Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-08-16
Fatal Rene0unter.

A personal rencounter occurred few miles south
of this place, on the night of the 18th inst. be
tween Thomas Gewin and James McCoum and
some others, whose names are not known with Ger.
tainty, which resulted in the death of both the
above named gentlemen. We give below. sub
stantialy the facts of this melancholy occurrence
well We have been able to collect them from
the various rumors ahoat and the contradictor,
statements made in respect to it.
Gewin and McCollum lived close neiobbors and
feud has existed for some time between their fami
lies and some difficulty occurred during the day
between their wives, when McCollum happening tc
come up, very improperly as we conceive assaulted
Mrs. Gewin with large stick, breaking her arm
and nf1icting other serious wounds on her person,
after which, apprehensiye that steps would be ia
ken to have him brought up and dealt with for this
outrage, he went to the house and took his gun
and left with the intention of conceaIng himself,
as he afterward stated, for time, to enable him
TO arrange his affairs and get some means with a
view of final abandonment of the country. Ge-
win on learning the particulars armed himself
with double barrel gun, and taking some of his
friends with him. went in pursuit of McCollum
with the avowed intention of killing him. Some
time during the night, about or 12 o'clock,
three distinct reports of Shots in rapid succession
were heard by the neighbors and on going to the
place indicated by the reports, they found the dead
body of Gewin in the road, not far distant from
McCollums house, perforated with full charge of
buck shot, just below and in front of the left arm
pit, and within short distance of the same spot,
on the margin of small brook, whittier he had
dragged himself for the purpose of getting drink
of water, they found McColIum MORALLY wounded
with full charge of buck shot in his side and the
lumbar region of his back He was taken to his
house and medical aid procured. He fingered in
the greatest agony through the succeeding day and
until about IL o'clock that night, when he expir-
ed.
He was in the entire possession of all his men
tai faculties up to the hour of his dissolution. He
gave all the particulars of the closing scene of this
fatal tragedy. He stated that after leaving his
house. he had secreted himself until he was salts
fed from the lateness of the hour that the pursuit
was given up for the night, and that he might ven
ture to 90 to his house without being interrupted
and with this intention he left his hiding place. and
was silently treading the road to his house when
his further advance was prevented by the sudden
appearance of three men stepping into the road
Immediately in front of him. The moon had just
risen, but being considerably in the wane, he was
not able to distinguish with certainty who they
were; he therefore called out ''agho IS Mere?'' the
answer received was the explosion Of cap, where
upon he Immediately presented and fired his gun,
when one of them fell, and turning round instant
ly with the intention of effecting retreat he re-
ceived shot that brought him to the ground and
whilst he was PROSTATE on the ground one of the
party discharged another load at him which lodged
in the but of his gun. When discovered both bar
rels of Gewin's gun were loaded, but the cap Of
one barrel had been exploded. Verify it seems
that civilization is going backwards.-De AalJ
{ MiSs.) Pilot