The herald., 1894-04-15
HE ROPED THE HOUSE
THEN 1T WAS PULLED SLAP INTO THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

Gambling Den.
The early days of steamboating on the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers were filed
with many exciting and interesting
events, rccollections Of which will pos
Eoss peculiar interest for thousands Of
persons who have lived to see the grene
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
leelboats, and a rough and ready set Of
fellows they were All were almost
born and really educated upon tho wn-
ter, passing their days either in floating
down stream exposed to tho various dam
gers Of the voyage or wearily working
their boat up stream against the rapid
current and liable at any moment to be
attacked by some one of the many gangs
Of robbers that infested all the region
through which they passed.
One Of these old timo riverlnen was
Uncle Billy Russell, as lac was familiar
ly called. At one time nc was known
from Cincinnati to New Orleans. Six
feet and magsively built, Uncle Billy
had been in his primo man Of giant
strength and possessed Of un1inchirg
| courage, yet slow to anger and when
not aroused kind hearted and most
agreeable companion. But when pro-
vollcd TO wrath he not only inspired tor
ror, bat was Stunned by his enennic@
Ono Of his noted characteristics was
hatred Of injustice i'll any form, or
strong boiioyor as he put it. i'll fair
play" and nothing would moro quickly
arouse his larcesG 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 tho dishonest gamblers who in
fcsted many Of tho river towns and
swaImod upon the steamers that piled
the waters. But tho old follows prowess
and strength were too we'll known to
precipitatc q personal encounter between
him aud the pGsteboard fraternity. Sew
eral years after Russell had abandoned
the hatboat for the swifter moving
steamer he was temporarily in command
Of largo 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 tho hill" /" and wait
for morning to resume it's trip. A num-
ber Of passengers went on shore and vis-
tied the dancehouses and gambling dens
that were doing thriving business in
their line.
Among the crowd was man named
Hall, who had taken flatboat 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 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 III the morning, and going
to the house demanded of the proprietor
the return Of al tho stolen money. The
half drunken rufflan 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-
priotor threatened tho captain that if he
didn' leave the place Immediately they
would throw him out and treat him as
they had his friend
I'm &C." said the cnrayed officer,
"but your infamous den will go with
me F"
Proceeding to the boat that was wait
ing his orders to p1ll out, he directed
the deckhandS to get tho 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 aroand
it and then in and ont Of some Of the
windows and mado fast. In the upper
room were number Of gamblers, too
busy to combat the river men or SEQ
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 rope
had securely encircled his house. AS a
throng Of spectators raised cheer Rus
sci sprang Oh his boat and shouted out
to the pilot go ahead" and to the en-
| pineer at ,et her oOi'
The boat began to move, the rope be-
gan to tighten, the house began to crealx.
the inmates began to tremble, and the
sound Of tearing timber and the oaths
Of frightened men comningled. The
gamblers rushed from the tables, the
drunken jewellers about the bar left their
( liquor untasted and sprang from the sa-
loon. The astonished proprietor pulled
pistol, and swearing he would shoot the
author Of all this commotion =uSlled
through his doorway just as the sway-
ing and creaking building yielded to the
mighty pull and toppled over with a
tremendous crash. The next instant the
surging boat dragged it into tho river
The cable was then unloosened and the
steamer continued its course amid the
cheers of an approving crowd and the
yells and curses of the disappointed and
enraged proprietor, who swore be would
/ 4 L -.