearless poachers, they presently
became the terror ofthe keepers, and when any oil
! these opposed their deprcdatlons, shot from all
arouebuss 1.-THE arm tlen in fshion,) aimed from
behind the covert Of tree, speedily silenced the
game keepers attack. Presently no one dared to
penetrate within the reccsscs of the Great Forest,
ard few were hardy enough to journey on its en-
virous- Hans Rudner, the leader Of the daring
bind, had commenced the reckless life of an out
law BY Carrying off the young girl OF whom have
already spoken; bat running riot in the excess OF
his unbrided power, he presently became satcd with
his conquest Like other gallants, less aenatcd
from society, bu scarcely less mschevious, be Was
fond of change. He visited the towns and villages
under d.:fs 4 disguses, and whenever he spied a
beautiful woman be sure TO watch al her move
ments, until a favorable moment arose, and then
pouncing upon her Ike vulture, he bore her away
into the heart ofthe woods. After this came the
turn ola second and third until, presently, there
no fewer than nine beautiful girls thus carried
OF, eight of whom were subsequently returned to
their disconsoate parents in state little calculated
- allay their sad disquietrde.
Hans gduer LEFT TO his companions bis share OF
he plumber. rcserving for himself the maidcns
whom he tore from their HON s and kindred The
best shot for MANY lon. German mile around, the
s.ags, wild boars, and roe-bucks which passed with
in two hundred PAGES OF his arquebuss were sure to
f.f>l hall rrn ms oh
their hearts. -
When the keepers OF the forest jointly attacked
The poachcs, the latter, forming an anibuscade in
the pits and ravines with which the forest aboundcd.
amidst the branches OF the tall trees allowed the
enemy 20 advance. Al signal given BY Rudner,
their pieces were all fred at once, and seldom did
one of the unfortunate keepers escape from the cruel
massacre 70 curry the fearful intelligence to tie
neigh5orins villages. Rudner's complnions fred
at the bodies Of their opponents; but Rudner him.
self ways lodged his ball Geo least said the peas
ant-v) in the left ere of the MN ut whom he took
aim. Whenever poor wretch WAS found lying
dead upon one OF the forestpaths. or OF the roads
adjoining. with the mark OF a bail having passed
through hs ieit eve, the customary exclamation
was, IT'S .ne ball Of Rudner Lncksaugc' (leit
eye.l ArEx rr
Eror1nities Ike these could not fail to lead 70 a
decisive catastrophe. The senators of Frankfort
assembled to deliberate rpon the most cfectual
means OF breaking up and EXTERN mating this afro
cious band. Troops were hastily enrolled for the
service. All the hardy young men OF the neighbOr
ing villages, including the brothers and those who
had been ztanced 10 the injured snadens, painting
for revenge, joined the expedition with an ardof
whicl, vas nafssd by sense OF personal wrong.
armed themselves 70 the teeth, proc!amed SACRED
crusade, and swore never TO return without the /
body of Hans Ruilner, living or dead.
Tho forest was. surrounded, and the circle con-
tracted By degrees, in the grand hunting expedi-
tons of the East, until the rbrsands were at
length discovered Hunted to their lair, and urged
to extremity these lawless men DEFENDED themselves
with great bravery; but, overpowered by numbers,
thew were taken almost all alive with the exception
Of the dreaded sLeft-e$e and led IN triumph to
Frankfort to be judged and hung.
AS might well be expected, short work was made
Of such notorious criminals. The inhabitants OF all
tie surrounding districts rushed TO Frankfort to wit
ness their executions, as TO most delightful spec
racle. ~, = ssG fes v5r ds %
But men. women and children who had been
Taught to lisp his name IN terror, deeply regretted
that Hans Rudner was notthe first 70 mernt the
scafold. - - I'D. t-...
An exceedingly pretty young woman, leading
child BY tie hand, was standing near the gibbet,
watching the executioner performing lbs office,
when, on suidedly turning her head, she perceived
tau man standingby her s,de. "A cry OF terror es-
capped her. s<-s-(fiffftsr.r- 1...f.l1-
:Silencen said the tall man. in deep but conse-
Grated and ferocious tone while at the time he
displayed long Woodlands knife: Silence or that
infant is an Orphan 1iNt}H flHlN
She uttered not word ! but that wild cry Of ter
ror, and the faint murmur Of the strangers mutter-
ed words, were heard by one Of The municipal off,
GERS. He eyed the mysterious man before him,
and remembered that the woman had passed some
months in the apdposcters' cave. Comparing
ala face with that OF the child he perceived sri
king resemblance. He made sign to two Of his
brother offeerss and the three. precpitating them
selves upon tha stranger, made him prisoner, in
spite of the most violent resistance, and led him
before the senator's. = ~ f11'ii &c =.
sThe poachershaye been executed said the man /
shsbad been pincipAIly instrumental in efiectins
the Capture i'Wershipful senator's you wanted the
srch-yilIain who led them-tliere he stands"
Spare him. spare him. shrieked the woman whose
involuntary CRY had led to his arrest for Heavens
AXE spare the father of my child.'
We'll, be it so. said the prisoner; 'lct there be
10 farce abouf Il. This woman has betrayed me,
,ut pardon her-I am Rudner-Rndner Linck-
'auge,' he added fearlessly and proudly.
Go. tell the hangman,' said the senator, that his
lays work Is not yet accomplished f-N
The paltry wretch who, with the assistance of
wo Others, has made me prisoner quosh Rudner,
lplayed with him westerly at two hundred PAGES
distance was about 10 plant ball la his LEFT eye
~ u~I 81