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gallop of two horses in rapid pursuit. The
sounds became every moment more and
more audible, and seeing that 1 should be
speedily overtaken, 1 tied my horse to a
bush, and retreating some short distance
from the road, trusted that I should elude
their search in the darkness. When they
saw my horse they halted, and one of them
immediately dismounted.
Here’s the horse, said he, the rider can’t
ho far oIT. Hold the horses while I search
for him.
Groping in every direction, he presently
approached the spot where I stood. I felt
his breath on my cheek, und by the dim
light discerned the gleam of his knife.—
The next moment he touched me, and bran
dished his weapon ; but before it descended
I plunged iny dagger to the very hilt in his
bosom. Whith a deep groan, lie fell heav
ily on the earth.
Have you settled him ? said his com
rade ?
Yes, answered I, in a loud whisper ; you
go on to the house, while 1 look into his
pockets. Leave my horse and his, and I’ll
be with you presently.
Why do you speak so low, rejoined he?
You ar’nt afraid of a dead man? Here’s
the horses, when you are ready, tied to this
bush.
Having thus got rid of this dangerous
companion, 1 waited till the echo of his
horse’s hoofs had died away in the distance
and then at a brisk pace resumed my way,
which I could now distinguish imperfectly
by the doubtful light of the new risen moon.
Descending rapidly the western side of the
mountain for a few miles, 1 descried a spa
cious farm house, surrounded witli numer
ous out-buildings and other indications of
opulence and plenty. This was the hab
itation, as I afterwards learned, of farmer
Evans ; one of those sturdy, resolute pion
eers, who had boldly penetrated the wes
tern wilderness, and with his rifle in one
hand and plough in the other, had planted
in the very heart oflndian hostility all the
comforts of civilized life. Having wrested
a fair domain from the hands of the savage
this warlike agriculturalist had reared a
numerous and hardy offspring, and applied
himself for many years to the peaceful oc
cupations of tillage ; but lie was as prompt
as ever to rouse at the call of danger, and
sallied forth, at my repeated calls, with a
strong bodyguard of athletic sons—striking
specimens of that dauntless militia whose
rifles had quelled the veteran armies of
Britain. They harkened to my tale with j
emotions of horror and astonishment.
This must be John Murrell’s doings, said
old Evans, the greatest rascal in all these
parts. I knew he and his sons would come
to no good ; a set of idle, lazy, drunken
vagabonds, that spend all their time in ga
ming and horse racing, and never do a
stroke of work for an honest living. I al
ways thought they never came fairly by the
money they handled ; but I did’nt suppose
they got it by robbery and murder. To be j
sure some people have gone otFvery strange- :
ly, and some blethering folks in the neigh
borhood have said that all was’nt right at
old Murrel’s, but I did’nt mind their non
sense. Come boys get your rifles and let’s
beat up the quarters of these villains before
daybreak. If we wait, they’ll have time
to get out of the way and hide the proofs of
their rascality.
Three ofyou, said he must go round to
the back of the bouse, and if they attempt
to run that way, be sure to put a ball
through ’em sooner than let ’em escape.—
You, stranger, and I, and one of the boys,
will come up in front. Have your small
arms ready, for a bear at bay is a mighty ;
rough creature to handle.
Following his directions, we advanced j
cautiously and silently ; but the incessant
clamor of the dogs made it impossible to i
conceal our approach. Though it was not ‘
much past midnight, the moonlight made j
us distinctly visible when we reached the ■
front door. Before we could demand ad
mittance a voice from the house hailed us,
and inquired our names and business.
No matter for that, said old Evans. We
come to carry you before the squire for
murdering twomen here to-night, and you'd
better give up in peace and quietness.
If you enter here, it will be at your peril.
I’ll not have my family interrupted at this
time of night by men that won’t tell their
names. So you may go back to them that
told you that monstrous lie.
We ll soon see whether you will dare to
resist, said 1 approaching the door.
