Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-09-05
Correspondence of the Petersburg Express.l


HoUsToN, TEXAS, Aug. II, 1860.
DEAR EXPRESS: l should not have left it so long
ere wrote you, had it not been was so fatigued
from patrol duty at night along with business dur
ing the day, that really did not feel like writing at
ALL
regularly patroed by picked men, and many arrests
made by them, which led to the discovery Of plot
to burn Houston. as well as the other towns Some
firearms were also discovered in the possession of
negroes one or two white men connected with them
but against whom we could not prove anything,
except BY negro evidence. These men were sent
from the State by the Vigilance Committee.
There is still regular and well organized patrol
on duty every night for we do not yet consider the
danger all over Daily We receive accounts Of more
Jfres more arrests and now and then hanging or
two. There have been some fifteen more white
men hung, and number of negroes.
A private letter from friend in Dallas informs
me that one hundred and forty-sev negroes have
been found to be accomplices to the scheme, and
severely hogged, and quantities of poison found
in their possession, with which they were to poison
the wells and springs, to assist them in killing the
whites. They also all admit that Old Parson Kin
neg and his accomplice, Blunt who were last fall
ordered off, were the planners of the whole scheme,
in revenge for their mild foggng of last fall, which
shows how much too moderate was their punish
ment. Hanging would have been too good for them.
IL COutnOu SlLHcTS are u Ue lOTcVeT puulSIleu,
what must be the punishment Of these double-dyed
blackhearted villains, who 60 disguised in the cloak
of religion, merely that they may the better per-
petrate the most vile deeds which their corrupted
ilnaginations devise. But thanks to kind
Providence, all such schemes are destined to come
to light ere they can become fully developed and
carried out.
In the early part Of the present week, we heard
Of the burning Of Henderson, Rusk county; and
since, of the burning of the towns of McKinny,
Palestine, Tyler and Dangerfeld
In Tarrant county there was wagon load of six
shooters and rifles intercepted on its way to the
residsnce of one of their agents, and he quietly
hung. Many of the hangings have been done pri-
vately, so that the officers of the law would not
know anything about it-not that they feared them
but wanted the matter settled at once
The town of Tyler burned this week, was
fired some three or four weeks ago, and the man
firing it shot, so that he died, and was found three
miles distant and now it appears it has been burned
in spite of all the vigilance of the patrol.
The cause of the late movement being so wide
spread is only to be accounted for, in my opinion
by the leniency with which negroes are treated in
Texas. They have their own way, and are almost
virtually free in two cases out of every three The
portion of the scheme upon which they based all
of thir hopes was, that in the excitement they
would create by the wholesale murders, they were
to form in body-Abolitionists negroes and In
dians-and fight their way to Mexico, where they
would be tolerated to live with their white skares-
(he women)-on an equality with the natives.
About the time our town was doomed to 90, so
strict patrol was kept, that several, myself among
the number did not 60 to bed but one night for
whole week, being on duty every night
The worst, We now trust is over, but they may
be awaiting the cessation of the vigilance now kept
up But the fruit is plucked and cannot ripen. My
letter is no doubt disconnected, but cannot re-
| write it at present, for the lack of time.
Yours, &C., g. -
P. S. SATURDAY, Aug 18.-Last night, our city
was visited by very destructive fire, which con-
sumed nearly block and half-comprising one of
our best hotels, the Kelly House, tin and stove
store, &C. Loss estimated at $4,000; very little
insurances on anything. The origin Of the fire is
attributed to the work of an incendary and he sup
posed to be the proprietor of the boarding house.
who had quarrel with the baker a few days pre-
vious, though nothing can be proven on him.
Two abolition agents are to be hung in Richmond
to-day, upon whom some very positive documents
were found.
There was a very strict guard kept during the
fire last night with orders to kill any one who re-
fused to answer "hai" in the outer, and especially
suspicious portions of the city
Late developments from the upper country report
the finding Of one hundred bottles stryehnine, in
possession Of negroes, for wells and springs They
will be taken care Of G.
s- GaDture of nm AlLeoed Sznser