I just started reading a true-crime book called Moonlight, by the historian John Evangelist Walsh. It is about a notorious 1857 murder case which took place in Illinois. The defendant's lawyer, a young fellow named Abraham Lincoln, won a spectacular "Perry Mason" victory. (This case, highly fictionalized, is a highlight of John Ford's film Young Mr. Lincoln.)
One thing that interested me was that the murder weapon was "a certain hard metallic substance commonly called a slung-shot (a lead ball encased in leather with a cord attached for swinging.)" It also turns out that Lincoln, as a young man, was an enthusiastic belt-wrestler. One of the decisive moments in Lincoln's early career came when he defeated Jack Armstrong, the champion of New Salem. The match got a bit rough towards the end, with both men resorting to foul tactics. The crowd, fearing for the safety of their local hero, threatened to riot. All turned out well in the end, however. Lincoln managed to stare down the crowd. Armstrong was so impressed by Lincoln's stamina and courage that the two men became lifelong friends. The rough-hewn folks of New Salem formed the core of Lincoln's Illinois constituency.
Incredibly cool stuff; and I'm only on chapter two. I'm from ILL originally. There are many stories of Lincoln, but I didn't know about his wrestling. In England the policeman’s truncheon became known as a ‘life-preserver’ but in fact before that people carried a ‘self-defence’ weapon which was nicknamed the ‘life-preserver’. This consisted of a small (possibly lead) ball attached by cord/chain to a short stick. It was like a miniature mace which was small enough to be carried inside a coat pocket and was intended for use against footpads and suchlike. I wonder if this was similar/identical to the slung-shot?
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