The flash of a gun from a front window
and the whizzing of a ball near my head,
warned me of the danger of our enterprize;
and showed that the garrison did not mean
to capitulate without a resolute resistance.
Ah ! you’re for that sort of work, are vou?
said old Evans, instantly discharging his
rifle through the window.
The noise of the conflict in front was, at
the same moment, echoed by the report of
several rifles in the rear, and taking ad van
tage ofthat diversion we rushed boldly into
the house. We found there an old man
and a young one, who lay weltering in
blood near the window from a wound in
flicted by the ball of Mr. Evans. These
we instantly fettered and took into custody
Ah, ha ! my lad, said old Evans, chuck
ling at this proof of his skill ; you thought
yourself safe, but you did’nt know that you
had to do with an old hunter. Fve shot
many a deer in the night time by the mere
twinkling ofhis eyes.
In a few moments our other detachment
entered, bringing with them two others
■whom they had intercepted in the very act
of flight; but the most desperate and aban
doned of this blood thirsty gang had eluded
their pursuit, and was not arrested till ma
ny years afterwards, when his name had
been signalized by the multitude and attro
city of his crimes. One of the prisoners, I
remembered having seen, but I could not
recognize either of the others. Near the
pallet occupied by the pedler, the floor ex
hibited recent and copious stains of blood,
but no trace ofhis body could be discov
ered. The panther’s hole was a cave well
known in the neighborhood, and supposed
to be inaccessible. From the hintsdropped
In my hearing, it was probable that in this
secure receptacle, the murderers had been
in the habit of depositing the bloody and
mangled relics of their victims. With the
earliest dawn, therefore, we determined to
explore the mysteries of this Golgotha. In
the morning two of the young Evans’and
myself, at the hazurd of our lives, penetra
ted tho hideous recesses of the panthers’s
hole, and found there several naked skele
tons, and the butchered remains of the ped- i
ler, divested of clothing by these rapacious j
and remorseless miscreants. Sickened with j
this appalling spectacle, we scrambled with
difficulty from this infernal grotto, and, on
our return, discried my adversary of the
night before, lying stiff and stark on the ve
ry spot where I had slain him. His com
rades were either ignorant ofhis death, or
from want of time, had made no arrange
ments for his removal. When we reported
these discoveries to our commander, he ex
claimed—.
Why, this is worse than the Injans. 1
thought I had bad neighbors enough when
they were prowling about my fields ; hut
here’s a nest ofvillians, under my nose, who
would rob the dead. I would’nt. think it
any more sin to put a ball through such
fellows than through a panter or a wolf.
The prisoners maintained a sullen and
determined silence, and replied to our inqui
ries only with a scowl of vindictive defi
ance. Finding that no disclosures were to
be extorted from these hardened offenders,
we provided the means of transporting
them to the house of a neighboring justice,
where they could be consigned tothe custody
of the civil authorities. 1 aided in their re
moval, and, having given the justice a nar
rative of these dreadful transactions, pre
pared to resume my journey. Old Mr. E
vans shook me cordially by the hand, say
ing—
I should like to be better acquainted with
you. The manner in which you dodged
those fellows, shows that you’re a tnan of
spunk and judgement. You’re the very
man for a bush fight. I wish I’d had you
with me when I first settled here. I had
tough times then, with the bears, and tho
wolves, and the Injans. But that’s over
now. IJowsomever, what hinders you
staying some months with me now? You’re
heartily welcome, and, though we’ve no In
jans, I could give you some sport in hunting
hears, and wolves, and, may be, a panther.
What you can’t stay ? Well, farewell to
you, and a pleasant journey.
MRS. ABAGAIL FOLSOM.
The Boston Post gives the following ac- j
count of a scene that occurred in the Mas
sachusetts Legislature not long since, in
which Mrs. Folsom bears rather a conspic
uous part. This Airs. Folsome is what j
; Nimrod Wildfire would call a “ regular j
screamer.”
