The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-03-23

as others the Bearded Ghost, was
seen in half dozen places at the
same time--now on foot, stalking
with enormous strides across some
open glade from lhickct TO thiclxet--
passing out of sight again before the
observer could recover from his sur.
prise--then mounted, he was seen
flying like shadow of summer
cloud over the prairies, or beneath
the gloom of forests, always haggard
and lean, dressed in skins with the
hair on, and that long, heavy, terri
BILE rifle on his shoulder! | noticed
that there was only one class of men
who ventured to assert that they had
actually seen with their own eyes
these wonderful sights, and that was
constituted of those who either had
suffered, or from their character and
pursuits were most likely to suffer
persecution from the Regulators
The class of hunter emigrants. These
men were most Industrious in EN-.
bcllishlng all the circumstances OF
character, feats, and relentless hatred
to the Regulators, as highly as the
excited credulity OF the public would
bear. They never saw him except in
the vicinity of some one of these
hated tyrants! In their visions this
being was forever lowering around
them, waiting the moment to strike
while they were alone and far from
any help. --....
They carried this thing so far as to
attract attention to it, and arouse in
the cunning mind Of Hinch the same
suspicion which had occurred to Hen
ry and myself, namely: that all this
was the result Of profoundly acute
and thoroughly organized scheme of
this class, headed by some men Of
peculiar personalities and consum.
mate skill, with the object of exter.
mination or driving oil tho Regula.
tors. 1t seemed impossible, that,
without collision with many others,
the murderer should have been able
to ballle all pursuit. Hinch and his
band had been thoroughly cowed and
awed; but the moment this idea oc-
Cured to them the reaction of their
base fears was savage eXultation.--.
Here was something tangible; their
open and united force could easily
eXLerninate an enemy who had &C.
knowledged their weakness in re
sorting to secret combination and as
sassination from "thc bush!n They
forthwith proclaimed "war TO the
knife" with the whole class; and du-
ring the next week several outrages,
SO revolving that ] will not detail
them, were perpetratcd upon these
men in different parts OF the country;
and the fact that during the general
tumult, nothing more was seen or
heard of the mysterious riheman, en-
couraged them with the belief that
they had succeeded in getting rid of
him through the intimidation of his
confederates.
They had now been for nearly
fortnight in the saddle-had glutted
themselves with vengeance, and, as
they conceived, broken down this
dangerous conspiracy against their
power and il they had not succeeded
in detecting and pmishing, had at
least frightened OH their singular foe.
l'hey now concluded they might sale
ly disband. That day, after they
separated, one of their number named
Bccs--amost rs bad and savage a
man as llinch himscll-was riding
past a thicket, IN sight of his house,
when hG was shot from il. His ne
grocs heard the gun, and seeing his
horse galloping up TO the house rider
less, and snorting wildly, they ran
down aud found him stretched in the
road, dead. lie WaS shot IN lie eye,
and the ball passed out ut the back
OF his head.
When llinch heard this, he turned
perfectly livid, his knees sn,ote to-
gether, and with horrible oath, he
eXclaimed-"It's Jack Long, or his
ghost, by Cd! come back for ven
geance.' 1t was now perceived, for
the first time, that all the men had
been shot through the eye, instead ol
in the back Of u head where the bali
had only passed out after entering II
the socket The other heads had
been too unpleasantly mutilated for
examination, and this TACT had not
been before observed. or course,
everybody was satisfied now, tha.
this terrible being was in one way or
another identified with Jack Long;
for the notoriety of his favorite lG.rk
and his matchless skill occurred TO
all as accounted for much that was
unacountablc in these occurrences
This produced a great change in
public feeling, The better sort be,
gan TO conceive that they understood
The whole matter. The lynching
Jack hal received, was fresh in theil
memories, and they supposed that its
severity had shaken his mental bal
ance and made him monomaniac,
and the disease endowed him with
the marvellous cunning-the staunch,
murderous hate--aud the unnatnra,
appearance, which had created such
sensation. They could not under
stand how being SO simple hearted
and sluggish Us he was reputed TO
have been, could have been reused or
stung to such deeds by the mere
power and depth OF his natural pas
sions. But monomaniac or not, such
vengeance, and the daring conduct OF
the whole affair, were very imposing
TO their associations, and prepossess.