The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-12-23

ice his head only projecting above
wster But hardly was he thus
concealed when one OFthe pursuers
discovered him and pulled bimoul.
he was a. once conveyed to
Poneroy and the same evening
taken across tho Ohio on the ice to
Virginia.
AT this time an Englishman
named Biggs kept a hotel apd store
az West Columbia and here the Of.
ficers and their prisoner stopped for
The night. In the Office the former
asked Biggs il he could furnish
chains to bind the latter He re.
sponded by going into the store and
and returning with two trace
chains, The prisoner surveyed
him a moment, then said; "Mr.
Biggs you know that hill just back
of town2p "Yes,'' said Biggs.-
"Well'' continued the prisoner aI'll
sit on that hill and see your build.
ings burn for ihise
The next morning he was con.
veyed to Point Pleasant, and when
shown the Jail said. eSYhy / have
Looked at that d-n rat.trap many
Eatlme; il will not hold me longer
thau the snow goes off, Weeks
came and went and be continued
THE most contented and pacific
prisoner within Che Jail,
tlepgth the long winter seem.
ed at an end; the snow melted, rain
fell, and a flood in The Ohio filed
ii almost to the top Of the banks.
One night the wind blew a fierce
gale, the rain fell in torrents and
the prisoner as if aroused by the
rushing tempest arose, cut the bars
from his cell and hatless, coatless
and boolless left 1t never TO return.
AT that time there lived on the
farm Of David Long, Esq, some dis.
lance above town an oldgentleman
by the name of Campbell. About
midnight (he same mentioned
aboye) he was aroused by a rap at
the door. Opening 1t, there stood a
man in his bare head, sock feet and
shirt sleeves, who explained that
he was one of q crew upon a pair Of
aalbOats which had been torn loose
from their moorings by the rushing
current of the Ohio; that just OPP.
pOsite they had sunk, and that he
supposed he was the only one on
board who had escaped alive.
Mr.. Campbell invited him in and
insisted tibet he should go to bed
but he declined saying that he was
livery unwell, that he expected 10
be out and in, and that be would
lie by the Ere. The generous old
gentleman then placed bis oyercoat,
hat aud boots by the Ere and re-
Iquesled the sick flatboatman2p To
lput them on in case he had to 60
GU! in the storm, Directly all was
quiet and the only one saved from
a watefy grave, donned the several
articles Of clothing and did have
occasion to so out but never more
to come in.
A few nights later, near the hour
Of twelve, as the steamer "sam
snowden" rounded the bend below
West Columbia the pilot observed
a light on building in that town
aud blew an alarm whistle but was
too far away to arouse any one aud
by the time the steamer reached the
wharf, the flames in the building
OF Biggs (the man who furnished
the trace chains) was beyond con
troll and it was soon a heap Of
smouldering ruins, The promise
previously made had in all prOba,
bility been faithfully kept.
Many old citizens throughout
the county will, upon reading the
above, at once call to mind the
name Of George Cox,
One word as to the three princi
pal characters and we are DONE
Little Ben, soon after removed to
Missouri, where be died several
years since. Anderson, the man
arrested on the wharf.boat at Pom.
eroy, afterwards became a preacher
in one Of the Western States, and
Cox the principal character, il is
said served as a private in the Both
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during
the late war, but under what name
is not known. TucKAHoE.
-+
OBITUARY.
Carlisle (Ky.J Mercury.