Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1849-12-08
From the New York Sunday Tines.
THE DUEL IN THE DARK.
Il TrsEe Incident zee the .1nIIaIs Of
T'ickSburg.

sissippi within the last twenty-five years must
remember Vickshurg. so singular in its sua-
lion for a town, on the shelving decliviiy OF high,
rolling hills, with its houses scattered in groups
on the terraces. Every reader Of American
newspapers during any one Of the last twenty.
/ five years must remember Vicksburg, so rich
has been the fund Of material il has supplied for
the circulating Libraries Of 'horrible murders,
duels, ARRAYS and executions, by all sorts OF "sum-
mary process" The public will not likely soon
forget the hanging of the gamblers and steam
doctors. In fine, everybody knows that The
place has been noted, since its earliest settle,
menl for the beigerent character Of its nhabi-
tans, and the number and alrocily OF the violent
deeds which may be asserted, with literal truth,
to have stained its every street with the blood OF
| human hearts.
1t is not our present purpose, however. 10
sketch any Of these more celebrated brute bat.
ties, that prove nothing beyond the wilfll wicked
ness of the respective combatants. But we will
select for the sake Of its mournul moral alone,
a solitary tragedy, which was briefly chrGnicled
| by the press Of the day, and then faded from the
recollection Of all, save one, from whom the wri
ter received the story in all its paniculary.-
She, of course, could never forget. The wife
of the murdered hero wept at the sad remois
cence twenty years after the date Of the catastro
phe.
In the year 1927, young lawyer (whom we
shall call John Thomas, to avoid harrowioglhe
memory Of some relative or friend who might
chance TO SIX m over these colnmns,) emigrated
from Worcester in Massachusetts,, to Mississippi
| 10 Wo nj cd n bno nj
accomplished woman. who had renounced veal.
thy parents for his sake, and hence was anxious
TO better his fortune in as little time as possible.
| This consideration determined the legal adven.
urer to locate at Vicksburg then considered
through the West as the paradise Of the bar.
| In very short time the new lawyer had am
pie reasons to congratulate himself on the choice
of his position. His bland demeanor, studous
habits, and more than ALL his eloquence in de-
bate, won him patronage; and he rose, almost at
a single hound TO the first place in his profession
lie was employed in all the land suits, and in
most of the still more numerous and equally In
crative cases of homicide, so that, in the brief
space of two years after his advent, he had clear
ed the round sum OF $4,000. Let no skeptical
disciple of Lord Coke deem this statement in
credible. S. S. Prentss now of New Orleans,
realized, cash in hand, $4,000 by his opening
speech at Vcksburg.
During his career thus far young Thomas was
remarkable in one respect. He never went arm.
ed and although in the fierce and fiery alterca.
tons of the forum, he necessarily made some en-
emies, no attack had hitherto been ,entured on
his person. The athleticism of his noble form,
ard the look of invincible determination in his
keen blue eyes, had doubtless warned the des
peradoes that '"he Yankee orator." as he was
generally termed, could bit as hard blows in the
court yard as he did in the court itself. Howev.
er this may be- two years elapsed, years too of
eminent su cess, before the peaceabe attorney
was even insued. Alas this Ilalcyon period
was doomed to change alike sudden and terri.
lie.
There resided at that time in The town a no.
torious duelst by the name Of johnson, whose
machess prowess inspired universal fear. lie
had slain half dozen foes on the public "field
Of honor, and as many in private and irregular
encounters. All the members Of "the bloody
fancy club" spoke of Mike Johnson's feais with
raptuous enthusiasm. But all good men, all
lovers of peace, when the "brave wretch" pas
ed turned pale and were silent.
A, the May term of the District Court, 1920,
the grand jury, mastering extraordinary courage,
returned a true bill against Johnson for the muir,
der of William Lee, an inofiensive youth, whom
he had shot down in drunken iroic under cir.
cumslances of peculiar aggravaton. Thomas
was retained by friend Of the deceased to aid
| in the prosecution, and Notwithstanding the ear.
nest advice of his well wishcrs TO the contrary,
| appeared on the trial of the cause--one of the
most exciting ever argued at the bar OF Vicksburg.
| On the last evening OF the session, after adj
TORMENT, Thomas rushed into the presence Of
! his wife, with looks Of such evident agitation as
| TO fill her soul with empowering alarm.
"My love, tell me, in the name Of heaven,
what has happened :" she cried, pale as corpse
and shaking like leaf in the wind
"Nothing, answered" the husband, thinking to
conceal the most fearful part Of the intelligence.
"Nothing, only the murderer, Mike johnson, af
ter his acquiltal grossly insulted me in the court
yard, and knocked him down."
"And be challenged you to fight him with pis
tolls r. almost shrieked the wife, anticipating
the rest with the quiekness of womans keen
common sense.
1t is even So" replied the lawyer, mourhfully.
"Oh say that you will not meet him. Oh !
swear that you will moi turn dueilis in this Sod
ON Of the South" implored the wife, throwing
her arms around his neck, and sobbing like
| child on his bosom.
"There, do not weep now. will not turn du
sllist, dear Emma, although much fear that the
consequence will be my ruin"
"God will protect you from the bold bad man."
The next morning it was known in Vicksburg
that "the Yankee orator" had been challenged
and refused to fight. Accordingly, he was gen.
erlly denounced as a coward-a word which
al that day, and even now, might be considered
as expressing far deeper scOrn than either rObber
or assassin. As he passed through the streets,
be was aslonIshed to witness the GOODNESS man.
Tested by his old acquaintances, and even pro.
tessed friends, while the great mas Of the peo-
pie seemed to regard him with ineffabe contempt.
"Yankee whits.liver,D boaster," "poItIoon,
were the sounds most frequently ung in his ears