Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-12
A MarxeIIans Hattie.

From the New YORK Times, NoFember II GU
it0rial.
Some years ago, among other strange
incidents, there occurred at San Fran
cisco combat so amasing that the
tidings of it were at first received with
general incredulity The story, however,
was subsequently confirmed, and it is
certainly one of the most memorable on
record. Succinctly told it was as follows:
A certain man had the misfortune while
in the interior to offend gang of noted
desperadoes, FIVE of whom pursued him
with murderous purpose down to San
Francisco. They found their prey sitting
quietly, on Sunday morning, in little
shop, having his boots blacked. Without
wasting time they announced their inten-
ton of killing him, whipped out their
pistols, and Immediately began firing.
Now, considering the surprise and the
relative numbers, the chances were at
least twenty to one that the assassins
would accomplish their purpose. All
had revolvers, and all were accustomed
to their use. Yet, astonishing to relate,
the hunted man contrived to shoot down
all five of his enemies. He was sorely
wounded, to be sure, and lying on the
ground he fred his last shots. Indeed
seeing that the last of his assailants who
showed fight was still stirring, he dragged
himself up to the wounded wretch, shot
him through the heart, and with the
uncouth expression, I've cooked him,
fell back insensible. The whole scene
forcibly illustrated the fact that in en-
counters Of this sort the chances are in
finite, and that superior steadiness OF
nerve may get the better of almost any
numerical odds. When the Three Guards
men of Dumas win their victories over
whole battalions of foes, the reader smiles
with incredulity; and yet their is hardly
anything in the pages of the most forld
of romances to exceed the exploit of this
hardylfrontiersman who, we believe, still
survives to tell his adventure.
By the waters of stream called Var
ners river, in southeast Missouri, a
tragedy was enacted on Friday. last, diff
ferent from this, but almost as remarka-
ble The hero, Anderson Sheppard, is a
well known old hunter of the neighbor-
hood, who, from the accounts, might sit
for portrait of Leather Stocking. He
is sixty-6ve years of age, but powerful
and elastic still, and man of noted
courage end resource. Between Shep-
hard and some troopers who frequented
the river. an old feud existed. On FRI
day three of these persons, occupying a
boat, approached the old hunters skifi,
and. apparently without warning, one
of the party raised his rifle and fired.
Shephard's right arm fell, broken, by
his side. With most men this would
have decided the contest, and among
men of sixty-6ve, perhaps not one in a
million would have continued it. But
Shepard grasped his rife, rested it on
the side of his boat, and in the twinkling
of an eye shot his assailant dead. The
two others then opened fire briskly upon
him, he having discharged his only bar
rel. With his teeth and left hand he
managed, notwithstanding, to load his wea-
pom and reply. The battle lasted for
some time, but it ended by the old man
killing both his enemies and reaching
the shore, after receiving Seven bullets
in his limbs and body. He is now lying,
according to the telegraph, in a critical
condition, but it is believed that he may
recover. The pluck and endurance Of
man, who, at sixty-fve, with his best arm
broken, thus successfully struggled with
three able-bodied foes, is perhaps unpar-
alleled. Cooper makes Natty Bumpo do
great things, but certainly none more
surprising than this feat of Anderson
Shepard and we have heard of no In
dian warrior who, in fact or fiction, has
displayed more heroic fortitude and reso-
lution