News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-03-29
VICKSBURG UNDER THE BLUFF.
Tn" story IEcr"Id Of iIr Driving OUT ct .he
Gamblers from tie civ,

Gamblers from tie CITY,
A newspaper correspondent recalls the
story of the driving out Of the gamblers
from "Nicksburg under the Bluff" The
Mississippi River town was Il bad place.
Gamblers and their followers held full
possession of it, and every Imaginable
crime was committed. The people stood
it as long as they could, and then
warned the gamblers that unless they
left the place there would be trouble ::
but the gamblers merely laughed in the
faces of the people.
On the 4th of July, 1885, there was a
grand barbecue going on lust outside.
the town limits. Various patriotic toasts
were being proposed and responded to.
among them one to the Eicksburg Vol
Unteers, military company that had
recently been organized. No sooner
was this proposed than a gambler named
Ca bier mounted the table and proceeded
to kick plates, glasses aud dpcanters
heller SHELTER, right and left For this
hig h-handed piece of insolence the lieu
tenant III command of the company (his
name was Fisher caused Cabler to be
put off the grounds
He made the very air black with bias
phemy as he swOre to be reyengcd.
Hurrying back to town, he loaded him
self down with weapons and declared he
would Kill Fisher on sight. UnfOrtu-
nately for him and his muderOus project
when he approached the door Of the
courthouse, where the compauv's drill
room was located, he suddenly found an
orderly and five men around him. each
with cooked musket's muZzle at his
head. He was compelled to surrender
at discretion, and was taken to the drill
room and there tried by Il scIf-constitutcd
court-martiaI. The late very gay gam
bier soon looked very sad, for the SEN
tence OF the cOurt-martial was that he
be beaten with many stripes and then
tarred and feathcTed, and he knew that
the sentence would be carried into exc
cutiOn, which it was forthwith. Howl
ing like a mailman under this frightful
punishment, he returned to town and
called upon his brother knights of the
green baize table to rally for a Grand
coup de vengeance. They rallied. and
threatened to burn the town.
The citizens, in turn, also rallied. and
decided that the gamblers must go. The
former were now the more numerous.
''lI INC ltJitl were more ttSIrEdIe. Gltt
were well fortified. Bmricading Them
selves behind wcII-barred doors. they
babe the citizens defiance. A determined
band, led by a DR.. Bcdley, attempted to
break down the door. The outer door
at length yielded, but the first man who
entered was shot dead ON the spot. This |
was DR.. Bodley, the leader of the citi-
zens. Now the rage and Indignation of
the entire population was lashed to fury.
Many OF the gamblers saw the situation
and sneaEcd out the back way, and
reached the river ere the manner of their |
retreat was detected In fact, all but |
five escaped during the excitement |
caused by the killing of Bodley. Soon |.
a second assault was made It swept |
every obstacle, and the five who re- |
manned were forced to beg for mercy. |
But they begged in vain. Mercy had |
departed with the murdered Bodlcv's /
spirit. In an adjacent field stood GAL |
lows, from which, all in Il row, five grim
and ghostly gambolicrs soon dangled. |
have never seen amy public gambling |
going on in ViclahurG from that day to .