Weekly Trinity journal., 1860-03-31
Gbe Grmiitg goutnal.
ION THE SQUARE"


honorable brave and worthy men in the South
west. His motto was, " be just-be brave-be
generous-and do things on the square !"
The following thrilling instance of his noble
bravery is taken from the New York Sunday
Mercury, to which paper it was contributed by
writer who lives in the west, and who vouches
for the truth of the narration. The event occur
red at Vicksburg in the Fall of 1888, at which
time that city was the bead quarters of a band
of bold and desperate characters who, under the
assumed mask Of faro-dealers and sporting men
in general, did not hesitate to use The budgeon
or knife, when the cards ran favorable for vic
tim who was too wise to be aeeced by stripers or
double-deaing boxes. The story is a short and
exciting one:
Many an unwary planter who had made
successful sale of his produce at the market Of
New Orleans could be traced no further on his
return route, by his friends, than the saloon Of
William Dangler, in Vcksburg-who was known
from the month of the Mississippi to st. Louis by
the alias Buffer Bill-or the gambling bell of
one armed, red haired man, Of gigantic stature,
who rcjOiced in the cOgnOmen of Kingpin Jerry.
But, willie the former-named individual could,
urder circumstances assume the gHise of gen
tlcman- Notwithstanding his villainOus cast of
c0untenance, and the snaky glare of his black,
fascinating eyes-Kingpin Jerry was always the
Iutfian, flush Of ribald oaths, and ever ready 10
boast of his many deeds of crime-either in the
presence Of his companions or strangers.
How he had lost his left hand was mystery
10 his most intimate companions, and all who
sought to inquire into the history Of its loss
rcpeed with hurricane of oaths, and terrible
insinuations of vengeance, if they dared to re-
peat the question a second time.
1t was his constant boast that he never was
backed down but once in his life, and then he did
not buck against man, but a born devil.
When be did strike, common report said that
the blow of his fist like the crash Of a smith S
hammer, and the patrons of his house had q
world Of curiosity TO know the heit and size Of
the man who had made Kingpin Jerry knuckle
under. But be kept that secret as choice as the
manner in which he had lost his hand, and dealt
short faro or shook sweat with the member fate
had left him, with a skill and celerity that was
marvellous to behOder3.
No one appeared to know anything concerning
his life previous to his advent in Vicksburg
some three years previous to the date of our
story. There was rumOr abroad that he had
once sailed under the flag of the death 's-head
and cross bones as the mate of pirate ship; but,
to do Kingpin Jerry justice, the story lacked
confirmation his bearing and manners
proved that he was fully capable of filling such
II post of rapine and slaughter.
Before the public, he and William Danglcr
alias Buffer Bill, were rivals in trade, and osten
sibly at variance but, behind the scenes, they
were in secret partnership, and some times of %
dark night when some wealthy planter was
missed forever from public view, they raked up
heavy pile together, and their respective banks
Immediately rose from mere tin pots TO twenty
dollar flyers.
At such periods the waters Of the Mississippi
told no tales but the quiet and sober-minded
I'll III.
solemn import, and would have thought it n
blessing if Vicksburg had been quit forever of
William Danger, with his plausible way and ser
pcnt smile; or Kingpin Jerry, with his rbaId
Oaths and strong arm.
At length tolbearance ceased to be a virtue,
and the citizens of the town rose en- ndSSe to rid
the place of these pests of society, and the muir
dering band of desperadoes they had gathered
around them.
Judge of the Supreme Court of Louisiana,
on his way to Ohio, had stopped in Vicksburg
over night. He had left his hotel, to take a
stroll through the place, in the early part Of the
evening, and from that period was never seen
more.
victim holding such n high position, and
troops of influential friends, made the citizens of
the place more energetic than usual. A reward
OF five thousand dollars offered for the body
of the judge either dead or alive aud a com
lnittee of vigilance waited upon William Danger
and Kingpn Jerry with an order to leave the
place within the course of seven days, or take
the consequences. Many of the gamblers, also,
who paionized their saloons, received similar
Eotces and, on the morrow, the most prudent,
not daring to brave public opinion, made gen
eral stampede to the various cities of refuge in
the South and West.
The following day there was further drain
and the exodus OF the sporting community CON
tinued until the last nj ght of the allotted time,
hut
Danger and some half-dozen more of the daring
and desperate troupe, whom the warnings of the
citizens could not drive from their fixed purpose
TO remain on the soil of Vicksburg, as Kngpin
Jerry expressed it, /" till hell froze over"
On the night of the approaching crisis, they
were quartered under the roof of William Dan
glcr, who had prepared his house for siege by
The maddened ctizena Each of the desperate
band was armed with knives and pistols to the
very teeth, and any one who could have gaZed
upon the stormy features of those men, hardened
i'll every crime, would have surmised that, like
wolves at bay, they would fight to the death.
The principal door Of the saloon was barrica-
ded with heavy oaken bar, which offered a
formidable resistance to the besiegers. Under
such circumstances, the desperadoes felt at com
parative ease. With a store of pistols cooked
and primed from convenient loopholes they
could put out scores of lives ere an entrance
could be effected and, during the panic caused
rush out and make his escape in the darkness.
1t lacked but an hour of sunset on the event
full night and the desperadoes were huddled
together in Danger's saloon under bolt and bar
discussing their fate, and giving vent to free
oaths OF future vengeance against the citizens o
The place when low knock was heard at The
door.
Instantly every mans hand was on his psto
or knife, thinking the hour of trial had come
but Kingpn Jerry, accommodating from a loon
hole, informed his companions that it was
false alarm, and the knooker one of tw,
strangers, whom he did not remember to hav
seen in Vcksburg before
Beaks on the lay perhaps" said Dangler
suggestively.
81 reckon not responded Kingpin Jerry, a
be took another glance at the ntruders. "On
Of the ducks is not out of his teens yet th
other buckles close to five and twenty-nothinl
shorter"
"They may not have heard of the row. ant
perhaps have patronized the crib BEFORE" sale