Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1849-11-16
j q III N WI Il N II II n e:
THE FIGHTING DOCTOR. s

JOHH WI FEE:
4 THE FIGHTING DOCTOR. bot.
The hero of the following short sketch
was a native of Kentucky. His father
was farmer in moderate circumstances,
Living few miles from Louisville, who
managed by great labor and scrupulous
economy to give his fayorite and firstbora
son an excellent education, embracing
the degree. of doctor OF incidence
Young Menefee was remarkable from
The earliest period of his intellectual de.
velopment for an intense and burning
ambition, such as could brook no rival
IN whatever he undertook, while the glo-
rious gifts OF a magnificent brain and
mighty constitution seemed to furnish the
surest guarantees for the ultimate reality
of his every hope. BY prodisious ex.
ertions day and night. he stood foremost
in all his classes at college, and graduated
with an eclat that obscured the famefof
all competitors; SO that had the rising
star of his genius met with no adverse
shock to hurl it away from its appropri-
ate and radiant orbit, imagination can
scarcely assign limit to tn, splenLoran
might have attained. Bat, untoftanaiely,
hostile collision, occurred, at the very
COMMENCEMENT OF his career, to arouse
the sleeping volcano If his darkest. pas
sions, and projeft the course of his am
btlon at a. dangerous tangent from the
circle OF a peaceful life. ,ta ~ ...f-..z .o
He had yopng aud beautiful sister,
who was seduced and betrayed by a
fashionable william of louisville, one
James Murray, and universally regarded
as The most desperately brave duelist that
kentucky-the land SO rrodigal of he
roes-eyer produced. .:t,. rs.
While the father and mother Of the
rained girl were Weeping tears Of des-
pair, John, then only twenty years Of
age, armed himself and proceeded in
search Of his enemy. He found him in
the court house, Immediately after an ad.
journment, and, without utteripg word,
attacked and belabored him dreadiully
with cowhide. Murray, on his part,
fought like a fiend, but in vain; for the
fiery desperation Of fierce and coneea-
trated wrath appeared to have given young
Menefee the strength of dozen men,
lie blinded his antagonist with quick and
countless blows, dashed from his hand
every pistol the other succeeded in draw
! ing from his pocket, and lagellated him
till he was literally covered with blood.
A challenge was the consequence.
Menefee accepted on these condition.
That the meeting should take place at
! certain spot the ensuing morning directly
after sunrise. Three pistols were to be
loaded-each foe shouldtake one and fire
1 by turns at mark ten PAGES distant.
Whoever hit nearest the centre should
then have the remaining pistol, and shoot
at his adversary's. head. If he. missed,
\ the other should be entitled to shot, and
SO on by alienation till one of them
! should fall dead! These ferocious terms
were mutually settled, and the principals
and seconds metaccordingly on the banks
of the Ohio river six miles below the fills.
The seconds measured off ten PAGES,
and then made black spot with moisten-
ed gunpowder, about as high as a mans
heart, on a slender oak tree. They then
loaded the three pistols. handed one to
each principal, and retained The third to
be given to the successful marlsman.
/ The antagonists then cut a pack Of cards
for The first shot. Murray drew the queen
! of diamonds, Menefee the ace of spades,
and so won the first fire. Heimmediate-
| ly took his stand, turning his. right side
TO the tree, let the hand which grasped
the weapon, now below his knee, fixed
his flashing blue eye steadily a moment
on the mark. and then swift as thought,
raisedand pulledtrigger. Unfortunately,
the pistol ''hung fire, "as it is called in the
i backwoods-that is, the fash in the pan
was seen first, and then the explosion of
the load in the barrel, sounding long, like
a double repoa. Under such icirculn-
stances most persons would have missed
the tree; but asst was, Menefee's bullet
barely cut thenpper edge OF the mark.
An excellent .shot. so5 #eE '9l
Murray now took his position. He
was a famous level shooter, having pre-
viously slain three men in as many duels,.
sending his ball directly through the
brains. He raised slowly, poised a de-.
liberate aim, stood several seconds mo-
tionless as the tree at which the mpzzle
of his pistol was pointed, and fred
The crack was short and sharp as the
peal Of bell; and and when the blue
wreaths Of curling smoke cleared away,
the black spot on the oak was not to be
| seen-the white bullet-hole bored into
splintered wood occupied its place.
| The seconds then gave Murray the
third pistol, and he stationed himself ten
steps from his unarmed adversary, who,
| in the meanwhile, seemed calm and fear,