Lafayette Daily Courier
Monday, November 21, 1859
OLD SETTLERS
"On my first visit to Williamsport, the county seat of Warren County, I
stopped with WILLIAM SEARCH who kept a boarding house on Main street,
near where the Warren Republican (an excellent newspaper) is now printed
and published.
JAMES CUNNINGHAM, the Clerk and Recorder of the County, boarded and kept
his office in SEARCH's house, and as the most of his time was occupied
in building a couple of flat boats to carry corn to the New Orleans
market the next spring, he employed me to write in his office of nights,
and on Saturdays, which would not interfere with my school hours.
The town then consisted of five families viz: WILLIAM HARRISON, the
proprietor of the village, who kept the ferry, and a little tavern and
grocery at the foot of Main street, DOCTOR JAMES H. BUEL, ULLERY, SEARCH
and a man called WILDCAT WILSON. Two only (HARRISON and WILSON) of the
families above named, had children large enough to go to school. The
rest of my patrons lived in the country some two or three miles from
town, and consisted of JOHN SEMANS, Sheriff of the county, WESLEY CLARK,
ROBB, HICKENBOTHAM, and one or two more.
At this time, Warren county was but thinly settled. PERRIN KENT, County
Surveyor, TILLOTSON, CLINTON, and few other families, lived down towards
Baltimore and Mound Prairie.
On Redwood, and sprinkled through the woods and on the edge of the Grand
Prairie, lived JOHN B. KING, SHANKLIN, HALL, JAMESON, BUTTERFIELD,
PURVIANCE, and a few others. On Kickapoo, a small stream lying north of
Big Pine Creek, was a settlement composed of BOGGS, ENOCH FARMER, SAMUEL
ENSLEY, JOHN and JOSEPH COX, SEAVERS, the widow MICKLE, McMAHAN, the
widow COX, HOLLINGSWORTH, SOLOMON MUNROE, ISAAC WAYMIRE and ZACHARIAH
CICOT, a French and Indian trader who was born on the place where he
lived (near where the town of Independence now stands) more than forty
years before the organization of Warren county.
It was at this place--Cicot's landing--in the spring of 1829, if my
memory serves me correctly, that DOCTOR SIMON YANDES and two other men
attempted to cross the Wabash river in a canoe and were thrown out in
the middle of the river, and the DOCTOR and one other were drowned, the
third with difficulty made the shore and escaped a watery grave.
Up Pine Creek, in the Rainsville neighborhood, lived JAMES GOODEN and
BENJAMIN CROW, County Commissioners, WILLIAM and JONATHAN ROADS, DICKSON
COBB, RIDINOUR, SEYMOUR ROADS, WILLIAM RAILSBACK, MEDSKER, ESQ.. KEARNS,
McCORDS, and a few others. Above CICOT's was JUDGE SAML B. CLARK,
FENTON, MAGEE, EDWARD MACE (father of the Hon. DAN MACE), JERRY DAVIS,
JOHN and GABRIEL REED, THOMAS JOHNSON, DAWSONS, ORRIN MUNSON, SINO
MUNSON, JAMES STEWART, MOORES, BOWYER and JOHN STEVENSON, alias "JACK
STINSON," who in his earlier and palmier days taught school in the REED
and DAVIS neighborhood and perpetuated none of the eccentricities which
filled up the last twenty years of his life.
While "Jack" is on the topic-the notorious "Philosopher of the
Nineteenth Century," as he styled himself, with whom the most of my
readers have long been acquainted, I will relate a novel triumph
achieved by the "Philosopher" during a term of the Circuit Court held at
Williamsport many years since.
During the early times in this country, before books and newspapers
became plenty, some of the members of the legal profession, including
Sheriffs, Bailiffs, &c. would occasionally engage in the very
reprehensible practice of playing cards, and sometimes drink a little
too much whiskey.
During a term of the Court, Jack found out where these genteel sportsmen
met of evenings to peruse the history of the Four Kings, as they termed
it. He went to the door and knocked for admission. To the question who
is there? he answered "Jack." The insiders hesitated--he knocked and
thumped importunately--at length a voice from within said, "Go away
Jack, we have already four Jacks in our game, and we will not consent to
have a 'cold one' wrung in on us."
Indignant at this rebuff from gentlemen from who he had expected kinder
treatment, he wheeled off from the door muttering vengeance, which
excited no alarm in the minds of the players.
At first he started up towards the falls to walk off his passion, if
possible, but the further he went, the madder he got. He finally
concluded he would not "pass" while he held or might hold so many trumps
in his hands; but would return and "play a strong hand" with them.
He gathered his arms full of stones, a little larger than David gathered
out of the brook to throw at Goliath, and when he got near enough he
showered a volley of them through the window into the room where they
were playing--extinguishing their lights, the first platoon, and routing
the whole band with the utmost trepidation into the street in search of
their furious assailant. Jack stood his ground, and told them that was
a mere foretaste of what they might expect if they molested him in the
least.
Next day the pugnacious Jack was arrested to answer an indictment for
malicious mischief, and failing to give bail, was lodged in jail. His
prosecutors laughed through the grates of the prison as they passed.
Meanwhile Jack "nursed his wrath to keep it warm," and indicted a speech
in his own defense. In due time he was taken before the court--the
indictment read, and he was asked what he plead to the indictment. "Not
guilty," he answered, in a deep, earnest tone. "Have you counsel
engaged o defend you? Mr. S." enquired the Judge. No, please your
Honor, I desire none; with your permission I will speak for myself.
Very well, said the Judge. A titter ran through the crowd.
After the Prosecuting Attorney had gone through with the evidence and
his opening remarks in the case, the prisoner arose and said: "It is a
lamentable fact, well known to the Court and Jury, and to all who hear
me, that our County sear has for many years been infested and disgraced
(especially during Court time), with a knot of drunken, carousing
gambler, whose bacchanalian revels and midnight orgies, disturb the
quiet, and pollute the morals of our town. Shall these Nuisances longer
remain in our midst, to debauch society, and lead our young men to
destruction? Fully impressed with a sense of their terpitude and my
duty as a good citizen of the community in which I live, I resolved to
abate the Nuisance which according to the doctrine of common law, with
which your Honor is familiar, I, or any other citizen, had a right to
do. I have often listened with pleasure to the charges your Honor gave
the Grand Jury, to ferret out crime and all manner of gaming in our
community. I saw I had it in my power to ferret out these fellows with
a volley of stones and save the county the cost of finding and trying a
half dozen indictments. Judge--I did able the Nuisance--and consider it
one of the most meritorious acts of my life."
The prosecutor made no reply. The judge and lawyers looked at each
other with a significant glance. A "nolle prosequi" was entered, Jack
was acquitted, and was ever afterwards considered a trump. INCOG