The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
STORY OF aBULL' FR1zzEL.
A RUFFTlN OF GIANT STRENGTH
WHO WAS ALSO n HERO.
Tremendous Reats OF strength THAT Are Le-
Gends About OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Deeds to
His Crcdit-nis TouHhness nnd RnncalIty-
lnis Absence &C Fear aud HIS Denthbed.

eends About Deeds to
Eis Crcdit-nis TouHhness nnd Rnscality-
NJ. Absence CT Fear aud H's Denthbed.
WARRINGTON, Nov. l3.-"Bull" Frlzzel has
been dead these eighteen years, but stories OF
his remarkable fcNts of strength and his person
ality. pluck. savage. and daring, are still re-
peoted through Maryland and Virginia. His
home, known as the Old Stone House. stands
with broken chimney and dilapidntcd front on
the brink of tho Chesa' cake and Ohio Canal,
two milos above West Washington. Tho win
dow from which no hung the Confederate nag.
the old culvert where no had the pitchforK en-
counter with Jim Shorrer, the lowlhnds where
he shot out his feuds with Woody. tho great
rocks from which he rescued the men on the
ferryboat, the granite quarry where no dis
lodged a mighty boulder, tho stones on which
he was crushed down by tho Chain Bridge. the
very spot where he dofed tho Union army, are
all pointed out.
His hot temper and obstinacy were matters OF
inheritance, but his strength and braRRedocio
were peculiarly his own. Born near Fairfax
Court House. in Virginia, about
1910, his earlier years were passed in rough.
9 'eady farm work. Hc was never taught TO read
or write. md all his life calculated sums by add
ing and subtracting grains OF corn and little
sticks. BY degrees he wandered nearer George
town. and in 1888 began to follow tho canal. He
bought tho Old Stone House, thon about half n
century old, married n woman setter than him
self, and was ready to begin his startling career.
"He picked up a Twin farmin' aroun'; looked
out sharp for runaway niggers. bought an
traded horses q good bit, an bet on the race
track. Bull made money, he did. Bravef Why.
man, thar was none braver.' This was from
ono Of Frizzel's friends; he left some loyal friends
behind him. but thoy are not SO many rs his
encmies. That he became q scamp of the first
water. q thief. a liar. and a bully. half of George.
town asserts. but that he performed great feats,
acts of strength, no one denies.
As centuries ago tho namc of the Black Doug
los inspired terror in the hearts Of little chill.
dren. so tho name OF Bull Frizzel was used to
quiet babies, and was the most %effcctual weapon
mothers possessed over unruly boys. The nuns
at the Georgetown convent used to warn the
girls in their walks to be careful, don't so too
far, or Bull Frizzel will catch you." lie was tho
bugbear OF the whole country; he enjoyed his
| reputation. He was possessed OF a sense OF
humor. For fun the world couldn't beat him."
some one has said; then, too, when q dog gets
q bad name evcrybody's kickin' ut him, an that
was tho way with John B. Frizzel. 1t got so
that he was arrested every time anybody else
did wrong"
The rcscuing Of tho mon from the tcrryboat
was his first act of heroism. The Little Falls
bridge had been washed away, and q fcrryboat
run by cable across the Potomac was put in its
place. On one occasion. when there was n frcshet
on the river and tho long stretch Of rock flats on
the Maryland side was covered with n raging
torrent, some men were obliged to cross. Risk
ing their lives and their cattle, they boarded the
ferry. Before they reached midstrenm the ca
bic broke with q snap. They wero hurled round
and round as In a whirlpool. The cattle Jumped
of into the deep channel and the boat was swept
at Il fearful rate down the torrent. 1t crashed
into n ledge of rocks and lodged there, with,
the men clinIinG for their lives. The usual
crowd of wetermen was on shore. No one dared
to push out. Bull Frizzel manned his heavy
rowboat, and with powerful strokes crossed tho
roaring waters. matched his muscle hard against
erately rowing back. " GIVE me $40" he said;
made him diner from other people. Mos peo.
pie. mebbe as yo hey found out. copy what fin others others
think Of" 1t rather seems as ifho did;
river esved in once and buried a man twenty
feet: His body was unearthed after many hours
efforts of thirty men couldn't shake. They were
f Msetaa t the sq res the Of O Sin. ""S ~ one nS ofre lnS t 10 risk
his life a SECOND time; ether !" r rSGk T. we're then
"Ya-as, IN get ye the leg an sell it to ye fer
Early tho next morning he ramped, to the
quarry. and in spite OF falling rocks worked w
sundoYn. He E9t that leg 2 9 INA MrapRins it III, in
it stay in the kitchen all night, then sold 1t to
"thc family" For miles around men flockcd to
increased. il was noised abroad that nothing
could harm him. Further evidence of this soon
came. Bull had y spite on the SheF Fns I9io n =.
the mouth fths culyert under the canal, pitch
fork S1dii in st hsnd; S bimi gg Im @ns po sna an Su bro SaS.
sRoulderod, too-a match fer Bull. an they
grapplod." Bull went under through some scien,
e Il h aHSSi in $ Buli p $ face ";sH' Man; ii. Twas enoasS
Lord, it didn't even make a Impress on Bull
That is the way the story i told; ,r.
clean through lis foot and he did not know il
,, ,rd ar!l an PF ia da Tss s rGldash ian f ye kSe@ h S:s
rough pig iron +" He was %5o Isra , in,f T.
!, height; T la1r q n fTain sh0 sa. and rish bh'G sia mGo ' @nt
looked savage at We" from beneath his heavy
! S BT9TSy. a You MS need ,in str SlHsk black R"'f @ %nd WIFI MRiic aR &c
, paint him. and you must slap on pig strokes
; Se9c sf San az 81 dhs sie %Sseif Ills "a des sSa %lsnt s Mt,h fo "
= tho most part dark.browcd., aggressive;lookinf
. men and women, lacking. however his vig9'
drownin' nor nofhin' Gould ever KIN them,
5 said a boy who went swimming with them
II good Wits didn' make hin" SO notable.
. said one old farmer. ut was his foolishness a
saskis sI he'd ID, bet ct big money icy jtks %as ,o q %FGosts pc, an
. than to gather about him a circle OF admirer
! and relate his wild adventures, his heroic deeds
q q the tricks he played on his enemies. his terrihN
= encounters with runaway slaves. and the mar
a vellous escapes of his life. To himself as wei
as TO his company he was n great man. TT
; keep In with him you'd hev ter decide his way,
people said. He was u law unto himself II eve
a man was, 9,
o . "Ho could bluff people into believing he coult
> do most anything" 4 gigantic log floating b!
i the Chain Bridge became tightly ,wodged in be
tween the rocks. 1--WE might hev known n
> mortal on this Garth could hev lifted that tire
. single handed, but when Bull bet SO he conl
Il shoulder the log an bring IL ashore, not n ma
of us would take IT. up; We kinder feared h
o could do it" remarked one Of his old neighbor
The greatest. exploit 9f Bnii Frizzels liie wa
pcrado who for years deaed the Maryland al
y thorilies. From his stronghold In the woods c
Montgomery county he had shot down many
Government officer. When $500 was at lengt
offered for his capture Bull sworc he would <,
AZ, Disgusting himself ns q decrcpit old man h
- took n good strong rope and went hobblin
about Ofut's Woods" pretending TO be, lool
Il I.inns L. ,nnLnunlna 10 u ecentinl. Aflnr leudiu