The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1847-09-09


We knew him in other days He was
no ordinary man. Ills mind was unusual
~ clear nnd strong, and, had no adverse
circumstances occurred, he would have
hcen an orniment 10 society, and an hon
or to the nation.
But II was in private life he chlrmed.
So simple, SO kind. so true! We never
knew a more generous man; he was Who'll
y dis:nterested, and knew how TO sacrifice
self with grace which won him the ov,
OF friends, aud the respect Of ucluain,an.
ces.
In an evil hour he was tempted, acting
upon false notions OF honor, To peril his
life, and The life Of another. Ills aniago.
mist fell. From that hour he was an alter.
ed man; he knew no peace; aud TO drown
the bitter thought, that he was murder
er, he sullicd his soul still deeper in crime
by drinking TO excess! And in carly lie
no was taken from US, dcbascd and self
blighted man!
Yet how like him was the las, act OF his
life. This little paragraph below. insert.
ed in newspapers without comment, and
glanced at by the reader. possibly wlhou,
thought, tells al once, the rcc,,ude of his
intentions, nnd his own estimation oil the
depth of MS crime.
George {. Dfomgnolc, in his will, gave
all his property TO The children If the IN
dividual who fell by his hand in duel
Ii mas f4lic 10 our lot, in days when W
thought dnelling no sin, II We could b.
said 10 have thought about il nj all, to
meet with many, 10 know well some, " hu
had killed their men. We never kn u
one WHO lived in peace after The mutdrr;
we knew only two who survive, and the,
are sois.
The first time We were called upon t.
witness duel was in Augusta. Georgia.
in 1922. We were just entering man
hood. The parties were from our native
State. We knew them Lo,n we'll The,
wcrc stationed n their places, ard al tn,
word IRE, the elder of the Two. man al
promise and place, fcl! dead. We SAN
him, saw lbs brother who ,zrd wildly ii.
10 his pale tce. just now so full at e., SAN
friends as they inrrcdl. took mp his bod,
aud bore him onward To his hoinc. Aua
we saw afterwards the grs,y-halred fthel
as he ben, over that body, ho, tears falling
down his cheeks, fall as one struck with
palsy, fur his prop, the boy oil his hopes.
was taken away, aud there was no longer
happiness Tor hun on earth!
Bat the survivor! Bus ness relations
brought us together; we were his attorney ;
and we had To see him al his home, and
our house. In company, we saw no change
in him; he was ligh,-hcarlcd. aim ISL ffol.
icso,nc III his gaIety. lie never spoke %:
The murder; by an nntlered, but well TN.
d'rs,ood compact, tand how terribly did
this describe The deed. none ever referred
10 il. But soon we learned tia, lie nc,c,
slept without light in his room. Soon
after We found that he WIS list becoming
a drunkard, aud scarce three years had
passed since the duel ere Ia was stricken
down ia early manhood, aud lad near his
aniagpn 81 ~ Tie earth.
Bur III death. we were prcscn, a, il.
and never may VIC witness such another !.
That suhecI-so tong kept seaied up hy
himseli->o lon5 ua;onchcd b, iainly ui
friend-ll,e murder OF his school compln-
ion and neigabor, WIS II last broken b,
himself. Il could ao, help IL said lie. a.
his eyes .larcd upon us, and his breathing
became painful t,oiu lis quick aud audible
action. We knew 10 what he referred;
aud cndcayorcd TO direct his thoughts in,c
other channels. In vain. Il could no,
help il; twas forced into il: could help
itr And all this was, in ducllia. sense.
true. lie had every excuse a man could
have 10 fight; but when SO assured, he ox-
claimed wildly. III will not do murder
cd him see him now have seen him
- he lay dead in the field, ever since
slew him. My God! My Cod! And
muttering these, and like sentences, with
a shrek, such as never heard mortal III
tor, he died!
Another instance. A young Scotch
man came 10 Charleston, $. O.. and settled
there. lie gave offence 10 noted duel
list, and was challenged; fought, and kill
ed him. lie removed afterwards 10 New
Orleans; was engaged in successful bust
ness, aud was regarded tie mcrrcsi fellow
about. His intimate friends though, the
murder had made no impression upon him
not one Of his relatives believed he cared
anything about il.
In 1884 or 30, he was engaged in large
cotton speculalions. News Of rise ia
prices reached New Orleans, soon after he
had shipped large number of bales to
New York. If he could sell, or make
some particular arrangement, he could re-
alixe fortune. Blu, il was necessary TO
70 to New York. lie jumped on board a
steamer, went to Montgomery, Alabama.
and pushed rapidly on by land for Wash
ing,on city. Over excitement, brought, on
fever, and be was obliged TO stop in the
interior oil South Carolina.