The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-07-05
From the Maysv:lle Eagle.
Particulars of the CaSSuS NJ. CLAY Difficulty.

We expected to receive in the Rich
mond Chronicle of Thursday. full ac-
count of the fatal rencontre between Cas-
sius NJ. Clay and Cyrus Turner in Madi.
son county, on Friday of last week. The
Chronicle, however gives none of the par
ticulars, but merely mentions the affair
and adds, that Turner died on Sunday
morning last, living about 81 hours after
receiving the wound. Capt. Clay is still
in critical condition, but the better opin-
ion seems to be that he will recover.
We learn the following from gentle
man who was on the ground.
'sThere are three Pro-Slavery candi-
dates for the Convention from Madison,
Messrs Willis and Chenault and Major
Squire Turner, father of Cyrus Turner
and but one emancipation candidate, Ma
| jor Burnam. At regimental muster at
Walden's on Thursday of last week, the
candidates spoke, Willis and Chenault
leading. Major Turner, (although he had
promised Cassius M. Clay the stand be-
fore hm) alleging that Clay was not a
candidate and the crowd was fast Gisper-
! sing-made long speech. Clay then
took the stand, and bore more heavily in
his remarks upon Turner than upon either
! of the other two candidates, and it was
now evident for the first time there was
some unpleasant feeling between them.
On the next day, Friday, another dis
cusson took place at regimental muster
next. When Turner had spoke about an
hour, Clay appealed to him to give Major
Bunham an opportunity of defending the
Emancipationists and their views; and
Turner refused, and spoke half an hour
longer in severe strain, during which he
read from the True American newspaper
portion of the article that caused the
Lexington mob and the removal Of the
True American office to CINCINNATI. CLAY
now appealed to the people to say wheth-
er 1t was fair that this article should be
read unless accompanied by the statement
so often made by Major Turner, that the
article in question was written by South
| Carolina planter, many of his friends
believed, for the express purpose of break
ing down his press,) and sent to his Office
and printed while he was lying sick of
| the TYPHOID fever. The article, he said,
was as repulsive to his feelings and views
as it was to Major Turner's or any other
IL
to bed of sickness it should never have
appeared in his paper. Mr., William L.
Neale, the printer Of the True American,
was on the ground, and would confirm the
statement.
Maj. Turner continued his speech, af-
Ter this interruption, and when he conclu-
ded, G.. NJ. Clay took the stand for the
purpose of making a kind of apology to
the people for the Interruptions he had
caused. He again stated that he thought
each party were entitled to be heard, and
that each should be allowed fair division
of the time. That the friends Of right
and Justice by such a course had nothing
to lose; for if the Emancipationists held
incendiary notions, and advocated princi-
pies opposed to the best interests of the
country, the people would judge of them
correctly and put them down, while if their
principles were founded in right and JUS
tice, it was certainly not wrong that they
should be known in order that they may
be upheld and supported. After making
his explanation, which did not occupy
more than two minutes, he was leaving the
stand, when Maj. Runyon, a lawyer of
Richmond, at a considerable distance off.
piled him with questions, and Clay, with
the consent of Chenault, who claimed the
stump, endeavored to answer him. Some
misunderstanding occurred in reference to
the disposition made Of the School Fund,
in which Runyon pronounced statement
made by Clay false and untrue. Clay
referred TO an act of the Legislature in
proof of his assertion, and finally told
Runyon, who had interrupted him before,
that he was a mere tool of Turner, and
was obeying his master. Clay descended
from the stand in perfect good humor, and
wilhou; ex xpecting difficulty with any one,
when Maj. Turner remarked that "Run-
yon was not his tool.' Clay re piled that
whether Turner knew it Or not he was
evidently his willing tool. Upon this,
Cyrus Turner, the son of the candidate,
stepped up to Clay, and pronounced his
statement id lie, and struck him in
the face. CLAY was soon stabbed by some
one behind him, beat over the head with a
stick by Alfred Turner and perhaps others
and a revolving pistol was snapped four
times at his head, burstinga cap each time,
by Thomas Turner. He did not draw his
knife nor shake off the hold of those who
were clinging to him, until he perceived
the blood spouting forth from his side and
believed from the wound he must die.
With super-human effort he shook off
those who held him, encountered Cyrus
Turner and stabbed him.
The wound took effect in the lower part
of his abdomen. resulting in his death in
thirty-four hours.