Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-03


l am reminded, while thinking of that pis-
tol, of an affair in which it figured, though not
prominently. One night we were all horrfed
by the news that little twelve year old daugh-
ter of an Irishman living up the pike, beyond
the armory, had been found on the railroad
track, at the eastern end of the tunnel, in a
dying condition. When picked up she had life
enough left TO tell that, while going from the
store, negro assaulted her in the rocky path
fifty feet above where she was found, and to
hide his crime, pitched her over the rocks down
npon the railroad track, not doubling that the
terrible fall would crush her life out; and feel
ing secure in the thought that, if it did not, the
express from Lexington would wipe out all
traces of the black deed. But she was found,
and lived long enough to give the name of her
murderer and recognize him when brought into
the room. The excitement among the Irish was
terrible, and it was with difficulty that the negro
could be taken to jail But after he had been
locked in, there was an apparent lull in the
excitement, and knots of Irishmen were seen
about the street. talking earnestly. This meant
mischief, and the mischief meant death to the
scoundrel who had been but two nights in Jail.
shall never forget the night of that gather
ing, when the little street between the printing
office and the jail was packed with an excited
mob, armed with sledges lakes, and known
also TO have pistols in their pockets. An Irish
man who worked in the office had borrowed
mine, and was in the crowd. They yelled for
the jailor to come out and give the keys up, that
they might drag the prisoner out TO his doom;
and, on being twice refused, the father of the
girl swung fifteen pound Sedge wildly above
his head and cried out to the mob that he had
"a key that would let them into any Jail in Ken
lucky" The riot act was read, and the molli-
flying power Of oratory was tried, but all to no
purpose. Heavily and rapidly the blows de-
scended, and after half an hour of pounding,
during which time bricks, mortar and iron bars
were broken through, the trembling culprit
was dragged forth and led away to the spot
where the crime was committed. We followed,
for a fight was expected when the company of
military met the mob. There was some firing,
but to no purpose, for it became evident that
the soldiers were in sympathy with the mob,
and they bore their victim away up the ledge,
nine of them passing around a narrow path at
the corner of the armory, while jim Welsh on
a jutting rock with his back to the precipice,
covering the passage with two pistols,
threatened death to any one who followed the
silent group or attempted any interference.
Next morning was Sunday, and when the sun
rose, there hung bloody mass from the limb
of little tree, the red stream frozen to an icicle
as it dripped from his feet. / looked at the ter
rible piece of work, and shnddered as thought
of the protestations of the cringing negro that,
"they might kill him, but he was not the right
one" and felt that, at all events a jury could
have best decided; but when l looked at the
blood of the innocent girl on the railroad track
below. and thought of the straightforward way
in which she had given his name and recognized
his face, joined in the assertion that justice
had been done.
In the course of my rambles one day late in
the month of February, | walked through the
cemetery, which is on q beautiful wooded bluff
overlooking the river and the country for miles
to the southeast. passed along, thinking more
of the scenery beyond than of the bones be-
meath, which had done their infnitesimal part
my attention was drawn to a shabby-looking
square block of marble, rising to hight of per-
haps ten feet, which marked the spot where
Kentucky's pioneer, Daniel Boone, lay resting
in the soil on which he had struggled hard for
a standing place through life of adventure, of
which his countrymen know but a small part
Around the monument was fence of roots
10 hy- ~ lal IL
ground, set up edgewise and trimmed to a uni
form hight. These stnmps, l believe, were dug
from the clearing around his little log house by
his own hands, and are in a remarkable state of
preservation, as far as soundness is concerned.
But hands more ruthless than those of time
have broken pieces off and carried them away
as keepsakes. Some heathenish members of an
Ohio regiment even went further than to break
pieces from the knotty stump fence, and broke
off many pieces of the sCulptured figures on the
sides of the monument which stood out in re-
lief On one side where the sculptor represent
ed the log cabin, with Boone's wife milking her
COW at evening, the cows horns had been
hooked" and carried away; and where the
bloody encounter with the Indians is represent
ed, in which Boone fought them single-handed,
standing over the dead body of his son, these
thieving Ohioans had spoiled the group by
breaking the rim off the pioneers hat, and also
chipping off such parts of the guns as could be
severed from the solid work. Probably the
hardy old hunter, in memory of whom the mon
ument was reared, would scorn the idea of such
costly mark, but since others choose to honor
his brave deeds with sculptured marble, it is
shame that there was in our army vandals so
mean as TO destroy the work.
have often wondered what became of one
Hazlitt, whose acquaintance l made at the
Southern hotel, during that winter. He was an
ornamental coach painter, a performer on the
cornet, an inveterate liar, a good natured, easy
fellow, always out of work and generally wait
ing either to borrow half dollar or be treated.
AT the north end of the bridge across the Ken
lucky river, in an old tumble-down building,
was Bill Turner's barber shop, and from this
serenading party of four used to start out once
or twice week, and with Hazlitt's cornet, bass
viol, picolo and fiddle, such midnight music was
made as ! have never since heard-nor have
the least desire to. was the victim of one of
those serenades, but knew the weakness of
each member of the party, and fixed them so
that no one else was disturbed by them that eve
ming, after which returned to my pillow and
slept even more soundly than before The last
| ever saw of Hazlitt, was before light one morn.
ing in March, when he stole into my room on
tiptoe, and took one of my coats which 1 had
promised to lend him the day before. He said
that he must go to some place, don't remem-
Der where, and take steps to get his pension
he was a member of an Ohio regiment. His
coats were all too seedy, and he wanted mine to
wear day or two. l offered him new one,
thinking that if his idea was to dress up it would
be none too good; but he took my second best,
and climbed upon the coach. 1t was singular
case Of conscience He left wife and young
child behind, but refused to wear away my best
coat. found no fault at his strange departure,
and his wife was more angered than grieved. If
he got his bounty as easily as he did the coat,
he would have no occasion to borrow for awhile.
p. KEwLYER.