Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-04-14

pluck the marline-spike out OF our eye
There is Scripture for you.
"REMINISCENCES OF EvAEsvILLE.-Col
Guthrie relates TO Us an incident of bis
first visit to Evansville.
IL was in 1892, just at the close of the
Blackhawk war, in which he had parti-
cipated, without having had an oppor-
tunity Of smelling gun powder.
After returning from the West, he and
his brother bought stern-wheel steam
boat, the first that ever ran by this city,
and started from Pittsburg for New Or
leans, it being the second trip of the
boat
On the first trip the then Captain
Williamson we will call him, had, unin
tentionally, passed a counterfeit 1926 U.
S. Bank Bill in this city, and the min
ions of the law were lying in wait for
the return Of the boat.
As soon as she landed a Constable
with a posse rushed aboard and APP
preaching Captain Guthrie, claimed him
as his prisoner The Captain enquir-
ed the ground Of the arrest, when ne
was told that it was for passing coun'
terfeit note on the previous trip.
The Captain denied the soft impeach'
ment, saying he had not been here be-
fore and declared his purpose not to be
arrested, ordered the Constable from the
boat, and proceeded to discharge his
freight.
While the boat was being unloaded
prominent citizens of Louisville, passen
gers on the boat, went to the Magistrate
and assured him that to their certain
knowledge Capt Guthrie was not thu
man that had passed the counterfeit
bill, and this was his first trip on tn
boat.
Captain Guthrie also proffered to re
deem the bill and take it back to Cap
williamson, who was an honorable an
responsible man, and whom he kne'
would make it good to him, but th
Justice,( y and Constable would consen
to nothing but the arrest and detentio
of the Captain-much like certain off
GERS we have been blessed with since
and even the man who had received tn
bill declared that Guthrie was not tn
man.
1t was q case of genuine bull-headed
ness on the part of the Squire and hi
minion, and they prepared to carry OF
their purpose, while the Captain pro
ceeded to discharge his freight.
BY the time this was done the entir
City was in arms; the then high ban
swarmed with rifles and shot-guns, an
the shore was crowded with people, an
even a swivel was planted on the beac
loaded with pebbles and turned on h
boat.
The only arms on the boat were tw
single-barreled pistols and dirk knit
Col! Guthrie gave the pistols to th
Captain, and he himself acting 9
engineer, took the dirk, and the Capital
tapped the bell to let GO the line, but Il
mate aud crew, overawed by the formiC
. able array of weapons on shore, wei
afraid to go out to cast off.
Col Guthrie started out to let go Il
line, when he was greeted by voll'
which drove him on board, when
seized an axe and cut the cable. Til
|. was the signal for a general discharl
of firearms and the swivel. Two
: three shot passed through Col Guthrie
clothes, and one ball through the hat
his brother, the Captain, and a boulde
about she size of walnut, pass,
through stateroom and within three
four inches Of lady lying in her bert
The boat was soon out and of, wi
no one killed or wounded, but with
D wildly excited crowd of citizens linir
the shore.
By the time the boat returned, an 6
!, count of the affair had reached NJ
York and had been published in the r
pers, rejecting very severely on the pc
: pie of Evansville, and when the be
came opposite the city she was board
by committee Of merchants, rogue
I ing the officers of the boat to sign c.
tiicate that none of the merchants
business men of the city were engag
+! in the outrage of trying to arrest m
whom it had been clearly shown b
+, never been at the place before, and W
could not have committed the crii
IS with which he was charged. The G.
go tain, not yet Modified, refused to 81
q the document, and carried the comm
tee, who boarded him in a skiff,
- Greensboro before putting them ssho
We believe that Evansville is n
- about free from such Justices and c
in stables.
As The quota of LAFAYETTE is nearly Fl