Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-11-13
"Iwill fight, if YOU wish it" was the loud

- linen you accept my cAallenge!i Ge ear
81 do. Will any present be SO good as tc
act as my second ~ asked the lawyer addres
sing the spectators. ~ -. 4.
For moment or two no one spoke, SO great
was the dread of the arch-duellist, Mike John
son..
"Will no one in such mass of generou:
men be my second ~ repeated the lawyer ii
louder tone.
"I will" said a shrill, trumpet like voice
on the outskirts of the crowd, and tall com.
manding form, with bravery written on his
brow, and the eagles eye beneath it, made
his way to the centre of the scene of conten.
ton, and stood close fronting Johnson, with
smiling glance, before which, the latter, fol
an instant, quailed.
The question "who is he 7" &c who is he q
circulated among the lockers on. But no one
could answer; no one had ever seen him be-
fore, and yet then every body would have
sworn to his courage, SO bold, yet tranquil
was his bearing. ..i,, s...
"Who are you!" inquired the duellist, re-
covering his presence ofmind.
" A stranger, from Texas" g..
But who will youch for your respectable
ty?" sr.sy ,.,.. & -,
81 can give you vouchers sufficient" re-
piled the stranger, frowing till his brows
looked frightful; and then STOPPING forward,
he wispered something in Johnson's ear audi
bic alone to him. H..
Il am satisfied" said The duelist aloud,
and trembling perceptibly. "Col. Morton
will you be my friend - . .... s,...
The individual last addressed gave his as
sent
T" Now let us adjourn to some private room
to arrange preliminaries," remarked the stran-
ger; and the principals and seconds left the
crowd, then increasing every minute, and ex-
cited nearly to madness, by the thick crow
ding events of the hour.
The meeting took place the following
night, in a dark room, with the door locked,
and, the two seconds on the outside The
principals were placed in opposite corners oil
the apartment, which was twenty feet square,
and each was armed with large bowie
knife, nothing more. 1t was midnight, a
night without moon or stars. Black pitchly
clouds enveloped the sky, and a slight sitting
mist rendered the shadows Of the earth more
intense. Hence the room where the duel was
about to begin was wrapped in rayless dark
ness. The combatants could not even see
the blades of their knives. -I-
At first they both stopped and took of their
shoes, so as to make the least possible noise
in walking over the floor The same thought
had struck them both at the same time, to
maneuvre for the vantage ground.
Thomas moved in circle softly as n cat,
around the apartment, till be got within a
few feet of where his enemy had first been
placed, and then paused TO listen. For four
or Eve seconds he could hear nothing in the
grave-like silence but the quick beats of his
own busy heart. Presently, however, there
crept into his ear scarcely audible sound,
as of supposed breathing, In the corner Of
the room he had previously left, and then, he
knew that his foe was trying the same STRAIT
agem. The ruse was repeated thrice with a
like result. At length Thomas concluded
to stand perfectly still and wait Johnson's
approach Motionless now, HIMSELF and al
ear, soon he could discover a soft rustling
noise, like the dropping of fakes of wool cir,
cling round the door and gradually approach.
ing him.
At last, when the sound appeared within
about three feet of the lawyers position, he
suddenly made bounding plunge with his
knife aimed in the dark air, where he sup.
posed his foe to be. His blade struck against
that of the other, and few sparks of fire roll
ed at the fierce collision, and fell expiring or
the floor. sll tglUg SO
And then, for an instant, the seconds with.
out the door heard sharp ringing of steel, q
groan, fall, and all again was silent as the
tomb! The duel at midnight had ended
but how They were appalled, at the horrl
bic question.
Waiting some minutes, and hearing moth
ing more, Col. Morton and the stranger pre-
pared light, unlocked the door, and entered
The spectacle was most affecting. There lay
the bloody corpse of the duellIst, Johnson
mangled dreadtniIy, and above IT stood the e
rect torn of the lawyer, Thomas-unhurt, no
cut on his skin, or q rent in his clothing, bu
weeping as if his heart were broken. 6
He started back, as the flashing light daz
zleG his eyes, and growing pale as the deat
at his feet, exclaimed IN accents of immeas
urable anguish Oh, God how shall en-
dure TO meet my dear Emma, with this mur
derous gore on my hands! Such stains would
defle the very gates of heaven, and black the
floor of hell Itself - tH
He did, however, afterwards meet Emnl;
and her babe! but we shall not paint the scene
A week subsequently, he was shot to piece
in his own Office, while employed in writing
after night. The assassin was not known, bu
supposed to be younger brother of the duel
list, Johnson. ego a t
The stranger who acted in the combat a
the second OF Thomas, was indeed, as he SAT-
from Texas, and then traeelling through Mis-
sisippi, and was the. bravest man perhaps tha
ever drew the breath of hfe--James Bowie
who fell only with the fall of the Alamo, whel
his red kuie was drunk with the blood of tn
Mexicans,Io aa a % 1Gsai o.
Reader..-But the moral. You promises
as a moral sna p iasa aJ Ha l<iIhI
+ Writer. The same moral whlch5lies a
the bottom of all true stories, If they be rea
rightly. give you this, and can give yo
no more-that the circumstances which max
men make also their actions, as the history o
many a New EngIander, besides poor Thom