The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-06-06
MISC ELI A ~ e 0 U S
From the Sanday Tunes.
J A M Z > B d w 1 L.
THE NAPOLEON OF DUELLISTs.

the eminent he0-Phifdn'hrop1c preacher
of Boston visited Europe. having letter
of introduction for that purpose, he called
or Thomas CARLYLE. The English sok-
taire piled the American with innumerable
questions relating TO our customs and hab-
/ lis of social existence on this side OF the
great water, but manifested the keerest
curiosity concerning the people of the
backwoods. Parker drew for the others s
amusement vivid sketch of the achIey-
ments of Bowie, the famous arch-duellist
of Texas. Carlyle listened with sparkling
eyes till the close of the narrative, and then
burst into EXPLANATIONS of involuntary en-
ihusasm.
"By Hercules! that man was greater
than Cesar or Cromwell-nay, nearly
equal to Odin or Thor. The Texans ought
] TO build him an altar"
The burning sympathiser with the he
roic.in all lis phrases, rubbed his hands to-
gether, chuckling in an ecstacy OF savage
Slee, and made Parker repeat the story of
bloody .anecdotes. Finally he put the
question::
.But by what miracle could it happen
that the brave fellow escaped the capital
penalty of the law after such countless Vi
Olations?"
To this interrogatory Parker, as he him
self confessed. could return no satisfactory
answer; and as ten thousand readers have
perhaps pondered the same problem with
our receiving rational solution, II may
q not be embarrassing TO explain II briefly,
especially as clear elucidation can be de-
d tailed in few words.
Let it be remembered then, that al
~ ,ba Df .ly yV
B that "peIfection of human reason" for the
Anglo Saxon race, prevails throughout all
the states of the west, wholly as 10 It's
definition of crimes, and partially as 10 the
mode and measure of punishment annexed
10 each, nevertheless III its practical appli-
cation 10 given cases II is controlled by
4 the power Of far mightier law-;he om-
nipotent law of public opinion; because IN
most western courts jurles are absolute
Judges of both the law and the fact, and
their interpretations often evince direct
antagonsm with the dicfa of my Lord
Coke and the classic comments OF Black
stone.
On the subject of homicide in particular
public opinion has passed the bounds oil
all books of Jurisprudence, and settled as
an immutable statute, this extraordinary
axiom:
at is iustifiable to kill in fair combat
everybody and everything who ought TO
be killed!''
In Bowie's numerous rencontres he al
ways kept within the prescribed limits OF
this latitudnarian rule, and hence he was
always acquitted by frontier juries, and
frequently with addenda TO their verdicts
highly complimentary 10 his character as
chivarous gentleman. In truth most oi
his desperate engagements grew out of his
innate and invincible disposition to es-
pouse the cause of the weak against the
mighty. One illustration by incident vii
present this peculiarity in the strongest
light, and may, besides, reveal a thorough
knowledge of the heart and soul of the
man.
On the evening of the fourth of June
1895, the steamboat "Rob Roy" started
from ST. Louis to New Orleans with full
crowd of passengers. Immediately aftei
getting under good head way TO adop
favorite backwoods phrase, one person
attracted universal attention by the annoy
ing eagerness with which he endeavoreo
TO make up party at cards. indeed HI:
Of. repeated and perseverlng efforts TO tha
end soon became insulting and unendura-
bic; and yet his appearance was such as
10 deter the bravest on board from admin
i.ierng the chastisement which he SO rich
ly deserved. He was huge mass oi
mighty bone and muscles, with swarthy
features, bearing the impress of many a
scar; piercing dark eyes, that seemed to
possess the the power of blasting the be
holder--cold-gleaming eyes, such as haunt
the memory painfully, rank luxurance
Of coal black hair, immense whiskers and
noustache. This savage looking figure
was habited in the coslliest clothing, and
adorned with aprofusion of jewelry, while
the outlines of several murderous weapons
we're plainly distngulshable beneath his
gaudy vest and superfne coat Nor did
he need these to render him an oiect OF
terror. A connoisseur in the science of
6llgeren. gymnastics, would have conf
denlially pronounced him match for any
i've men on deck, without any aid from
lead or cold STEEL
AT length, after many failures, ne pre-
vailed on wealthy young merchant oi
SSa'chez to join him at game of poker.
'hey sa. down beside small table near