Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-10-17
Peter Cartwright on his Muscle.

AS IL mas been SAID OF John Knox, so it
may be said of Peter Cartwright: "He
never feared the face of a man. In
Cromwell's army he would certainly
have commanded division, In his
honest and courageous zeal, united with
tact and address which never desert
ed him, he would have been a man after
Old Noll's own heart. The FOLLOWING is
an amusing illustration, taken from his
autobiography:
"Our last quarterly meeting was
camp-meeting. We had great many
tents and large turnout for a new
country, and, perhaps, there never was
a greater collection of rabble and row.
dies. They came drunk, and armed
with dirks, clubs, knives and horse
Whips, and swore they would break IN
the meeting. After interrupting us
very much on Saturday night, they col.
lected early on Sunday morning, de-
termined on a general riot. At s o'clock
| was appointed to preach. About the
time | was half through with NV dis.
course two very fne-dressed Young men
marched into the congregation with
loaded whips, and hats on, and rose un
and stood in the midst of the ladies and
began to laugh and talk. They were
near the stand, and requested them to
de.ist and get offtold seats; but thew
cursed me and said me to mind nv
own business, and the they would not
get down. | stopped trying to preach
and called for magistrate. There were
two at hand, but l saw they were both
afraid. | ordered them to take these
men into custody. They said they could
not do it. l told them, as | left the
stand, to command me to take them.
and L would do it at the risk Of nv life.
l advanced toward them. They order.
ed me to stand off, but | advanced. One
OF them made pass at me with his
whip, but l closed in with him and
Jerked him out of the seat. A regular
scutfie ensued. The congregation by
this time were all in commoticn. I
heard the magistrate G We general orders.
commanding all friends of order to aid
IN suppressing the riot. In the scuffle T
threw my prisoner down, and held him
fast he tried his best to get loose.
I'D him to be quiet or would pound
I, The mob rose and rushed on to
, Tue rescue of the two prisoners, for thew
had taken tuU VunrI yvung hIam IIs0
An old and drunken magistrate came
up to me and ordered me to let nv
prisoner go. l told him | should not
He swore if | did not he would knock
me down. told him to crack away.
Then one of my friends, at my request,
look hold of my prisoner, and the
drunken justice made pass at me but
| parted the stroke and seized him by
the collar and the hair of the head, and,
fetching him sudden jerk forward,
brou ght him to the ground and Jumped
on him. told him to be quiet, or |
would pound him well. The mob then
rushed to the scene; they knocked
down seven magistrates, and several
preachers and others. gave up my
drunken prisoner to another, and threw
myself in front of the friends of order.
Just at this moment the ringleader of
the mob and | met; he made three
passes at me, intending to knock me
down. The last time he struck at me,
by the force of his own effort he threw
the side of his face toward me. 1t seem
ed at that moment l had not power to
resist temptation, and | struck sudden
blow in the burr of the ear, and | drop
ped him to the earth. Just at that
the friends Of order rushed by hundreds
on the mob, knocking them down in
every direction. In few minutes the
place became too strait for the mob, and
they wheeled and fed in every direc-
ton but we secured about thirty pris-
oners, marched them off to vacant
tent, and put them under guard till
Monday morning, when they were tried,
and every man was fined to the utmost
limits of the law"