The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1870-07-21
A SABBATH OF MURDERS.

| W, AIkdlSdS, is beautifully situated
on an immense plateau Of the Ozarl
Mountains. With its purling streams
delicious climate, pure air, and pleas
ant surroundings, it is village fit
ted to inspire feelings of devotion
visions of poetry, and dreams o
innocence and Eden. Alas that tn.
horrible facts of its past history
should prove the pleasing inference
from its topography, an utter and
glaring nan Se4UiteeT-for there is not
a street or corner, or dark alley with
IN its limits, which has not been the
theater of murder. There is scarce
ly a pebble or an old grey limestone
in its public square, that has not
been more than once Redeemed with
human blood.
Let me daguerreotype the clique
of legalized banditti! Let me
paint them to the life, not in rest,
but in action, as | saw them on that
dreadful Sabbath in July, lS30-a
day that will be long remem bered by
the people of Arkansas, under the
awful name OF the sabbath Of Muir
ders."
1t is eleven O'Clock; the sky is
cloudless the sunlight looks divine.
and a gentle breeze from the south
ern prairies, fans the warm bosom of
the atmosphere, bringing balm on
its wings, and delicious GOODNESS.
Almost the whole population of the
country seems turned out to day, for
yonder vast court house in the centre
of the public square is crowded
from floor to gallery. Hark hear
You not the ringing chorus of half a
thousand voices sending up on high
the solemn chanted hymn, tribute
to the Universal Father? Hence
you may know it is the Christians
Sabbath, and they use the forum as
church to. day. But they are not
all at church. See! the door of the
great log grocery to the west, and
only fifty yards from the place Of
prayer and praise, stands wide open,
as if in defionce OF the law and scorn
of God. Go, enter and take notes of
the scene within.
That portly mass of flesh and
bones, he of small grey eyes, lit
with cunning twinkle, like two
Goals of fire on the oily ground OF
his fat face, is VIM. Nick. Ball, of
the Fayetteville Bank. In his sharp
sinister voice he is directing the
others how to do the "work we'll and
quickly" He carries no weapons
himself for although a man of amaz
ing strength, he lever fights being
a member of the Cumberland
Church.
And yet he is the soul of the Fay
etteville clique--he does all the
thinking. AS G politician his inhu.
ence is unbouuded, and hence the
current proverb i'll Arkansas
GAS goes Ball, so goes Washing
ton county; as goes Washington
county, 50 goes the State"
Ills name was affixed AS a signel
to the Constitution, and pretixed as a
compiler to the first code of laws,
for digestion which he received five
thousand dollars. He has gro WI
rich within three years, aud his farm,
with his slaves, lies a mile west of
the village.
Behold that tall, slender man,
dressed in the extreme toppishness
of the fashion. You see the hilt of
his bowie-knife cleaning through the
snowy rutfies of his shirt hos ON /;
he is busily engaged In ramming
home double charge into the bar
rel of a superb Derringer pistol, his
fingers, gllttering with gold rings,
tremble nervously-it may be with
fear, or perhaps it is from pain-tor,
as you observe, his face is consider
ably lacerated. Big Tom Wagnon
insulted him yesterday for insulting
a female, and his companions of
the clique will aveDge the affront to-
day.
lie is Mather Leeper, receiver OF
public moneys in the public office, a
colonel of militia, lawyer and
duelist. He, too, has acquired a
large farm, and many slaves, some
of whom it is whispered, are his
near relatives.
The handsome gentleman, leaning
against the counter, with such a
sleepy look, is the district Judge, the
Hon. Jos. Hoge. He remarks lazily.
in thick half drunken voice
"Boys, l don't think it will do tol
me to be seen among you. You
know I'll have to preside at youl
trial"
Every true" said Ball, "you had
better go into the back room and
take comfortable nap. The SOUND
of pistols will wake you up in time
for dinner"
You notice that small, hook nosed
youth in the corner, with hang-dog
countenance. He is fixing fresh
caps or the tubes of his revolver
That is Mr.. Sheriff Pleasant-~a mere
boy in years, but thousand year.
old in perjury and murder. Hank
| he speaks in tones of piping treble
"Gentlemen, as | am sworl
peace officer, I'll hang back at til,
onset, but help you lfyou get into I
hard PINCH"
"That is right" said Bal.
Behold another of these twelv,
apostles and missionaries of murder
perfect mountain of horse-lik'
muscles, his brow stamped with th,
impress OF drunkenness and desper
alton, as with die. He reefs an,
swaggers across the floor, with
I brandy bottle in one hand and
. double barrelled shot gun in the 9th
er, swearing through astorm of hic
coughs. his favorite oath
"H--and forty Ipjins, I'll max
their tails fly up!''
! This is Sam Sanders, Maior-Ger
eral of all Arkansas militia; yer
dangerous man when drunk-that
to say always.
]. But who is that tall, fine lookin
man, but with feminine face, an
nerves quaking with the imaginatio
of the peril about to be fncurret
This is the Clerk Of the Distri,
!. Court, b. II. Smithson, an ARA,
coward, but ia very supple tool No
withstanding. q
D Let us turn to three brsthers7
the Shelleys, Bill, ALI aud RipleI
These are owners Of the procer