The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-08-20
FRONTIER TRAGEDIES.
Two incidents of the Oid Dsys ON a
Plains.

| was talking of starvation days, and
they recall to my mind as / think of
them many curious and some pathetic
episodes. If you want TO experience tho
purely sdamantine side of humanity, /
commend you TO community OF adven-
tlirers in search Of we 'lth. / was once
present at an extraordinary scene in
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 wolfsh spirit
/ saw manifested on several occasions
among the two legged animals who
were hustling and ebowing each other
in that roaring and overcrowded town.
One beautiful summer morning, as I
lay on my comfortable well, on my Sec
tion wishfully dreaming of the
possibility of some GOOD angel lettir g
down bagful Of prOvender rs ihey did
once to some Of the apostles, paie-
faced young man appeared at the door.
lie was trembling all over, and seemed
TO be almost on the verge of delirium.
" ] am SICK" Said he, in a pitiful tone,
and | want TO get to the hospital"
There is no hospital here" said I;
"there is nc money TO support hospital
But | tell you I am sick and hungry.
What am ] going to doPn
When did you get your last mealp'
up TO Fort Sanders yesterday"
you don't know your luck to have
fallen in with meal SO lately as that.
1t ought TO last you week here"
The poor fellow began to cry. "What
can do if get nothing to eatp"
"DoPp cried gruff voice from the
other end of the place. the best thing
you can do is to get under locomotive"
1t was cruel remark, yet | almost
forgave the fellow who made it, know
ing that he had been existing for five
days on some dried apples which he
stole out of grocery barrel.
The stranger whined, Il suppose I'll
have to die, then"
"Suppose so. Can, if you want to,
you know" said the gruff voice.
" Go around town, ard see what can
be done for you" | suggested, and the
man walked sadly away. He was we'll
dressed, and had the air Of n fellow who
had been well brought up. But he had
lost his grit.
About two hours after that conversa-
tion was walking along the railroad
track when | saw the mangled body of
my visitor of the morning, the head torn
Off the trunk and the limbs smashed into
apulp. 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 Il 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, "more fell than an
gulsh, hunger or the sea- | saw a
crowd of idle laborers on the railroad
looking curiously at the torn remains
as they lay there under the beating
sun and not one them would turn over
his heel 10 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
bullets Of that rough world.
A few nights after that | witnessed
scene of n more inspiring character,
but just as characteristic of the man.
mers and customs of the overcrowded
dog kennel. 1t occurred in n dance
house, where the lamps shone DER, not
fair women and brave men, but an as
semblage of cut-throats, gamblers and
women such rs few lamps ever had the
privilege of making visible. | 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 turn,
ever on his other side. muttcring that
he would see about it in the morning;
but | was curious to see n real live
vigilant, so ] went forth into the dark
ness to take a peep ut these ominous
birds of night.
Adown The main street came for
midablo looking body of men, all
masked. Instinetiveiy ] approached the
gang, as | had often done in street pa
rades, but score OF stern voices cried:
Away from here, and mind your busi-
ness" | obeyed without murmur, for
there was something grim and solemn
in the attitude ofthose 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 thrcng of reyelers, evidently
mad with whisky, whirling around in
wild quadrilles-a veritable dance of
warlocks and witches, as 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 irlriously through the set with
gay gamblers in nohby attire. and for
lorn looking types of femininity arrayed
n suits of . frayed magniiicence." A
loud, mad, motley crowd, such rs Satan
might have piped to. and all engaged in
celebrating the liberation of desperate
called Charlie Martin, who had tha. day
been acquitted by jury "of his peers"
on the charge of cold blooded sssassina-
tion. Charlie himself was The loudest
of the reyelers, and was the hero ofthe
hour.
just as the mirlh and fun was at its
height, and the murderer was csliing for
a round of drinks TOR the crowd man
entered and tapped him quietly on the
shoulder.
Come out for p minute" said he,
" there's a friend of yours at the door
wants to speak TO YOU
Charley stepped out, and the man
locked the door behind him. | had
managed TO slip outunnoiiced, and there
| saw a semi-circle CT men in masks
waiting TO receive their victim With
out a word they gagged him, and with
out word they dragged linn away &c
the end OF the street where tripod had
been erected. The fellow struggled and
fought like a lion Tor his life. He fought
until the moose was fastened round his
neck, and until the life was choked out
of him.
IL was strange contrast TO this grim
scene to go back TO the dance house and
see the revelers continue their orgy, al
unconscious of ire dreadful deed that
had been done iGst outside of their fes-
tivity. And when the sun rose that
morning it rose upon a wonderful silent
city. Men talked in whispersa and pointed
to the dreary sight. while groups OF men
wandered around to the Elephant
Corral "where the body OF a horse-thief
hung in full view.
The other horse. thief they dismissed
with a few scattering charges of buck
shot in the rear, and sent him skipping
for protection 10 Fort Davy RUSSELL
CAiedgo Free Lance.
At the late meeting of the Congrega-
tional general association of New Jersey
the erort of the churches made favor
able showing. The association has re-
ceived two churches during the past
year-the Congregational church, of