The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-09-10
Nisceiiapeops.
SHOT IN THE EYE.
A True Story of Texas Border Life.
BY C. WILKINS EIM1.

Ny word for it, reader, should never
have ventured to construct professed ro-
nance out of incidents so wild and strange
as those of this narration. 1t is only with
the hope that you will acceptin in good faith
the assurance given in the same spirit,
that these things really did occur while 1
was in the country, and most of them
within my personal knowledge, that 1
venture to relate them at all. Remember,
the scene is laid in frontier county in
Texas, and if you have even remote con-
ceptiOn Of the history of that republic and
the general character of its social ele-
ments, you will be prepared for good
deal. But, though you might even have
visited its cities and older settlements,
you would still find it difficult to realize
all that is true of frontier life, unless, by
extending travel and experience, your
faith should be forfeited. When you can
have to say, as / can, "what mine eyes
have seen and ears heard" on that ground
alone you will be 'fit audience though
few," to receive, as matters of course, re-
lations which would, doubtless, for mo-
ment, shock others as monstrous in i'm
probability, if not, indeed, impossibility.
The man of high cultivation will find great
difficulty in understanding how such
deed as l am about TO relate, requiring
months to consummate, would have been
carried through in the face of law and the
local authorities; but the man who knows
this frontier will tell him that the rifle
aud the bowie-knife are all the law and
local authorities recognized. Witness the
answer President Houston gave, when ap-
plication was made to him for his inter-
position with the civil force to quell the
bloody Regulator wars" which afterwards
sprung up in this very same country
flight it out among yourselves and be
id to you"-a speech entirely char
acteristic Of the man and the country, as
it then was 1t was in the earlier stages
Of the organization of this same "regula-
tor" association that our story commences.
Shelby county, lying in western Texas,
on the border of the "red lands" was rath-
er thinly settled in the latter part of 49,
What population it had was generally the
worst cast of border life. The bad and
desperate men who had been driven from
our frontier formed a rallying- ground and
headquarters here-seemingly with the
determination to hold the county good
against the intrusion of all the honest per-
sons, and, as a sort Of "Alastia" of the
West, for the protection of outlaws and
villains of every grade. And, indeed, tc
such an extent had this prescription been
carried, that it had become VIGOROUSLY a:
much as a mans life or conscience wai
worth who settled among them with any
other purpose in view for he must eithe
fall into their confederacy, leave, or die
This was perfectly understood and the
objects of this confederacy may be readi
ly appreciated, when it is known that eve
ry now and then party of men would
sally out from this settlement, painted
and equipped like Camanchees, with |
view of carrying off the horses, plunderins
or numbering some marked men of
neighboring county; then returning witt
great speed, they would brand thei
pluuder, resume their accustomed appear
ance, or defy pursuit or Investigation
Not only did they band together for thei
operations in this way, but single maj
would carry off horse or commit a mur
der with most open audacity, and if b
only succeeded in escaping here, was pub
licly protected. do not mean to be un
derstood that the whole population a
this time were men of such stamp ayow
edly.
There were some few whose wealth
degree protected them in the observ
ances of more seemly life, though the
were compelled at least to wink at th
doings of their ruffianly and more numel
Gus neighbors; while yet there is anoth.
but large class of sturdy, straight forwar
emigrants, who, attracted solely by th
beauty of the country, had come into
and settled themselves down wherev,
they took fancy, with chsracterist
recklessness, neither enquiring nor carir
who were their neighbors, but trusting
their own stout arms and hearts to keep
footing. Of course all such were ve
soon engaged in desperate feuds with Il
horse thieves and plunderers around ther
and as they were not strong enough
make head efficiently, were one after a
other finally ousted or shot. 1t was
exterminate this class that the more la
less and brutal Of the other associat
themselves and assumed the name
regulators" They numbered ten
twelve, and, under the organization
rangers, commanded by beastly wret
named Hinch, they professed to und'
take the task of purifying the county lii
its of all bad and suspicious characte
or, In other words, Of all men who dar
refuse to be as vile as they were-or
they were, whochose TO act indepeudel
ly Of them and their schemes. This D
cious neighborhood soon became /
scourge of alLthat region. Whenever
individual was unfortunate enough