The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-08-04

FRONTIER TRAGEDIES.
Two Incidents of the Old Days on the
Twas talking of starvation days, and
they recall to my mind as l think OF
them many curious and some pathetic
episodes. If you want to experience the
purely adamantine side Of humanity, l
commend you to community of adven-
turers in search of wealth. I was once
present at an extraordinary scene in a
large dog kennel. One of the dogs fell
sick and lay down and whimpered,
whereupon the other dogs fell upon him
"with angry tooth" " and tore him to
pieces. Something of this wolfish spirit
/ saw manifested on several occasions
among the two-legged animals who
were hustling and elbowing each other
in that roaring and overcrowded town.
One beautiful summer morning, as
Law on my comfortable-well, on my sec.
ton extraordinarily dreaming Of the
possibility of some good angel letting
down bagful of provender as they did
once to some of the apostles, a pale
faced young man appeared at the door.
He was trembling all over, and seemed
to be almost on the verge OF delirium.
Il am SICK" said he, in pitiful tone,
"and want to get to the hospital"
"There is no hospital here" said I ;
"there is no money to supporta hospital
any longer; it has been closed up"
"But I tell you I am sick and hungry.
What am I going to dop"
"When did you get your last mealp'
"Up to Fort Sanders yesterday"
"You don't know your luck to have
fallen in with meal 80 lately as that.
It ought to last you week here"
The poor fellow began to cry. "What
can do if get nothing to eatp"
"Do?" cried gruff voice from the
other end of the place, "the best thing
you can do is to get under locomotive"
It was a cruel remark, yet I almost
forgave the fellow who made it, know
ing that he had been existing flor five
days on some dried apples which ne
stole out of grocery barrel.
The stranger whined,"I suppose I'll
have to die, then"
"Suppose 80. Can, if you want to,
you know" said the gruft voice.
$50 around town, and see what can
be done for you," I suggested, and the
man walked sadly away. He was we'll
dressed, and had the air of fellow who
had been well brought up. But he had
lost his grit.
About two hours after that converse
ton I was walking along the railroad
track when I saw the mangled body of
nv visitor of the morning. the head tom
off the trunk and the limbs smashed into
a pulp. He had taken the advice ofthe
man who spoke to him, and had deliber-
ately thrown himself under the wheels
OF the engine.
That was rather narrowing episode,
and only recall it to show phase OF
human nature in its very hardest as
poets, when the law of MISREPRESENTATION
asserts itself in the presence Of calam-
ity. Under some kinds of pressure
mankind becomes, I" more fell than an
guish, hunger or the sea-" I saw
crowd of idle laborers on the railroad
looking curiously at the torn remains
IS they lay there under the beating
sun and not one them would turn over
his heel to fetch a covering to hide the
terrible sight from the public gaze.
When called on to help pack the frag
ments into box, they walked away
with some contemptuous remark about
the poor soul who could not stand the
buffets Of that rough world.
A few nights after that witnessed a
scene of more inspiring character,
but lust as characteristic Of the man
mers and customs of the overcrowded
dog kennel. 1t occurred in dance
house, where the lamps shone o'er, not
fair women and brave men, but an as
semblage of cut-throats, gamblers and
women such as few lamps ever had the
privilege of making visible. 1 had
taken refuge in the sheriff's office that
morning, and about evening that
functionary was aroused from his lair
by an intimation that the vigilantes
were on the war-path, and that they
had two horse thieves and murderer
in hand. Sheriff Jim quietly turned
over on his other side, muttering that
he would see about it in the morning;
but I was curious to see a. real live
vigilant, so l went forth into the dark
ness to take peep at these omlnous
birds of night.
Adown the main street came for
midable looking body of men, all
masked. Instinctively I approached the
gang, as I had often done in street pa
rades, but score of stern voices cried
away from here, and mind your busi-
ness" obeyed without a murmur, for
there was something grim and solemn
in the attitude of those avenging angels.
Hearing the lively tum-tum of guitar
and the squeaking of fiddle in dance
house, flew thither for shelter, and be-
held gay throng of revelers, evidently
mad with whisky, whirling around In
wild quadrilles-a veritable dance OF
warlocks and witches, rs fantastic as
that in the celebrated ale-vapor dream
of the Scottish bard in the haunted
kirk" Plainsmen, clad in tattered
buckskin garments, Indian fashion, were
plunging turiously through the set with
gay gamblers in nobbY attire, and for.
lorn looking types of femininity arrayed
in suits of "frayed magnifcence." A
loud, mad, motley crowd, such as Satan
might have piped to, and all engaged in
CelCUEdIlUS Lue eldLlou VI q aoCopoiaao
called Charlie Martin, who had that day
been acquitted by jury of his peers"
on the charge of cold-b -blooded assassina-
ton. Charlie himself was the loudest
of the revelers, and was the hero ofthe
hour.
Just as the mirth and fun was at its
height, and the murderer was cslling for
a round of drinks for the crowd man
entered and tapped him quietly on the
shoulder.
Come out for minute" said he,
"there's friend of yours at the door
wants to speak to YOU"
Charley stepped out, and the man
locked the door behind him. l had
managed to slip out unnoticed, and there
I saw semi-circle of men in masks
waiting to receive their victim. With
out word they gagged him, and with
out p word they dragged him away to
the end of the street where tripod had
been erected. The fellow struggled and
fought like a lion for his life. He fought
until the moose was fastened round his
neck, and until the life was choked out
of him.
It was strange contrast to this grim
IL l.