The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1870-07-21
Established July 1850.

store the reign of reason, as he muir.
INJURED
: She sleeps well. l was weak in.
t deed to credit the feverish hailucina-
tim
He knocked at the door but there
was no answer.
, MARY, dearest, awake. 1t is l,
} open the door to your husband
, But there was no sound, only the
crickets sung on. He tried the knob
of the door with his hand. 1t was
safely locked, and he said to him.
self
All is right. but she sleeps pro-
foundry
He struck again tiercer and louder
once, twice, and then with both
hands, fairly shouting
| Mary, dear, awake-open! | am
returned !!
| But the cricket alone replies with
its music.
| The cold sweat began to roll from
his forehead as he trembled in every
limb {; and then, making one desper-
ate effort, with all his strength, he
dashed the shutter from its hinges.
1t was perfectly dark within-dark
and silent as the centre of a grave.
He CROPPED his way to the bedside,
and threw his arms around the below
ed ones. Oh, joy! they were there !!
He could feel their figures beneath
the sheet-the full-blown rose of
queenly beauty, and the bud folded
III her bosom. He stopped for kiss
of tenderness. Avaunt the lips
were of ice.
Ho for candle ! 1t was kindled
in moment, and the light revealed
it all. The woman and child were
literally torn to pieces by volley of
ball and buck-shot that had been
fired through a crevice behind the
bed.
But the bereaved uttered no la
mentation-not so much as a tear
believed bis CLASSY eyes. He tossed
his wild hands towards Heaven, and
swore an awful oath. He turned to
depart, but as he was going, the
cricket on the hearth caught his
glance. Its chirp seemed to his
trenzied ear the croaking Of some
fiend of torture.
Black devil, what dost thou here?
he shouted hoarsely, and ground it
beneath his heel.
All that day and the following
night. Albert Willis hurried to and
fro over the country, detailing the
horrld tragedy, and arousing the peo-
pie to vengeance, and the next morn
ing full eight hundred men, thorough
lly armed, mustered at the camp
ground, two miles south of Fayette-
vile, whence they immediately
marched to storm the stronghold OF
the legalized outlaws.
As they entered the village they
met Gov. Yell, who happened to be
passing through, and he instantly
advised them not to venture an at
tack, as the grocery was garrisoned
by fifty men, with loaded muskets,
besides four or five cannon taken from
the public arsenal and the news
tended very much to cool the ardor
of the citizens, although they still
proceeded. ..
They moved forward in solemn
column till within thirty yards of the
grocery, which had not previously
shown sign Of human life, and
where, in fact, nothing was to be
seen but the old wooden walls yawn-
ing with empty port holes, and the
four black cannon peering through
their embrasures.
Suddenly the door was thrown par
tally open tor one brief instant, and
the fearless face OF Bill Shelley APP
peared, as he shouted in tones OF
thunder
If you come one foot nearer, we'n
blow you to hi!
Quick as linghtning the door was
shut, and fifty guEs protruded thro'
the port holes. An unaccountable
panic seized the multitude every
| man but one fled in utter confusion
and dismay, and many did not pause
till they were miles away in the
country. Very different was the con-
duct of the only single exception
Albert Willis displayed the daring
of demon. He stood firm as rock
he tore open his shirt bosom and
dared his foes to fire he bantered
them to come out and he would en-
gage them all at once. His courage
awoke one sentiment of honorable
feeling in hearts dead to every 9th
| er. ...
Sire upon him = exclaimed Ball.
'No, you shall not, said Bill Shell
| ley 'he is too brave to be shot like
| a dog
For three months afterwards an
extraordinary state of things prev all
d in the city of w ashington, and es-
acially about Fayetteville. Albert
Willis rode continually over the
country, sometimes with one, but
generally with half a dozen wild look
lng ruffians by his side, all armed to
the teeth, with double. barrelled shot
guns and revolving pistols. Occa-
sionally he was seen on the Indian
line at the head of hundred Chero-
kee warriors. A thousand different
rumors were circulated. Now it was,
that he lay in wait on the roads to
assassinate his enemies again, the
news came that he was marching
with thousand savages, to lay the
county seat in ashes. Often at the
hour of midnight, the guilty citizens
of the village were startled from THEN
I sIumber by the shrill blast of a soil
tary trumpet from the centre of the
public square. 1t seemed that their
foe took a malisious pleasure in put.
ting them to the agonies of a slow
torture all the while the compan
ions of that odious clique never lef
their fort.
| AT length Willis entirely disap
| peared, and was not heard from to-
a year. Ball, Sanders q Co., ther
ISSUED from their fastness, and ven
tured to breathe the fresh air.
Twelve months roll ed away, wheI
the community was again agitatet
by the occurrence of new catas
trophe. ALT Shelley was slain whel
travelling alone on Cane Hill !; an,
from every sign, the deed had no
been done till after desperate con
7 fiict.
Both his pistols were found dis
charged and his knife YVES broken Ii
l two. The next week John Coulte
| was killed near the same spot, ant
, his rifle, too, lay empty, with tn
stock annihilated, beside him.
: A fortnight followed, and Matthe,