Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-05-11
UNCLE BILLY'S FEAT.
A ROPE AROUND THE HOUSE
HELPED HIM DO 1T.
A Steamboat Captain on tho Mississippi
Who Took n Striking Method OF re
venging the Wrongs Done TO Frienc
In Gambling Hell.


The early days OF steam boating on
the Ohio aud Mississippi rivers were
filled With exciting and interesting
events, rCcollections OF which will
possess peculiar interest for thou
sands OF persons who have lived to
see the great tide OF travel diverted
from these once thronged and poPu-
lar routes by the moro 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.
One OF these old-time rivermer
was Uncle Billy Russell, as he was
familiarly called. At one time he
was known from Cincinnati to New
Orleans, according to the Cincinnati
Enquirer. Six feet and massively
built, "Uncle Billy" had been in his
prime man OF giant strength and
possessed OF unflinching courage, yet
slow to anger, aud when not aroused
kind hearted and most agreeable
companion.
One OF his noted characteristics
was hatred of injustice in any
form, or strong believer. as he put
it, in "fair play" and nothing would
more quickly arouse his fercest re.
sentiment than TO discover an unfair
advantage taken or the imposition
OF one man upon another. This
rather peculiar notion in those days
OF card playing and robbery on the
river made "Uucle Billy" unpopular
with the dishonest gamblers who in
tested many of the river towns and
swarmed upon the steamers that
piled the waters. Several years
after Russell had abandoned the fiat
boat for the swifter moving steamer
he was temporarily in command OF
large steamboat on it's up trip. be-
cause OF the illness Of the captain,
who had remained in New Orleans.
One night the boat was compelled to
tie up at Natchez. "under the hill"
and wait for morning to resume it's
trip A number OF passengers went
on shore and visited the dance houses
and gambling dens that were doing
a thriving business in their line
Among the crowd was q man
named Hall, who had taken fiat.
boat of produce South, sold out his
BOAT and cargo at big profit and
was returning to his home near Gin
cinnati with the proceeds OF his sale.
He entered notorious house that
/ at ho vi
river, more through curiosity than
the desire to game. The place was
frequented by the lowest class OF
gamblers and desperate characters.
Hall foolishly displayed his money
and was at once attacked, 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 Tho
boat by friendly hands. Russell
learned OF the affan, Snd, getting
from the lips OF the suffering vic
tim all the particulars OF the out
rage, he went on shore early in the
morning and. going to the house, de-
manded of the proprietor the return
OF all the stolen money. The half
drunken rutfian laughed at the re-
quest, and, his saloon being crowded
with gang OF fellows who would
murder man for a drink OF whisky,
the proprietor threatened the cap
tain that il he didn't leave the place
Immediately they would throw him
out and treat him as they had his
friend.
"Fll CO." said the enraged officer,
"but your infamous den will go with
me"
Proceeding back to the boat that
was waiting his orders to pull out,
he directed the deck hands to get
the largest cable on the steamer and
follow him with sufficient weapons
for fight. Leading the way to the
house, a two-story frame building.
the cable was passed around it and
then in and out of some OF the win
dows and made fast In the upper
room were number OF gam blers,
too busy to combat the river men or
see what they were doing. The pro-
prietor was down stairs passing over
the liquor TO the crowd of halt
drunken and thirsty customers, and
did not comprehend what wac going
on until the huge rope had securely
encircled his house. AS throng OF
spectators raised a cheer Russell
sprang on his boat and shouted out
to the pilot, go ahead!" and to the
engineer, "Let her GO"
The boat began to move, the rope
began to tighten, the house began TO
creak, the inmates began TO tremble.
and the sound OF tearing timber and
the oaths of frightened men COM
mingled. The boat moved serenely
on; the cracking building began to
sway and totter on its foundation.
The aroused gamblers rushed from
the Earring tables. the drunken rev.
elers about the bar left their liqu or
untasted and sprang from the saloon.
The astonished proprietor pulled a
pistol and, swearing no would shoot
the author OF all this commotion,
rushed through his doorway just as
the swaying and creaking building
yielded TO the mighty pail and top