Mr. Dwight, of Boston, now moved that
| the orders of the day be taken up, but be
| fore the Speaker had time to state the mo
tion to the House, the shrill and familiar
voice of Abby Folsom was heard from the
front seat of the south gallery, where she
commenced a harangue in the following
strain :
“ Away with your committees ! I hope
the people will go into committee of the
whole, and do up the business of the coun
try. Dispense with all select committees.
Yes, I say ; go into a commute of the
whole! !”
The House was thrown into a convulsion
of mirthful amazement by this sally, and a
I command was thundered from the chair,
*■ Sargeant-at-arms, clear the galleries.—
i This mandate brought upon their feet some
! half dozen very pretty and quiet ladies who
j were also in the gallery, and they scattered
las if a Paixham bomb-shell had exploded
j among them.
| As quick as their active legs could carry
them up, Messrs. Poole and Palmer, ser
geant's assistants, made their appearance
in the gallery, and tapped Abby on the
shoulder, remarking at the same time, ‘Mrs.
bolsom you must leave the gallery.’ With
a burning glance of fierce independence,
she replied, • I will not stir! It is my right,
my inalienable right to sit here, and speak
if I choose!’ The officers now took hold
of her in earnest, and a tough struggle en
sued, during which Abby made the high
and wide expanding dome of’ the hall ring
and reverberate with her startling excla
mations, which were gathered and rolled
back in disjointed passages like the fullow
ing—
“ Take your hands off—you are not men;
I will not be removed by force—l have a
right—a right, which God gave when he
made us. You are tyrants and oppressors
to lay violent hands on a woman, thus—
yes, on an innocent woman—for I’m inno
cent. You are crucifying Christ, for he is
crucified anew in one of his members,
which I am.” By this time she had forced
through the inner door of the gallery, and
became satisfied that the odds were against
her, and she exclaimed, “ Let me go back,
and get mv things. Let me have my
things and I’ll go ; let me go for my things
and I’ll leave the place, with the curse of
Heaven upon it.” The officers, however,
would not let her return, and it took them
about five minutes to get her through the
second door, which was quite small. Her
muff’and bonnet wore now banded her, and
she was without much further struggling
taken down stairs, and led out in front ofthe
State House, where she was left to anathe
matize the Speaker of the House, and all
her other persecutors, to a crowd of specta
tors ; but the location was an exceedingly
cold one, and her burning indignation soon
yielded to the rude blasts of old Boreas, and
she faded out of sight entirely.
She managed the matter in the New.
Ilampshire Legislature rather differently.
She was in the Senate Chamber, when a
message to the other branch was ordered ;
and she following close behind the sergeant
at-arms into the House, and when he an
nounced, “ a message from the Senate,”
she rose upon her toes, behind him, and at
the top of her voice exclaimed, “A message
from God !”
From the New Orleans Bee.
AMERICAN PRISONERS IN MEXICO.
Narrative of Mr. Franklin Combs, one
OF THE PRISONERS.
The expedition after about ten weeks
march, through a country infested by Indi
ans, arrived at the Pola Dura, where being
straightened for food, and having previous,
j ly sent tlmir guides in advance, was deter
mined to despatch about a third of tho arm
ed force, and 2 ofthe commissioners to pro
vide provisions and prepare the way for the
entrance ofthe expedition into the province
of Santa Fe. The impression at the time
was that the expedition had reached within
90 miles of Santa Fe, in consequence of
which belief the advanced divisions took
with them only three days rations. Col.
Drake and Dr. Brenham were the commis
sioners accompanying the advance and
Capt. Sutton commanded the armed escort.
