West-Jersey pioneer., 1879-09-25

figure, the epithet of Internal. And her
all his eloquence proved a failure, or some
thing worse; for instead of wooing sinner
and heretics into the arms of orthodoxy, hi
bitter inyectives filled their hearts with hos
tility and revenge. He made, that one day
| at least Eve hundred implacable enemies.
Afterwards travelling around his circuit
| he pursued the same unwavering course
throwing the whole country into ferment
and creating with every ferment host
friends and enemies-the latter, however
usually predominating both in vehemenc
and numbers.
At length he gave mortal offence to on'
Jonas Sneed, wealthy planter of Howard
county, and man Of great personal popu
larity, although it was well known that his
wrath was as deadly as the poison OF the
rattlesnake. The difficulty arose in this
manner: Major Sneed, Notwithstanding his
many virtues, and he really possessed
many, was an occasional gambler, as, in
deed, might be said of the majority OF the
irreligious in that section of country. ht
was also a duellist, whenever the code Of
honor, as currently recognized in that re-
gion, called upon him, with its imperious
rules to proffer or accept the gage OF bloody
battle. He had been engaged in severa
encounters of the kind, and fortune always
had declared in his favor. The young
preacher, Seaborn Ellis, was in the habit o.
denouncing all games of chance, as well as
the players who participate in them, in
most savage way, while his abuse of duel
ling and duellists was terrible, if not &C
tually fiendish in its ferocity. Major Sneed
had been long writhing under these lacera-
tions, when one Sunday he attended church
in the town of old Franklin, situated on the
bank of the Missouri river, nearly opposite
to Boonville. While the sermon was be-
ing delivered, goaded to desperation by some
whitening sarcasm against his peculiar vices
he calculated one word of involuntary re-
tort This brought down upon his devoted
head rebuke, the most terrible ever fulmi-
mated from the pulpit-at least in Protes-
tant land.
The infuriated duellist instantly left the
assembly, and waiting at the door until the
minister came out, he attempted to vindi-
cate his honor by inficting personal chas
tisement on the other. But the bystanders
interfered and prevented any serious com
bat at that time.
On the next day, which happened to be
Christmas, Seaborn Ellis had an appoint
ment to hold forth at place in the country,
about six miles from the town of Franklin,
and directly on the road to the county seat.
The exercises commenced at four o'clock in
the afternoon, and did not close till nearly
sunset AS soon as the service was ended,
the preacher left the house, with the inten-
ton of riding on to Fayette that night
His surprise and astonishment, then, may
well be imagined, when, on passing through
the door. he found Major Sneed and about
one hundred of his friends, waiting to re-
ceive him in most ungracious manner.
81 demand full apology" said the Ma
ior, in stern, overbearing tone, 'for all the
insults you have offered me.'
Ellis answered without changing counten-
ance, or showing any external symptoms of
unusual emotion. s'If I have really in
suited you, will apologize in the most sat
isfactory manner"
s'Did you not, on yesterday, proclaim me
a gambler and murderer even from the
pulpit And do you not term that an in
suit of the grossest character" asked Sneed
in accents tremulous with suppressed rage.
81 do not call the truth an insult" ex-
claimed Ellis, with flashing eyes and a
slight, nervous motion of the right hand,
as if he too were becoming excited.
.'Then you will not apologize ?' shouted
Sneed, almost deranged with passion.
81 have nothing to apologize for an
swered the preacher; as his right hand was
raised slowly, and to all appearances invol-
unfairly, and glided under his vest.
ssThen / will take an apology out of your
hideI" thundered the Major, as he drew a
horsewhip from his boot, and began the
brutal work of fagellation.
But the duellist had only time to strike
one blow; for, before he could accomplish
the second, Ellis drew from his bosom a
long, double-edged dagger, and plunged it
up to the handle in his enemy's heart The
latter fell and expired without uttering
groan. saa
ssSeize the rascalr' "Shoot the hypo-
crite!" with various other menacing excla-
nations cried the friends of Sneed. And
dozen knives flew from their scabbards, and
the young minister heard the cooking of a
score of pistol locks nearly all around him.
Not an instant was to be lost. With the
speed of the wind, he fed in an oblique d.
rection to where his horse was fastened,
seized the bride, and, sprirgiug into the
saddle at bound, spurred the noble animal
to his utmost speed, and, although several
shots were fired after him, he escaped with
out injury.
The perils that environed him, however,
had only Just commenced; for his foes, also
on horseback, set off in hot pursuit, and
the chase continued without intermission
for four miles along the road which led to
the Missouri river. There, as Ellis found
that his enemies were about to overtake him,
he plunged into the woods, and, making a
considerable circuit, at length struck the
river at point higher up than he first in
tended to reach. Here the bank unfortun-
ately was open and his pursuers coming in
sight, although it was growing dark, de-
scried him, and, giving murderons shout,
hurried forward to satiate their vengeance
in his blood. He had but one alternative
to stand and be shot down like wolf, OF
take to the water; but even this latter choice
was horrible, on account of the tremendous
rapidity of the fiercely ungovernable stream,
which, in addition to its ordinary terrors, at
that time was thick with floating ice, SC
that after dark even boats dared not venture
across.