The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-09-01

um, he hecessarily made some enemies,
no attack had hitherto been ventured on
his person, The athleticism of his noble
form, and the look of invincible determin-
alton in his keen blue eyes, had doubtless
warned the desperadoes that "the Yankee
orator" as he was generally termed could
hit rs hard blows as the court itself. How
ever this may be, two years elaps d, years
too OF eminent success, before the pcacea-
BILE attorney was even insulted. Alas,
this Halcyon period was doomed to a
change alike sudden and terrible.
There resided at that time in the town
a notorious duellist by the name of John
son,whose matchless prowess inspired uni
versal 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 "thc bloody fancy
club" spoke of Mike Johnson's feats with
rapturous enthusiasm. But all good men,
all lovers of peace, when the "brave
wretch" passed, turned pale and were sill
ent
At the May term of the District Court,
1929, the grand jury, mastering extraor-
dlnary courage, returned true bill against
johnson for the murder of William Lee.
an inoffensive youth, whom he had shot
down in Il drunken frolic, under circum-
stances of peculiar aggravation. Thomas
was retained by friend of the deceased
to aid i'll the prosecution, and notwith-
standing the earnest advice of his we'll
wlshcrs to the contrary, appeared on the
trial of the causc-one of the most cXcit-
ing ever argued at the bar of Vicksburc.
On the last evening of the session, after
adjournment, Thomas rushed into the pre-
scnce of his wife, with looks Of such evil
dent agitation as to fill her soul with
ovcrpowering alarm.
any love, tell me, in the name of hca-
ven, what has happened" she cried, pale
as corpse, and shaking like leaf in the
wind.
Nothing" answered the husband, think
ing to conceal the most fearful part of the
intelligence. "Nothing, only the murder
er, Nike johnson, after his acquital, gross
ly insulted me in the courtyard, and
knocked him down."
"And he challenged you to fight him
with pistols!' almost shrieked the wife, an
-ticipating tho rest, with the quickness of
woman's keen common sense.
at is even So" replied the lawyer,
mournfully.
"Oh. say that you will not meet him.
Oh! swear that you will not turn duelst
in this Sodom Of the South" implored
the wife, throwing her arms around his
neck, and sobbing like child OH his bo-
som.
"Thcre, do not weep now I will not
turn duellist, 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 Ac-
cordingly, he was generally denounced ms
a coward-a word which at that day, and
even now, might be considered as express
ing far deeper scorn than either robbcr or
assassin. AS hepassed through the streets,
he was astonishcd to witness the coldncss
manifested by his old acquaintanccs, and
even profcssed friends, while the great
mass of the people seemed to regard him
with ineiiablc contempt. yankee white
liver" "boaster," "poltron." were the
sounds most frequently rung in his ears,
especially when near the groceries, and
there was one then on every terrace ofthe
broken hill.
The matter grew still worse. About
week afterwards, Johnson met his victim
in the public square, presented cooked
pistol at his heart with one hand, and be-
labored him numerically with cowhide
which he grasped in the other. Resist
ance at the moment was altogether out Of
the question, for the slightest motion
would have been the signal for immediate
death. He thought Of Emma and her
sweet babe, and bore the castigation in
silence.
After this, clients deserted his office,
and gentlemen refused to recognize him
or return his salute in the thoroughfares
Of business, or during his morning strols
over the hills. Had his touch been con-
tagion, or his breath pestiieucc, inc could
not have been more carefully Stunned.
Another week passed, and the degrad-
ed lawyer was in state Of mind border
ing on insanity; and yet all the while he
concealed the mental fortune from his af-
fectionate wife. One evening, in a more
than common bitter and gloomy mood, as
he walked through the public square, he
was again aceostcd by Mike johnson, with
his cooked pistol in one hand and uplifted
cowhide 10 the other. The assault was
the more aggravating as the place was
thronged with spectators.
"Coward and villain!" exclaimed John
son, "did Inot tell you that / would cow
hide you every week, until whipped the
courage Of man and gentleman into
your Yankee hidel"
III am not coward" retorted Thomas,
in hollow tone, so unearthly fierce and
wild that it caused every hcarer to start.
At the instant, his lips were livid, and
clenched between his teeth till the blood