Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-04-11

HE ROPED THEHOUSE
THEN 1T WAS PULLED SLAP INTO THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

Uncle Billy Russell, an Old Steamboat Cap,
tain, Took q Striking Method of Revena.
ing the Wrongs Done to Friend In .
Gambling Den.
The early days Of steamboating on the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers were filled
with many exciting and interesting
events, recollections Of which will pos
sess peculiar interest for thousands of
persons who have lived to see the great
tide Of travel diverted from these once
thronged and popular routes by the more
aggressive railroads.
Most of the captains and pilots Of
those busy river days were men who
served their time upon broadhorns or
keelboats, and rough and ready set Of
fellows they were. All were almost
born and really educated upon the wa
ter, passing their days either in floating
down stream exposed to the various dam
gers of the voyage or YEARLY working
their boat up stream against the rapid
current and liable at any moment to be
by some one of the many gangs
Of robbers that infested all the region
through which they passed.
One of these old time rivermen was
Uncle Billy Russell, as he was familiar
ly called At one time he was known
from Cincinnati to New Orleans. Six
feet and massively built, Uncle Billy
had been in his prime man of giant
e&~on<v+b on1 ,1occaccod IF ,,pf3iuohiup
courage, yet slow to anger and when
not aroused kind hearted and most
agreeable companion. But when pro-
voked to wrath he not only inspired ter
ror, but was Stunned by his enemies.
One of his noted characteristics was a
hatred of injustice in any form, or a
strong believer, as he put it, in ''fair
play" and nothing would more quickly
arouse his fiercest resentment than to
discover an unfair advantage taken or
the imposition of one man upon an
other This rather peculiar notion in
those days of card playing and robbery
on the river made Uncle Billy unpopu
lar with the dishonest gamblers who in
tested many of the river towns and
swarmed upon the steamers that piled
the waters But the old fellow prowess
and strength were too well known to
precipitate a personal encounter between
him and the pasteboard fraternity. Sew
eral wears after Russell had abandoned
the flatboat for the swifter moving
steamer he was temporarily in command
of large steamboat on its up trip, be-
cause of the illness of the captain, who
had remained at New Orleans. One
night the boat was compelled to tie up
at Natchez, under the HILL and wait
for morning to resume its trip. A num-
Der of passengers went on shore and WIS.,
tied the dancehouses and gambling dens
that were doing thriving business in
their line.
Among the crowd was a man named
Hall, who had taken fatboat of prod
uce south, sold out his boat and cargo at
a big profit and was returning to his
home near Cincinnati with the proceeds
of his SALE He entered a notorious house
that stood on the bank overlooking the
river, more through curiosity than the
desire to game The place was frequent
ed by the lowest class of gamblers and
desperate characters. Hall foolishly dis
played his money and was at once at
tackled, brutally beaten and robbed OF
every cent and then thrown out of the
building in an almost dying condition,
where he was found and carried back
to the boat by friendly hands. Russell
learned of the affair, and getting from
the lips of the suffering victim all the
particulars of the outrage he went on
shore early in the morning, and going
to the house demanded of the proprietor
the return of all the stolen money. The
half drunken ruffian laughed at the re-
quest, and his saloon being crowded
with gang of fellows who would muir
der man for drink of whisky the pro-
prietor threatened the captain that if he
didn't leave the place Immediately they
would throw him out and treat him as
they had his friend.
"I'n CO." said the enraged officer,
''but your infamous den will go with
me.
Proceeding to the boat that was wait
ing his orders to pull out, he directed
the deckhands to get the largest cable
on the steamer and follow him with
sufficient weapons for fight. Leading
the way to the house, two story frame
building, the cable was passed around
it and then in and out Of some of the
windows and made fast. In the upper
room were number Of gamblers, tot
busy to combat the river men or SCI
what they were doing. The proprietor
was down stairs passing over the liquor
to the crowd of half drunken and thirs
ty customers and did not comprehend
what was going on until the huge rop'
had securely encircled his house. As I
throng Of spectators raised cheer Rus
sci sprang on his boat and shouted GU
to the pilot, go ahead!' and to the en-
gineer, ''Let her gop'
The boat began to move, the rope be
gan to tighten, the house began to creak
the inmates began to tremble, and tn
sound of tearing timber and the oath
of frightened men commingled. TIL
gamblers rushed from the tables, tn
drunken jewellers about the bar left thei
liquor untasted and sprang from the sa
loon. The astonished proprietor pulled
pistol, and swearing he would shoot tn
author of all this commotion rushe'
through his doorway just as the sway
ing and creaking building yielded to tn
mighty pull and toppled over with
tremendous crash. The next instant tn
surging boat dragged it into the river
The cable was then unloosened and tn
steamer continued its course amid tn
cheers of an approving crowd and tn
yells and curses Of the disappointed AM
enraged proprietor, who swore he woul'
kill the daring Russell on his return trip
But the boatman had more friends thai
the murderous gambler, and he wa
never molested for destroying one Of tn
worst places on the river.-Cincinnat