The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-06-01
IDAHO CITY, THURSDAY. JUNE |, 1871
AN OLD TIME MISSISSIPPI RIVER SCENE.

The following interesting extract is taken
from Sketches of the Olden Time," contrib
uted by Mr.J. A. Dacus to the st. Louis Mo-
Republicans:
In the year 1888 the Autocrat took on board
at Vicksburg four professional desperadoes, as
passengers bound to ST. Louis. The boat had
large number of passengers aboard, and the
professionals" could not allow an opportunity
SO promising of fruitful results to pass unim-
proved. Among the passengers was young
man, who had been entrusted by friends with
large sum of money to invest in real estate
in the West. Being of an unsuspicious dispo-
sition, aud wholly uaacquainted with the state
of society then prevailing in the Southwest,
the courteous and specious rascals very soon
obtained a knowledge OF the fact that he had
money. He was worth cultiyating." and i'm
mediately all their arts were brought into play
TO fleece their fellow passenger Games were
proposed. but the young man did not play Fl.
nally they succeeded in getting him to drink
with them. They then felt certain of their
prey; but to their astonishment he was more
cautious than ever. and rudely repelled every
effort to engage him in any game of hazard.
Days passed on, and yet they made nothing out
of him excepting a few drinks. Something
must be done. The four coniederates at last
resolved upon murder as the best and only way
of getting this young mans money. One night
he was seen To enter his state-room. On the
following morning the room was vacant; the
out or guard-side, door was open; few drops
of blood in the bed linen. aud a pool of blood
on the floor, was all that gave any clew to his
tate. The passengers. however, fixed suspi
cion upon the four Vicksburg aceessions No
evidence could be found, but circumstances
pointed strongly toward them. A deputation,
headed by gentleman who was still alive two
years ago, aud living in Louisville, Ky, waited
upon the officers of the boat and demanded the
speedy Decentralization of the four worthless.
The Captain cheerfully complied. The boat
was brought to at Island No. 81, or Miller's
Island, about seyenty-ive miles above Memphis,
and the passengers from Vicksburg were or
dered ashore. The island at that time was
supposed 10 be uninhabited since the departure
of Fred. Frankenstein. the woodman. who had
for some years before kept a woodward TO sup
ply passing steamboats,. For some months he
had been away, and as he was the only known
resident OF the Island, II was now supposed to
be destitute Of inhabitants. But Frankenstein.
who had only iourneyed Tor short time ON the
mainland, had returned the evening before with
small boat load of supplies for his island hut
He was well known to many of the people OF
Randolph, and was known TO possess a consid-
cradle sum Of money. The cabin of the wood
man had been generously rendered to the ex-
lies from the Aulucrat. That night, in the still
aud shadowy hours, when no sound broke the
silence that brooded over the Germans island
home, his guests rose up and murdered him, rs
be lay there asleep, perhaps dreaming peaceful
dreams of the far-otii, vine-clad hills by the old
river Rhine When his friends from town. dc
cording 10 promise previously made, came to
visit him on the following day. they found his
skull cloven asunder, and he lay weltering in
his own blood, CHASTITY corpse.
Some years afterwards, a felon under the
gallows at Marshall, Texas, told how Freder-
lex Frankeusteln died on the island that night.