But to return to the negro.  I told him that his intelligence startled me.  He assured me, that while with him I was not in danger; that, to tell the truth, where we then were was not a very bad tract of country.  For, said he, the brethren of Arkansas and Mississippi are not “clear grit.”  That a few weeks preceding, a man by the name of Jeffries, who had passed counterfeit money, they permitted to be taken and put to death.  He had, it seems, got off about one thousand dollars of the spurious money on some river boatmen and traders; who returned when they found the money was bad, pursued the counterfeiter to an island on the river; where, after having stripped him naked and tied him to a tree, they beat him to death!  It was true this man was not a member of the secret fraternity; but he would have been had his life been spared.

At this point of my conversation with the negro, I discovered the steamboat HURON near by, so I shook hands with him and left him.  Rejoicing that a boat had at last come along, I was soon on board her, bound for Louisville.  We “wooded” some thirty miles distant from Montgomery’s Point, and at the wood-yard, I overheard one of the workmen telling about the skeleton of a man which had been found on an island near by; that it was tied to a tree, and that it was the remains of a man who had been whipped to death for passing counterfeit money.  The woodman added, that the poor victim’s watch and clothes were found hanging near his skeleton.  This story confirmed the statement of the dumb negro on this point, and gave me confidence in all he had told me.

CHAPTER XV.

In the first chapter of this work, I have spoken of various attacks upon my character; but not knowing from what motives they originated, I paid no attention to them, nor should I to the one I shall here attempt the exposition of, had it not been to satisfy the public that it was made through a motive which I have every reason to believe a sinister one.  I will not offer through any remark intentionally to say such is the fact, in relation to the intention of my imprudent opposer in my lone work of mercy, for of the motives of a man no other man can judge; but will lay our correspondence before the public, that they may examine and judge for themselves.

No. 1. 
    State Prison, Auburn, April 7, 1845.

To the Editor of the Tribune:

We have had a recent visit from Mr. J. H. Green, the “Reformed Gambler,” of whom you have previously spoken favourably in the editorial department of your paper.  Many are highly pleased with the man, and think he should be sustained by public patronage and the press, inasmuch as he comes with good credentials of moral and Christian character from the church.  Many think his course calculated to do much good, for this and coming generations.  He appears admirably calculated and accomplished for exposing the deceptive marks and tricks of this heartless race of land-pirates, called Gamblers, alias “Sportsmen.”  His description of their infernal conduct and character cannot fail to put men on their guard in season to shun them as they would a deadly pestilence that walketh in darkness, and destruction that wasteth at noonday.