The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-09
G!mGatslEqeuGr,.
rLInuLLING NEMIXISCENCE.
Ned BunIllnG In Nashville In
1916.
4 blood and Thunder Romance
out Of His Own Life.

" Ned BuntIIne' h. Y. JuusOn), mas Ifesh'
vned my recollection Of some startling in.
cidenls in his career that appear to have
dropped through the slevc Of the public
memory. In early life MED Buntlins"
was an officer in the United States navy,
but was dismissed by President Polk, as
well as now remember, for drunkenness.
In 1916 "Sed Buntline" turned up in
Nashville, Tennessee, which was then
mere inland city, hanging loosely on the
circumference Of civilization, and was
without railroad or telegraph. How and
why he came there is an enigma he only
eau solve. After getting there he was
employed by wilkins Tunhahill, to assist
him in editing the Orthopolitan-a liter
AIRY paper recently started on the usual
starvation principle. There was Moth
ing particular spicy or brilliant in
the osthopolitan, which gave up the ghost
after languishing ilIneas OF coma eigh.
teen months, without leaving any "aching
void" or being followed by a frstclass
funeral. "Ned Buntline," while acting as
assistant editor OF the Orthopolitan, was
received socially at the house Of Mr.. Por.
,efticll; respectable merchant Of Nash
vile, but abused the hospitality Of Mr..
PotterGeld by aeducing bis wife; hand
some but vain and SNOWY woman, whose
ailment was admiration. When the inf.
deity Of his wife came to Mr.. Porterfieli's
knowledge, he armed himself and set out
to hunt up the seducer, and, on seeing him
On the street, fired at him twice without
effect. Judson drew his pistol, rested it
on his left wrist, and killed POrterIield at
the frs! fire. He surrendered himself at
once and was placed on preliminary trial
almost instartaneously in the court.
house.
The news OF the seduction Of Mrs. Por.
terieid and the killing Of her husband by
the seducer was soon known all over the
city, and aroused very great indignation.
Nashville was in a icrment, and poured
into the Courthouse to watch the pro-
Sre,s OF tho trial. So indignant, incensed
aud excited were the people that they ro.
quired but spark to fan them into
blaze, and this spark fell unexpectedly
among the combustible materials already
collected. A brother Of the deceased, arm.
ed with two old.fashioned revolvers, sud.
denly entered while the trial was in pro-
gress, and proceeded to open fire on Jud-
son, who was deienseless and in custody
Of the law. Every body looked upon
this attack Of Porterfeld rs just and prop.
er, and left Judson to his fate. Finding
everybody wHa against him, JudsOn, at
length, darted through the crowd and ran
Tor his life, with the mob close at his
heels, some shooting at him with pistols
and others pelting him with stones. In
this plight he reached the City Hotel and
Ned up stairs, with the mob in full cry
after him. He finally reached a room in
the third story and hid himself from his
purSuers by standing up in tho window
and dropping the curtain in front Of him;
but, as he was in PLAIN view Of the
crowd in the street below, his pursuers
pretty soon were apprised Of his hiding
place. The window was raised, and look.
ing out upon the public square, crammed
and jammed with the mob that wac thirst.
ing Tor his blood, yet az soon IA his pur.
surers drew the curtain of and thrust n
pistol at him, Judson leaped from the
third story window, intending to grasp in
his descent the iron bAlustrade belonging
10 tho second story. TWAS a fearful leap.
No matter which way he turned there
seemed no loop.hole through which he
could escape 4 violent death. The mob
was past all control. lie struck the iron
balus!rade in his descent, but failing to
grasp ii, he fell on the pavement below,
bruised and Senseless, in the midst Of the
mob
Atfrst he was believed to have been
killed by the fall, but upon subsequently
slowing some vitality such as were Op.
posed to mob violence hastened 10 carry
hun to Jail as being the place where he
would be most secure. After nightiall
rumor got in circulation that Jud.on was
not seriously hurt; that he had fully 70.
y1Vod, aud was to be secretly conveyed
from the Jail aud put on steamboat then
ready TO leave the city, and this rumor so
excited and Infatuated the mob that it rush
ed trAntically to the Jail and got Jndson
out OF itinno time. He could neither stand
nor walk, yet he was carried oil to the
public square to DO hung TO an awning
post Three times was no hung up by
the mob and as often he waS cut down by
some unknown person in the crowd. At
last he was carried back to the Jail in an
1nsensible state, the mob having been
made 10 believe he was sure TO die in a
lew hours from the effects OF his fall, dis
perSed.
10 the general surprise "Ned Bunlliue'
GOT well. ltwaS wonderful how he "pull.
I'll through such smash.up
lie wa" put on his trial previous 10 the
DAY given out for it, and was acquitted
upon the ground that he killed Porter.
field IN selt.detcnse. He was conveyed
secretly on board a steamboat and lad
got oil ere the mob suspected what was
going on,
Subsequently he turned his attention
to the writing OF Sensational and flash
novels, and started a newspaper in New
York City called "Ned Buntline's OEni
Ned Buntline" was publicly cowhidSC
in 1851 by Kate Hastings, in consequence,
something said about her IN his news
paper; but even this contemptuous an,
Fough.handling by an outcast from so,
eicIy had hardly the least damaging Ell
FEC; on Judson's social or literary rank
'ince he had been regarded as "spoile,
egg" for many years.
While his novels display a good dea
81 talent and Imagination, their tenden
y IA vicious, aud their taste is far irou
pure. Ned Buntline may be put dow
"a might have BEEN" Tor his life was
't'Inre, from his lack Of high purpose auI
Of moral impulses. The events Of III
sheekCred and stormy lie Of his early
manhood, and Of the various ups ant
GeTni Of his ambiguous career In New
losk, would make quite a piousut book
ana prove that truth is stranger AMI
aeven" yet they would also give A fresl
confirmation TO the truth, that the iudis