M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-08-11
Receiying EIectIOn Returns.

i
quareing about the courthouse and Spread
Eagle was uprOarious.
Mac had three voters penned up in the loft
of our office, in a happy State ofunconscious-
ness as to whether they were in heaven Or on
earth. He intended to poll their votes just
before the polls closed; but, unfortunately,
whilst lie was busily engaged in stealing one
of Halls from underneath an empty rice
hogshead behind the courthouse, some Of that
genleman's emissaries succeeded in letting
| them down By rope tisd-arOund their mid.
die from the loft window, and running them
out 10 a contrary precinct voted them for
Hall
At last the polls were closed, and the votes
counted, when it was asCertdined tlat Hail
led Mac zen votes at the town precinct; and
that, somehow or otner,the country precincts,
not satisfied with either had voted for Col
onel Peter Wadd, ard that gentleman at IL
o'clock was Just even with them-and Pump
kin Hollow TO hear from.
We were all assembled at the hotel stoop,
aud were in high state of anxiety to hear
from the denizens of Pumpkin Hollow. Hall
claimed it, Mac swore he'd carried it, and
| the Colonel'S friends swore he'd carried it,
aud there it was nip aud tuck, who could
bag the most about the expected returns
from Pumpkin Hollow.
Hour after hour we impatientlY awaited
the dlatUry arrival of the bearer Of dispatch
es from Pumpkin Hollow, and at twelve
o'clock he had not yet made his appearance.
At this hour the greater portion of the
crowd were inside the densely packed bar
room, engaged in drinking, shouting and
QuuHeing. What few remained in the street
were mostly those who had BET heavily On
the result, and we've standing silently staring
into the pltchy darkness, every now and then
tancying ;hat they could hear the Gathering
hools OF the returning officers horse as he
en'erel the town. At length the joyous cry
of, There lie comes = accompanied BY the
pit-a pat of the horses hools. brought US out
of doors in perfect jam. One fellow got
his foot entapgled at HE doorway and all
hands came tumbug down, heler.skelter
As they arose every one seemed to be la
boring under the impression that some one
had knocked him down, 0nd, of course, a
regular row was the result of this unfortunate
impression. Twas attempting to get out of
the window, when Major Flee, little bull.
terrier ofa fellow, collared me aud demanded
satisfaction for buuging him on the nose
The startling fact was very evident, for the
caret was flowing copionsly, aud had no
time' nor he any inclination, to make or hear
excuses; and, ln~Fepayment of dab in the
stomach, hit him ler-bang and down we
came together Unfortunately, as we rolled
in the filth on the floor, come enterprising
individual downed old Major boomerang with
the leg ol Il table which had been tom loose
in the melee, and the addition of Two hun
dred aud twenty five pounds 10 orr little pile
was far from being agreeable But that was
far from being all: our little party on the
floor formed nucleus for some twenty-odd
who were knocked down, helter-skeIter upon
us. The pulling and hauling, fighting and
yelling, was terrific.
In the scramble got my head f,om under
the crowd. and looked arOund at the pro-
ctcdlngS Two and two they were coupled
all over the room, hitting right and left
One fellow was on top the billardtabe,
with u long cue, striking under tue table at
another gent, who would crawl over on the
opposite side from which his opponent occu-
pied, and, raising his head, present reyol-
yer ut the fellow on the ton, who would
make an awful lick at his head aud then
jump back for fear the pistol would blow a
hole through him. Another wss Tending of
the decancrs and glasses thrown at him
with the big looking g ass that usually orna-
mented the bar; whilst another had crept up
the Fireplace, and an old fellow who had all
MS false teeth knocked down his throat, was
punching him with dull sword cane.
| made desperate effort and hauled my
self free from the living weight that pinned
me to The floor, and rushed out of doors. At
this moment, the fellow under the billiard
table, h aying received a severe blow on the
nozzle from the gent on the Top, commenced
firing his revolver; everybody instintly-ceas-
ed fighting and broke for the doors. The
fellow on the table made flying jump and
landed on his head out into he street. The
customer in the fireplace had By this time
made his way to the top of the chimney,
where lie sat cross-legged shouting, "Mur-
der"
Peace was restored, and the arrival of the
returning officer, tied on his horse, hog-lash-
ion, and in state Of beaslly intoXicatiOn,
turned the attention Of all from purely per-
sonal matters, to the subject of general in.
terest, vz:-the vote at Pumpkin Hollow.
The horse walked up to the crowd, with his
drunken master tied in such a manner that
he couldn't guide him if he would.
"EIow's The vote :"
"Who's ahead %
Whats the news! I" were shouted in his
ears, but he only responded by succession
of grunts.
Unite him." said Mejor Flee, "and let's
examine his papers" which was accordingly
done-but no papers could be found.
He was piled with questions, but only re-
sponded with grunt We then took him
to pump and cooled him off, and then man.
aged to get some indefinite replies to our
many questions.
Sitting on the ground, with his head lean
Ing against the pump, and his clothes satura-
ted with mud and water, he formed pretty
center to the group that surrounded him, one
of whom had nose bunged up to twice lis
usual dimensions, others with black spots
over and under their eyes, and al! with shirts
coats and pants torn and rumpled-somo had
hats with the crown bent in, others had none
at all, and few were in better fix, SO far as
sobriety was concerned, than the drunken
runner"
"How many votes did get!' asked Hall.
| GO Mi, rosn-,nIoI "a