Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-30
a Piucky Woman.
MATILDA HERoN's PART N A REAL TRACE
DY on THE 'foHIo BELLE"

DY on THE 'oHI0 BELLE.
We have gathered from Thomas w.
Baird of Bowling Green, says the Bow
ling Green KY Democrat, the facts of
quite a thrilling story, and shall relate
them in their order These facts have
never before appeared in print, and are
all the more interesting now on that ac-
count. The story runs that, in the sum-
mer of 1856, the steamer Ohio Belle was
making her usual trip from Louisville
to New Orleans. When the steamer ar
rived at Paduach, There came on boarda g
man who was evidently recovering from
a drinking spree. His clothes were of
good material and fitted him well, tho
somewhat impaired by use. His face
was soiled, and his beard had grown TO
an uncomely length. His eyes were
bloodshot and glared unnaturally. bis
linen needed a change. Soon after the
steamer left Paduach, this man wentiuto
the barber shop and had his hair sham
pooed and his face shaved, in payment
for which he rendered the barber a $50
bill. The barber, being unable TO make
the change, carried it for that purpose
to the first clerk of the boat, who, up
on examination, pronounced the bill a
counterfeit. The barber retuI ned the
bill to his customer, saying: ''The clerk
tells me that this is a counterfeit" The
man received the bill with a stern air,
and then handed the barber another bill,
which feeling little suspicious, he also
carried to the first clerk, who pronOunc-
ed il, likewise, a counterfeit The bar
Der returned to his shop with the second
bill, as he had done before, and handing
it back to the man. said: "The clerk
says that this, too, is a counterfeit" In
the mean time the clerk had left his Of
fee and gone to the hurricane deck,
passing. as he did so, in front of the
barber shop. When the barber returned
the second bill, prOnOuncing it a coun-
terfeit, the strange man flew, as it were,
into a rage, and rushed out Of the shop
in a wild and desperate manner. He
ran along the guards to the hurricane
deck, where the clerk of the steamer
had gone TO join a party of ladies and
gentlemen who were amusing themselves
with observations on the scenery, and
with whom he was engaged in conver-
sation The man, having reached the
deck. drew a revolver, rushed upon the
clerk and shot him dead in his tracks.
Then, without uttering a word, he in
stantly fed, running back over the hur-
several gentlemen being in pursuit of
him. Miss Matilda Heron, then well
known, and since famous as an actress,
was a passenger, being in the ladies'
cabin at the time and when informed
of the pursuit, and hearing the cry Of
''Stop him, stop him." she ran out on
the after-guard and saw the murderer
coming down the hurricane deck. She
cried out to him. ''Stop." but he went
on. She then rushed upon and seized
him, threw him down upon the deck,
and placing herself across the body,
there held him fast until the passengers
ran forward and secured him. The
courage thus displayed by Miss Heron
was truly remarkable, and won the ap-
plause of all who witnessed it. The
murderer was firmly secured, being tied
hand and foot fast to chair which, for
the purpose of additional security. was
tied fast to stanchion. The dead body
of the clerk was sent home from Cairo
when the steamer arrived there, but a
mystery hung over the disposition which
was made of the murdered prisoner.
He disappeared between Cairo, Illinois,
and Hickman, Kentucky. Was the
man given to a Watery grave or not