The remainder of the forces were left at the
Palo Duro under the command of General
McLeod, surrounded by a vast number of
Indians, who were continually harrassing
them and who iiad actually killed five of
them the day upon which “the division set
out upon its march. The advanced force
soon learned that the expedition had made a
fearful mistake in supposing the Palo Du
ra to be within 90 miles ofSanta Fe. The
advance was nearly 300 miles, and as a
consequence, the rations provided for the
troops were exhausted before they accom
plished a third of the trip to Santa Fe.—
The division then resorted to try expedients
to escape starvation. They first subsisted
upon such of the horses as had broken down
and wild berries which were occasionally
found within the prairies. When these re
sources failed, they were compelled to live
upon snakes, and frogs and other reptiles
which abound in the prairies and which
constituted their principal and at a time
their only food. After marching in this
way for two weeks or thereabouts, the di
vision arrived at Gallinas. From this
place, Van Ness,, Lewis, Howard and
Fitzgerald, accompanied by Mr. Kendall,
were sent on to Santa Fe, to hold an inter
view with the Governor, explain the pacific
objects of the expedition, obtain stores for
the troops and permission to bring the mer
candize taken out for the traders within the
province.
Twoor three hours after these gentlemen
left the camp at Gallinas, a note was re
i ccived from Captain Lewis to the effect that
the country was in amis, but that they
; would proceed on their journey to Santa
Fe. They were however, seized shortly
afterwards, (as Cap! Lewis stated) boned
and taken out to be shot, but that their lives
were spared through the intercession of a
Mexican officer, who took them to meet
| Governor Armijo. In the mean while tie
Governor had despatched a force of several
hundred men to intercept the Texians.—
The commander of’ these troops hark several
interviews with the Commissioners,and en
deavoring to get the Texians to lay down
their arms by assuring them of the friend
ly disposition of the Governor and the in
habitants. This the Texians would not do.
The Mexican officer undertook to take care
of the few remaining horses ofthe Texians,
and supply the men with food in order to al
lay all apprehensions of any hostile pur
pose. His next step was to cross the Gal
linas with his men, with the avowed object
of camping the two forces together in fur
ther proof of friendship. This he did, but
as they drew near the Texiau camp the dis
position of his lines left little doubt of his
beligerent intentions. The Texians were
immediately got under arms. About this
time also another party crossed the river,
and forming a junction with the first, fin
ished every lingering doubt of the objects
of the Mexicans, and an engagement was
on the eve of taking place when Capt. Lew
is and riie nephew and confidential secreta
ry ofthe Governor made their appearance.
When Lewis and the Governor’s nephew
came up, a parley was Lad between them
and the Texians, the troops upon both sid es
maintaining their little array. Capt. Lew
is represented the Governor as willing to
receive the Texians on condition that they
would lay down their arms in conlbrrnity
with a law of Mexico, which made it ne
cessary for any armed force entering the
province to give up their weapons before
reaching San Miguel. He then presented
himself, and the nephew and secretary of
the Governor as empowered to stipulate for
the surrender of the implements of war, and
to negotiate for the safe conduct of the
troops to the frontier after they had com
plied with this stipulation, the Governor
had empowered them to bind the authorities
to label the property ofeach individual sup
ply food for the march home, and return to
every man his property. These represen
tatives were confimed by the nephew and
secretary of Gov. Armijo, as well as by the
Mexican officers, a number of whom had
joined in the parley.
The Commissioners hesitating to con
fide in these representations, Capt. Lewis
informed him that the Governor with a well
appointed troop of 3,000 men was within 12
hours march, and if the Texians gained the
battle, they would soon be engaged with a
more formidable foe. The Commissioners
yet not satisfied, Capt. Lewis pledged his
honor to the truth of all these statements,
swearing upon his Masonic oath (both be
ing Masons) to every word of it.
