The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-08-02

AUGUST 2, 1854. T IS.
zed Menetee's left temple without injury.
Then the second reloaded the pistol,
and placed it in the hand of Menefee, and
the parties again assumed their proper po-
sitions. The youthful avenger of his sis.
ter's shame waited not an instant He wa 8
in too great hurry TO finish his work for
suspense. Quick as the flash Of sun.
beam. he elevated his weapon and fired.
With the roar OF the explosion, without
sigh or groan, Murray dropped dead in his
tracks. His right eye had been shot out!
Menefee fed the country, and settled in
Conway county, Arkansas. sHencefor,h
the whole current Of his thoughts and pas.
sions appeared to be changed. The earth
quake Of moral wrath, which had burst up
from profound abysses Of his soul, had
ploughed up new passage for the march
of anbition-a passage stained with inefFa-
bic blood! Before his heart had burned
with unquenchable enthusiasm 10 excel
in knowledge. in variety, depth and exten,
OF attainment; now he coveted superiority
only in desperate deeds; the cloudy
achievements of brute bravery. Nor 10
say the truth, could he have selected a
more appropriate field in the. wide world
for beiigereDt purposes than Arkansas then
afforded: Political strife then ragged with
incredible fdry. No man could be a lead.
er either in the parties of the State, or in
those OF a county. unless he stood ready
at all times to defend his principles at the
point Of the bowie-kniie or muzzle or the
pistol. To enumerate all the duels fought
by opposing chiefs Of the different factions
during that sanguinary era. would stagger
belief. A faint idea Of this barb arous
state of things may be conceived from the
astonishing fact that Arkansas has never
10 this day had senator or representative
in the councils Of the nation who has not
once, if not more, periled his life on the 50
called field of honor" Honorable duels
however, formed scarcely tithing Of the
combats waged. Riots, affrays and dead.
~ recounters by chance medley. were Of
weekly and sometimes daily Occurrences
DR.. Menefee took hand in all, and vet
escaped from each without scar, till his
very name grew TO be d thing OF terror. a,
the sound Of which even brave men trem.
bled, And thus be bad reached the fate
Of his now false, and at last fatal ambition
As a ssfamous fighter" he was univers allv
acknowledged TO be without second, and
that TOO, in a country abounding with bold
spirits. from every quarter Of the Union
The Rectors, the Dsshas, Wilson Conway
= the most redoubtable heroes dreaded his
ferocious blue eye. ss7s5 iia7- :
II would have been a curious inquiry to
analyse the motives and feelings Of the ter.
.rible duelist Of this period. He does moi
seem to have been actuated by sheer and
absolute cruelty. He did not WELD the
bowie knife for the sake OF infiicting pain;
it was only the sharp instrument with
which he cleaved his way to notoriety. He
fought; notso much to avenge insults as
achieve popularity. To excel, ascend.
culminate, formed the goal Of his thoughts
and wishes, and to do this in his presen,
sphere. but q single path lay open; the path
marked by FIRE and blood. He became
monomaniac, hopelessly diseased in the
organ Of destructiyeness. He lived only
in state Of ecstatic dream Of bravery Ia
dream overaowing with the consciousn ess
of surprising power--the power that m ade
all eyes and all hearts tremble He deyis-
ed extraordinary methods OF displying his
courage and contempt Of death. He was
known on several occa sions.u without Ut
tering q word to approach and spit in the
faces OF Of notorious bullies, with whom
he had no cause of quarrel, and for the
sole end Of provoking fight. ,sgeisis'.
One personal advantage resulted from
his excessive desperation. No other ply.
sician could be found hardy enough to set.
tie in Conway, where such foe reigned /.
and as matter of course, Menefee got all
the practice. He even attended his own
wonnded-wou cut a man open with his
bowie knife in the morning. and il called
upon, sow him up in The evening with his
needle. elh tesa ssi} se& . 'sa7' tiosS
The old proverb says, s.Theres. lnn must Be
an end TO everything" and an end caimne
at last to the reign Of the Fighting Doc
tor, as he was christened in blood through.
out Arkansas. He had neighbor named
Phillips, a peaceable. ipoffensive man !,
who had never previously been engaged
in difficulty with any human being, aud
hence in that region was generally deemed
COWhTu. E[OU SONIC cause, WulCn new
er publicly transpired, feelings Of hostility
arose between tho Two, and Menefee sought
an early opportunity to cowhide the other
in the streets of Lewisburgh. Phillips
bore his chastisement without so much as
an effort Of resistance. Indeed, at the.
moment, he had no other alternative, for
he was altogether unarmed, while his enc
my had pistol cooked al his breast. IS
Immediately afterwards, however. Phil.
lips went and literally loaded himself with
murderous, weapons. and returned 10. face
his foe on more equal terms. They en-
couniered in the public square while the
court was in session, and never, did the
sun Of heaven shine on = more obstinate
combat. First Of all they firediwo rounds,
with pistols, and the second round Phillips
was wounded in the loins. But this. in
stead Of checking his furious ardor. only
tended to infame and madden him the
more. He unsheathsd his knife and bound
ed upon his enemy. who received his
thrusts with like deadly blade. With
clenched teeth, foam on their livid lips.
painting chests, and blazing eyes, they
I.1t ..U