The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-06-07
Thrilling Episode in, the Life OF
Abe Lincoln

~t'N 'S'h'|i'i
Asa Western man, wish space to give
vent to my enthusiasm over the nomination
Of Hon. Abraham Lincoln for President ot
che United States. Mr. Lincoln, or cold
Abe as his frieuds Familiarity call him. is a
seif-msde man. A kentuckian by birth, he
enigrated to Illinois in his boyhood, where
he earned bis living at the anvil devoting
bis leisure hours to study. Having chosen
the law as his future calling, hedeyotel him
self ambitiously to its mastery, contending
at every step with adverse fortune. During
this period of study, he for some time found
home under the hospitable roof of one
Armstrong, farmer who lived in a log
house some eight miles from the village oil
Petersburg, Menard county. Here, clad in
homespun, with elbows out, and knees COW
cred with patches, young Lincoln would
master his lessons by the freight of the
cabin, and then walk to towe for the pur-
pose of recitation. This man Armstrong
was himself poor, but he saw the genius
struggling in the young student, and opened
to him his rude home and bid him welcome
to his coarse fare How Lincoln graduated
with promise-how he has more than fllfll
ed that promise-how nonorably he acquir.
ed himself alike on the battlefield, in defend
ing our border settlements against the raw
ages of savage foes, and IN the halls of our
national legislature, are matters of history,
and need no repetition here. But one little
incident Of more private nature, standing
as it does as sort of sequel to some things
already alluded to, deem it worthy of rec
ord. Some few years since the oldest son OF
Mr.. Lincoln's old friend Armstrong, the
chief support of his widowed mother-the
good old man having sometime previously
passed from earth-was arrested on the
charge ofmurder A young man had been
killed during ariotous melee, in the night
time, at camp-meeting, and one of his as
sociates stated that the death-wound was in
ficted by young Armstrong. A preliminary
examination was gone into, at which the ac-
cuser testified so positively that there seemed
do doubt of the guilt of the -prisoner, and
therefore he was held for trial. As is too Of
ten the case, the bloody act caused an undue
degree of excitement in the public mind
Every improper incident in the life of the
prisoner-each act which bore the least sem.
blance of rowdyism--each school-boy quar-.
rrl-was suddenly remembered and magni
fled, until they pictured him as fiend o.
the most horrid hue. As these rumors
spread abroad, they were received as gospel
truth, and feverish desire for vengeance
seized upon the infatuated populace, willis,
only prison-bars prevented horrible death
at the hands Of mob. The events were
heralded in the country papers, painted ir
the highest colors, accompanied by rejoicing
over the certainty of punishment being met
ed out to the guilty party. The prisoner
overwhelmed by the circumstances under
which he found himself placed, fell into a
melancholy condition, bordering upon des
pair; and the widowed mother, looking
through her tears, saw no cause for hop,
from earthly aid.
At this juncture, the widow received /:
letter from Mr.. Lincoln, volunteering hi;
services in an effo. to save the youth from
the impending stroke. Gladly was his aiG
accepted, although it seemed impossible fo
even his sagacity to prevail in such des
rerate case; but the heart Of the attorney
was in his work, and he set about it with