Such being the circumstances of the di
vision, without food, jaded and worn out by
fatiguing marches, in front of a force of
some six hundred men and expecting the
arrival of 3,000 more, and being especially
ordered by the Texian Government to avoid
hostilities if the people wore ODposed to
them, and not apprised of the capture of
the gentlemen dispatched to Santa Fe, and
not suspecting Lewis to be a traitor, the
Texians laid down their arms upon the
terms of surrender proposed. Food was
then furnished the troops, and they were
treated with some leniency until the next
day, when the Governor arrived with about
1,500 men, a force sufficient to make him
secure in his barbarity ; we were seized
and bound six and eight together, with hair
ropes and thongs or raw hide, and put in a
filthy sheep-fold, surrounded by a large
armed guard. The Mexican officers then
excited the Poens to the highest degree of
phrenzy, by the accounts they gave of the
Texians, and we were prevented from be
ing slaughtered by being huddled together
in a small yard enclosed by a mud wall,
and defended by tho regular troops. In
this place we were ken', all night, lying in
heaps, one upon another, and suffering the
most intense agony from the closeness of the
confinement ami the pressure of flic ropes
with which we were bound, and in full
heal ing of the disputes in the council cal
led by the Governor to deliberate upon our
destiny, which decided about day-break, by
a single vote, that we should not be shot
hut marched off’for Mexico.
At sun rise we had to lake up our march
for lhe city of Mexico, about 2,000 miles
distant—the soldiers telling us that we were
going to tlm mines. Bound six and eight
j together, we were forced to travel, the three
fust days about thirty miles each, without
food and even denied the privilege ofdrink
ing when we were wading the small streams
through which we were marched. We
were stripped of hat, shoes, blankets and
coats. The Governor himselftook from me
my blanket and buffalo robe, cursing and
striking the prisoners and raving like a
madman ; because (as we heard) he wished
to have us shot but bad been over ruled in
council. I was obliged to give my shirt
in the extremity of my distress, for a loaf
of bread, and swapped a tolerable good pair
of pantaloons for a ragged pair upon recei
ving a mouthful or two to eat in exchange.
When we arrived at the Rio del Norte I
had parted with every thing but my tattered
trousers, vest and suspenders, every thing
else having been disposed of for bread or
robbed from me by the soldiers. Nor were
the other prisoners in abetter condition.—
The weather was then cold and we were
near perishing in our nakedness.
After a few days march it was found im
practicable for us to get on with any speed
bound together, in such numbers. We
were then tied two together, and to each
pair there was a rope tied about the waist,
neck or arms, and fastened to the pummel
, - r
of the saddle of the horses on which the
guard was mounted. The soldiers would
occasionally put their horses in a gallop to
torture those fastened to them, and when
ever any of’ us fell down or lagged behind,
we were dragged upon the ground and bea
ten with thongs, sticks or whatever else was
at hand.
The principal, indeed almost all the food
we received during the rout was furnished
by the women, who would follow us in large
numbers tor miles, weeping at the cruel
ties to which we were subjected. They
would not be allowed sometimes the dis
charge of their offices of charity—the sol
diers beating them off and reviling them
with obscene and abusive language. We
were marched, at times, all night and all
day, blinded by sand and parched with
thirst, till our tongues were so swollen as
almost to be incapable of speaking.
I I o
In this manner we were hurried on to the
city of Mexico, which we reached towards
the close of December. But I must here
pause, to do justice to one of the captains
of the Mexican army, who had charge of us
forabout five days of the journey, who trea
ted us with kindness, and furnished us with
money out of his own pocket. He respec
ted us as prisoners of war, and 1 lament
that I cannot recall his name. He was
the only officer who seemed to regard us
as human being during the whole of our
long march. The foreigners also in Chi
huahua and Zaccatacus, raised a contribu
tion for us, which gave us a temporary re
lief.
After we were taken prisoners; we learn- i
fid that Howland, Rossenbery, and Baker,
the guides were taken with us from Texas
and who had been sent on before the divis
ion left the I’alo Duro, had been taken and
shot—as well as an American merchant
named Rowland, who had gone their secu
rity when they were taken up, upon the in
tbrmation of one Brignole, a deserter from
the expedition. Os those transactions, how
ever, I can only speak from hearsay. A
number of other outrages were reported to
have been perpetrated upon American cit
izens—no doubt correctly reported.
