The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-08-16
Life in Texas Eight Years Ago


Last night met an ex-of1cer of the
Confederate army, an Englishman, and a
bitter unrcconstructed rebel at that. who
eight years ago Travelled through the
State us the manager of circus. His
picture of Texas life at that time remains
vividly impressed on my memory. "Not
a week passed" he said, ''but we had
some one killed. either in the circus, near
the circus, or in dispute respecting it. I
was walking one day with q gentleman,
very clever gentleman, too, q young
lawyer, and as we came to an unfrequent-
ed part of the road, three men rose up
from behind fence, With their faces
blackened and shot guns in their hands.
All fired at once, and literally filled him
with lead. They put negro bloodhounds
on the track. and captured the men among
the audience at the circus that very night. :"
"What was done with them Z" / asked
"Oh, they were tried the next day and ac-
Quilted The worst part of the business
is that the poor fellow was killed on q
charge of seducing young lady,. and it
afterwards turned out that one of the as
sassins, the lady's own brother-in-law,
was the seducer. I'll tell you another
thing / saw in this same town of Crockett
l was standing outside a bar, and up came
a man with u gun in his hand. He walk
ed straight up to another man, who was
standing near the door, and exclaimed,
'Pve got you, have L, you son of b.
and fired. The man shot at stepped
quickly on one side and the shot struck
the lock of the door. I've got you, have
1, you son of b. he replied, drew his
revolver, and shot his assailant dead
Neither Of them had ever seen the other
before. Now I'll tell you story of des-
pcrado life. There was q noted character
named Bill Johnson, who was known to
have killed seventeen men, and most peo-
pie were afraid of him. Somebody had
SHOT another desperate friend of his,
and Bill vowed to avenge him. He heard
the man he was in search of had gono to
Waco, which turned out afterwards not
to be the case, as they had purposely put
him on u wrong scent. However, he
went there after him. Just before he left
he had killed couple of men TO keep his
hand in, andpapers followed him to Waco
When they attempted to arrest him he
shot down several Of the officers, but they
eventually overpowered and disarmcd
him and put him in the jail, q strongly
built log-house Some friend of Johnson's
outside passed in Il knife and u revolver
through chink. When the guard came
for the night he made for them. severely
wounded seven citizens, and drove them
off a blacksmith, who lived hard by,
told me the rest of the tragedy He was
awoke by the noise ut the JAIL and saw
about twenty men, with blacI1ened faces,
trying to break in the door with sledgcs
Failing in this, they took to saving a
hole, and then he heard Johnson begging
for life. Next morning L passed by the
jail and saw Johnson's body hanging out
side, cut to pieces" -
In spite Of all the lawessness that still
prevails, must confess that if this is q
fair representation of Texan life eight
years ago, as believe it is, matters have
much improved since then. With all
their braggadocio and pugnacity, there is
rough sense of Justice and sturdy
straightforwardness about the Texan char
acter which 1 rather like, and [ shall
leave the State with regret. During the
ten OF twelve days have been here
have heard some pretty "tall" secesh talk
but though have never concealed my
opinions or hesitated to join in the con-
versation, I have experienced neither in
suit nor violence. l find here, as in the
South generally, that those who fought
the bravest in the rebel army are the best
disposed toward the Government and
most to be trusted. The "blowhards'
and those who talk about re-opening the
struggle are generally men who did nc
fighting ut all-C0r. n. Y. Herald.
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