Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-07-25
A BOYS DEFENCE.

street, IN front Of well known
hotel 1t vas twenty-five years
ago, and San Francisco was in her
infancy.
Quite a crowd had gathered on
the street, and the center of attrac.
ton was a big fellow, who stood
with newspaper in his hand.
raving and cursing. e.E9 y
"What's tie matter, Wolff
asked a new conner, who was evil
IDENTIFY iamiliarEith the irate name.
"Matter?'' returned Wolf, for
that was his name, "matter enough,
an rough enough it'll be for some
folks. Them young wheIps that
prints this paper flas gone an pub
lished something Bout me. o, I'll
fix EN-! They'd better never have
been born! They'd better go an
kill themselves after ten minutes ;
it'll be an easier death fur EN-"
Wolf was a noted desperate,
who, it was said, had killed more
than twenty men, and but few
knew him who did not fear him.
He was at that time chi-f OF a
gang of loafers and gamblers that
were nearly always to be found
lounging around in the vicinity al
luded to, and disturbing the
whole neighborhood daily with
riotous conduct. If there was any
law in those days it was seldom
executed against such characters,
and in the full consciousness that
they were feared they did pretty
much as they pleased.
The newspaper which had given
such deadly offence to Wolf was a
little weekly journal, apd It's of
flee was in the second story of a
building on the same street with
the hotel have mentioned, and
only a few rods distant. 1t was
published by young men-or, l
might say, boys, for they were on
ly eighteen and twenty years old,
respectively-named Darrell and
Haynes. The paper and its youth
ful proprietors were already we'll
known i'll the city of San Francis.
co.
The article which had excited
the wrath of the rulfian Wolf was
bold denunciation of himself and
his crowd for their lawless conduct,
and it particularly mentioned him
by name, characterizlng him as a
"blustering bully" Itwas the work
Of young Darrell, a. fearless boy
hailing from one Of the Western
States. Before leaving his home
in the Mississippi Valley, he had
acquired a fair education, so that
he could at least edit a newspaper
in those early days; and he pos.
sessed, besides, that courage and
daring which may be natural in
the first place, and which are mere
thoroughly developed by the ex-
posure to dangers and hardships.
Young Haynes was quite a differ
ent kind Of person in point ofcour
age, being of an unusually timor-
Gus nature.
To return to the scene on Sac
ramento street. Working him
self up into his worst mooG-and
his best was bad enough, heaven
knows-Wolf tore the paper to
atoms and started for the publica-
ton office. He was followed by a
curious rabble, most of whom were
elated with the prospect of a mur-
der, though there were some pres
ent who would have demonstrated
with the eyil-hearted man, had
they dared.
"Jest you WATCH" said Wolf,
as he reached the door, ''if ye want
to see Their bloody carcasses tum-
bic out O. the winder! 1t wont be
long. l don't spend much time
on sich fellers.'
1t was the intention of the cru
el-hearted man actually to cut the
throats of the two bOyish Journal
lists and throw their bodies out of
the window, for the qualification
of the crowd and the further exal-
tation of his already fearful name.
So, the mob on the street awaited
the issue with feverish expecta-
tion, as Wolf, fourishing his knife
and revolver, entered the rude
frame building and rushed up
stairs.
All unconscious of their danger,
the two young editors were busily
engaged pursuing their usual work
in their primitive Office. If they
had heard the noise without they
had paid no attention to it, sup.
posing it was merely a street row
such as they were accustomed to
hear every day. Darrell was sit.
ting at a rude table writing, and
HAYNES was sitting at the counter