When we arrived at Mexico, we were
covered with filth and vermin. We there
met an order from Santa Anna, to be
chained with heavy Iron. We were lodged
in the Convent Santiago, about two miles
from the palace ; confined in a room over
the cemetry, and the effluvia from the dead
bodies beneath was offensive in the extreme.
Upon my arrival, I wrote to our Minister
Mr. Ellis, informing him of my situation,
and of my being a citizen of the United
States, and stated the fact of my having
gone with the expedition only as a guest of
the Commissioners which circumstances
was corroborated in writing, by Messrs.
Cooke and Brenham, two oftlie commission
ers then prisoners with us.
The prisoners were upon the order of
Santa Anna, waked up and chained two
and two together and marched to the place
at midnight. When they arrived there, the
Dictator was asleep ; the prisoners were
kept in the public square for some time for
the gratification of the rabble and then
marched back, no one daring to disturb the
slumbers of the Tyrant. 1 was not, then
put in chains in consequence of my illness.
Those prisoners who were able to do so
were subsequently made to work upon the
streets of the capital.
About three weeks after we reached
Mexico, two of the prisoners made their es
cape. This incensed Santa Anna to such
a degree, that he ordered the whole of us,
the lame and sick included, to be chained
and made to work with the rest. I was
myself taken out of the bed and chained with
a heavy log chain about my uncles and made
to work in the streets. This too, after I had
been demanded as a citizen of the United
States by our Minister, Mr. Ellis; I was
kept in chains about two weeks, and ill as
I was, compelled to sleep and work in them
having thereby nearly lost my hearing,
when I was sent for by Santa Anna.
The Dictator asked mo a variety of ques
tions, about myself, my parents, the object
of the expedition and other matters. After
I was in his presence about 15 minutes, the
chains were taken off of me by a blacksmith
Santa Anna then said, that in consequence
of my youth, the capacity in which I accom
panied the expedition and my being the son
of a general, I was at liberty to go home.
During the interview Santa Anna did not
once mention the name of our Minister, Mr.
Ellis, as having demanded me, and I gath
ered from what I hoard and saw, that my
liberation could not be traced to the ener
gy of our representative in Mexico, or the
dread of the Dictator of the resentment of
my Government.
Before my release I ascertained from our
secretary of legation that Mr. Ellis had cal
led several times upon Santa Anna, but
was refused an audience. To my enquiry
if this was the manner in which the repre
sentative of the United States allowed him
self to be treated, he answered there was
no help for it. Mr. Ellis subsequently ad
dressed a note to Santa Anna, but what ef
fect it had I know not, it can be imagined
from the refusal of an audience upon three
several occasions. Whilst I was in prison
I neither saw Mr. Ellis nor received any
word of reply to my letters to him. The
secretary gave for an excuse for this negli
gence, as I deemed it, that it was not be
coming the dignity of a minister to corres
pond with a prisoner.
After my release Mr. Ellis treated me
with attention and politeness, and I have to
thank him for the loan of money to bring me
home. Whilst sick in prison Mr. Black
sent me bedding, the foreigners sent me
some necessaries, and Mr. Lumsden loaned
me some money.
Amongst the persons who accompanied
the expedition was one Mr. Faulkner, a
British subject, who joined it with Mr. Ken
dall and myself under the same circum
stances, except that he did not have a pas
port, which Mr. Kendall had procured be
fore he left New Orleans from the Mexican
consulate here. Mr. Packenham, the
British minister informed me that Mr.
Faulkner would be demanded the moment
he reached the city at whatever hour in the
night or day that event would take place.
I delivered a package to the British consul
of this city, Mr. Crawford, in which there
was a note from Mr. Packenham, stating
thatorders had been obtained for Mr. Faulk
ner’s immediate release, although he had
not reached the city of Mexico at the date
of the note.
The remainder of the Expedition, under
General McLeod, was exp-cted to arrive in
Mexico two days after I left the city. 1
heard they had suffered very much from
bad weather, ill-treatment, &c. &c.; and
that to some up their troubles, the small
pox had made its appearance amongst them
and they reported that about fifty had al
ready perished or had been left on the road,
through its ravages and the cruelty of their
captors.
