Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-30
1910


was going on. The pilot who was at tlhe
wheel--a lamented friends nOwdea4l I;
When nearing the landing i nossceo
Z the boat in a most unusual position rei-
ative to the bank-her head pointir &
obliquely across to the 0ther short,
while her stern was seraping - tlie
bank in the bushes on the
landing side looked, but there
was no wind 70 explain il.
could not understand il After scraping
her stern along the bank for about 4
hundred yards, she at last righted, and
came into the landing all right. As usu-'
al on landing, the guard rushed up for
ward to watch the exit of all, forgetting
I that boat has two ends, and that il Is
possible to get of at either. Had they
/ been cognizant of this fact this true stO-
~ might have been materially altered.
/ After leaving the lock at this point the
/ guards, as usual, went to Mrs. -
room and demanded adinittance. She,
/ for the first time, refused to open the
door, alleging as a reason that she had
now undressed, and they could not then
come in. They appealed to the Captain.
/ He told them he was pOweTless. As the
/ lady claimed, she had paid for her room;
! it was sacred TO privacy, and he thought
/ they had lost control OF the prisoner
when they consented to let him go into
/ her room. The guards then declared
their determination to see, and again
DEMANDED ADSuuTANCE, .~.
threatening to break down her door.
She then asked them to t'wait a min
ute,n and 1 supposed she would dress
and submit to the searehL A moment
elapsed, when the little woman stepped
quickly and firmly out, closing the door
with clash behind her, ,andlwith a cooked
| deringer in her hand. If her manner
was as 1 have described It when she
first came on board the steamer, it was
now a hundred-fold exaggerated! A
pythOness, a ioness, an enraged tiger
ess at bay! She can't be described as
she then appeared. Have you not felt
the spell-the awful fascination of a
great and terrible passion? Here it was
her eyes fairly blazing, her hand
trembling, not with weakness, but sur
charged power; the glittering weapon
raised, exposing its murdenous half-inch
caliber; its shining percussion-cap and
hammer, drawn back iD dreadful threat
ening harmony with its mistress. No
witness of this scene win ever forget
the scathing, burning words that then
hissed from her lips, as she said: "And
YOU would break into q ladyis bed
chamber, would you? Is there one of
YOU who is tired Of life and covets
death? Then let him come, for, by all
that is sacred, By nly O1Dn honor, the
man dies that puts his foot in this door y
Then, derisively, she added, "Come,
do come. Where is the hero who
would break lady's dOOr9n And with
"hawi haww sounding half maniacal,
she stood awaiting the result. The
guards shrank back before the power Of
passion and desperate determination
thus displayed. Nor were they cow
ards. 1t was but too apparent that this
was no mere acting. Death for one was
certain, and they did not wish 10 harm
her. Again and again, for thirty miles,
at several landings, they would 90 back
and try persuasion, then threats, but
were always met by the murderous,
cooked deringer, and the solemn de-
claration that 1.-THE man dies that en-
ters nly TOOBlW
At Delaware, after several vain ap-
plications, the
HEROIC LITTLE WOMAN
suddenly stepped out from her room,
dressed, quiet and dignified, as if Moth
ing unusual had happened, and, with
well-affected courtesy, invited the
guards to enter. They did enter, and
you may imagine their CONSERVATION on
finding that " the bird had fownw In
the " hubbubr attending the discovery,
the Captain was called, then about three
o'clock ia the morning. He could give
the guards no comfort-men seldom
find sympathy when outwitted by q
wOman-but he placed the boat at their
service for a thorough and exhaustive
search. The landing of the Stern of the
boat at Calhoun instead of her bon was
now recoIlected and understood. 1t was
all plain now, and the cOllus.Dn of the
pilot and mate on watch was self-evi-
dent. The Captain charged them with
it. They did not deny it. He repri-
manded them severely, thOugh it was
observed that they were not discharged,
g. this-certainly an act of mercy,
tI,,,,o ~, y, maybe, at the expense Of justice.
'ii3u p-t3 =, return to this brave, heroic
d,1 ue ~ NE thrilling episode over,
~ iaI- tl1ara weak, almost fainting,
but glorified-at leas IL lle VIE let ; ss-
timation. But a short ,lne DeloIe sue 1l
had appeared like a thre. elI1e, ~
structive thunderbolt, surcharsC - - w.
power ana desperate, u0UlucA1FB " ~
now weak, exhausted, gentle as lamS.
Her object accomplished, her husband
saved, her womanhOod in all its beauti-
full tenderness and gentlenes, returns,
and, in the reaction from the terrible
excitement of the ordeal through which
she had passed, she lays utterly ex-
hausted-almost dead. Her little in
FAINT was scarcely more helpless,
but the heroism she had dis
played, coupled with her delicate condi-
ton, ELECTED from all on board the most
watehful and tender care. She fully Ie-
covered in a few weeks, rejOined the
husband her bravery had saved, and the
writer had the pleasure of meeting them,
happy in each others affection, and on
their way to, where they hoped the
wrath of the old Nemisis Of Indiana
could not reach them.
Whatever we may think Of the bus-
bands sin-and Of course none win fail
TO condemn it-yet, certainly, al viii
join me in doing honor tothis brave and
devoted woman.