The Ottawa free trader., 1877-11-17
Tale of a Mnlc.

speaking about mules" remarked II six
ooter from Barnet county. I've got mule
1t home which knows rs much as do, and |
want to hear somebody say I'm half fool
No one said 50, and he went on:
1--we got disguised When YOU come down
o kicking, | want to bet on my mule. \
rcnd came along and took dinner with me
he other day, and aS he seemed little down
hearted, took him out 10 see Thomas Jcffcr-
son. nv champion mule. was telling the
good man how that lnule could flip his hind
ieet around. and il. I'd he would like to sec a
title fun. ITe'd ..t- I'd his whole life life in
he South but hal lever seen a mule lay his
soul into biz irG. at kicking. Well" he
continued, after ',rrowing some tobacco, II
ook Thomas %" u he stable, backed him up
again a hill, gin him "A cuff on the ear, and we
stood back to ,r. he amusement Ii was Il
good place to k T. his durndcst, and what dive
s'posc? In ten .A.nltcs by the watch he was
nut of sight. l. n.r more we couldn't feel
nim with a twelv oj pole"
Here the crowd began toycll and snccr and
he narrator looked around and asked:
Docs any body think I'm lying Would |
ic for one mule: Right here under my arm is
pound of tallow candles which are to light
he hole for me in after Thomas; and rot
word not an hour ago that the hind feet of
mule were sticking out ola hill thiriy,ninc
mile, a. thc birds fly from where my mule
vent in. I'm shaky on religion. gentlemen.
lut our family never had liar in it,
The good people of Bell County. Tex, havca
zeal for orthodoxy ~ consuming "a was that of
1rorQuemada or Calvin DR.. h.. j. Russell Il
'c,dcnt of that county, was known to be
4 Free-ThinkCr, and was therefore obnoxious
to the orthodox The OthcrcveninC the Doctor
was called to attend an imaginary sick emf
-rrant Going out with the messenger he was
conducted To Snot where three other men. arm
ri with revolverS were in waiting. These at
;hc pistols mouth compelled him TO strip: then
they tied his hands and one of them after eX
claiming to the Doctor that they believed he
was an honest man and good physician, said
by the help of God" they would put stop to
his career aS Il Frcc-Thinkcr in that section of
country: further that ifhc made noise il would
BE- at the peril of his life. They then proceeded
20 give HIM "A hundred lashes with strap or
waCon-tracc and set him free. The following
notice was afterwards found posted near the
spot
This is to certify that IN Saturday night.
the 9th of October. 1871, the Rev. DIR. Russell
was called Ia see "a movers wife Camped at this
place, and on the Doctors arrival three other
men came out and captured him and hit him
a hundred liCks with a leather strap and let
him loose ON condition that lac would not lcct-
ure or debate on infidelity any more in this
country. Now a word to Nunneiy, Poscy,
Marshall. and in fact. To all the leading men of
the intidel club If any of you take his place
We will burn you out of house and home and
hang you until you are dead. If any man in
this country l. injured on account of what has
been done we will burn YOU all ont. We have
got fifty men to back Us. Gents. we mean bust
ness; infdelity has got to stop in this country
as well n Stealing"
Bob Inger>oll would evidently find a good field
for missionary eifor; in that part of Texas