1 have omitted to slate in its proper place
that on my release the Dictator ordered his
state coach to convey me in my rags to 1
look at the city, and thence in company
with General Barragan to the office of Mr.
Ellis. Several of the higher Mexican offi
cers in the city—especially Barragan—ex
pressed sympathy for me, and treated me
kindly.
My warmest gratitude is due to the A
meriean Consul at Mexico, (Mr. Black) for
his constant kindness and attention to me
while sick and in chains, as well as after
my release.
FRANKLIN COMBS.
LONG IMPRISONMENT.
The Portsmouth Journal mentions the j
I recent death in jail at that town of Daniel j
Hodgkin, after having been a prisoner, a
waiting Lis trial for murder, twenty-one
years. He was subject to fits of insanity,
and in one of them shot his employer, Mr.
John Weeks, of Greenland, Me. He was
committed to prison, and on being arraign
ed and required to plead to the indictment
answered, ‘it is true I fired the gun.’ His
appearence indicated insanity and his trial
was postponed ; as it was at every succes
sive term, until his death. He was allow
ed to be in the open air by his jailor and
was probably as comfortable and certainly
as harmless as he could have been in any
situation. The Journal adds :
“ Hodgkin believed in his pre-existence
at different ages of the world. He has al
ways confidently asserted that he worked a
hundred years with Noah on the ark, and
would give particnlar descriptions of its
structure. The roof, lie said, was curious
ly constructed of hollows and rounds, in
such a way as to be invulnerable to water.
The animals which were admitted to the
ark‘ he said, were reduced to anatomies af
ter entering, and thus completely stowed
away. He described the Deluge as a tre
mendous storm ; two drops of rain filled a
pint measure. Hodgkin also constantly
stated that he assisted in the building of
Solomon’s Temple, and always spoke with
much gratitude of the kind attention he re
ceived from King Solomon.”
A Butch Juror. —ln one of the midland
counties of Pensylvania it once chanced
that a fat and jolly Dutchman was ernpan
nelled upon a jury, which was detained un
til a late hour of the night without any
prospect of coming to an agreement upon
the case on which they were to decide.—
About eleven o’clock our friend got sleepy,
and walked quietly out of the jury room
and passed the nodding constable who guar
ded the door, and proceeded to his boarding
house and went to bed. At four in the
morning the remaining jurors came to a de
cision, and all signed the verdict in anti
cipation of a snug nap before breakfast time
but when the foreman came to count-the
names, our Dutchman was missed. A de
putation was sent in pursuit, who knowing
that he was rather of the Tom Noddy order
of individuals, proceeded immediately to
’ the place where he was sloping-, and found
him wrapped in the arms of “tried nature’s
sweet restorer.” They aroused him, and
told him that the jury were all agreed ex
cept himself, and that he must proceed
forthwith to the Court House. “Agreet,
agreet,” mumbled he, half asleep—“vy 1
has bee agreet dis six hours ; and, if all de
rest he’s agreet, tey had better go home and
go to bed.” Having said this, he turned
over and went to sleep again.
More Medical Warfare. —The Louis
ville Journal contains an account of a dis
graceful and disastrous explosion in the
Medical School in that city. It seems that
two of tho Professors, Drs. Cross and Bus*,
have for some time been upon terms not the
most friendly. Some of the students deter
mined to make the latter a present of plate:
a report went abroad that Dr. Cross had
determined to mark every student who
should have any part in the matter, and in
one ofhis lectures he denied this, and made
some very severe remarks upon the stu
dents who had started the report —declar-
ing that hecared not a fig whether Dr. Bush
of the janitor was honored by the presents
of the students. A young disciple named
Hunt conceived himself especially alluded
to in the Doctor’s remarks, and after the
lecture attacked him with a cane. He had
proceeded so far as to knock him down: the
Doctor got up, fired a pistol without effect,
was again struck, and then assailed Hunt
with a sword cane-whereuponone of Hunt’s
friends interferred and stopped the fight. —
Dr. Cross then refused to lecture till Hunt
should be dismissed accordingly. All
which proceedings of course tend greatly
to the advancement of medical science.
CURIOUS CASE.
A man named Cummins, was convicted
of larceny in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, and
sentenced to the Penitentiary for one year.
By a mistake of the Clerk, a record was
forwarded to the prison, by which it was
certified that he was sentenced for the term
of three. When the year was out, the
Warden could not release him, because he
could not go behind the record, and the Go
vernor could not pardon him, because there
was no crime to pardon. The prisoner re
mained nearly three months hetbre the a
mended record was forwarded. lie at
tempted to gain rcdr&ee hy instituting suit
against the clerk and failed. Asa last re
sort he has presented his petition to the Le
gislature asking compensation tor the extra
three month's labor at the rate of one dol
lar a day. Buffalo Com.
MURDER IN THE I LULLS OF LE
GISLATION.
A slip from the Southport Telegraph,
Wisconsin, furnishes the particulars of a
horrible tragedy which occurred a few
days since in the Council Chamber at Wis
consin. It says :
“The Hon. Charles C. P Arndt, mem
ber of the Council from Brown county, win?
shot dead in the council chamber, Uy. James
It. Vinyard, member from Grant county.
The affair grew out of a nomination for
sheriff of Grant county. Mr. E.S. Baker
was nominated, and supported by Mr.
Arndt. This nomination was opposed by
Vinyard, who wanted the appointment to
vest in his own brother. In the course of
debate, the deceased made some statements,
which Vinyard pronounced false, and made
use of violent and insulting language, deal
ing largely in personalities, to which Mr.
Arndt made no reply. After the adjourn
ment, Mr. Arndt stepped up to Vinyard,
and requested him to retract, which he re
fused to do, repeating the offensive words.
Mr. Arndt then made a blow at Vinyard,
who stepped hack a pace, drew a pistol,
and shot him dead. The issue appears to
have been provoked on the part of Vinyard,
who was determined at all hazards, to de
feat the appointment of Baker, and who,
! himself defeated, turned his ire and revenge
upon the unfortunate Arndt.
Coming it Strong. —A planter brought a
lot ofcotton to market, not an hundred miles
from this place, and offered it lor sale ; but
could only obtain 2J cents per hundred
round for the parcel. It was sold and drove
off to the warehouse, and regularly receipt
ed. In the meantime, the purchasers had
by some means, found out that the bales
werefalsed packed.
An arbitration was agreed to by the par
ties, and three disinterested person, unac
quainted with the sale made, were nomina
ted to value the cotton,and say what the
difference should he between the good part
and the inferior or false packed portion.—
They declared a difference of at least 4j|
cents.
Now as the planter was only to get 21
cents round for his cotton, he fell in debt
about $ of a cent per hundred.
We believe, however, that matters were
amicably arranged, between the seller and
purchasers but it is nevertheless a good joke
j and should remind this planter hereafter
I not to false pack, or if he does mix, to in
j form the buyer before he offers it for sale.
| —Hamburg Journal.
What is most conducive to Man’s happiness.
It is said that the Persians, in their an
cient constitutions, had public schools, in
which virtue was taught as a liberal art or
science ; and it is certainly of more conse
quence to a man that he has learnt to gov
ern his passions in spite of temptations, to
be just in his dealings, to be temperate in
his pleasures, to support himself with forti
tude under his misfortunes, to behave with
prudence in all his affairs, and in every cir
cumstance of his life. I say it is of much
more real advantage to him to he thus
qualified, than to be a master of all the arts
and sciences in the world besides.
Franklin.
! The Haverhill Petition for Dissolving the
j Union. —The Haverhill Gazette says
“ It is said that the petition is a literal copv
j of one of those sent from the South during
I the days of Nullification
