Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-06-07
PETE MILESTONE, THE ARKAN-
SAS DUELIST.

PETE MILESTONE, THE ARKAN.
SAS DUELIST. .
On the second Monday in September,
1889, the people of Washington county
were in motion. The mammoth hive of
Western Arkansas swarmed. 1t was not
muster of volunteers against tribe of
Indians, nor a political meeting for stump
orators to eclipse ligi t ling or use up
thunder. Nor all election where the
bone and sinew Of the frontier must save
the country at an enormous expense Of
gouged eyes and bloody noses. Nor was
it an execution. by order Of Judge Lynch,
of thieves, or coiners of pewter money.
1t was only the first day of the second
week Of the Circuit Court Of Washington
county-the day of taking up the crimi-
nal side Of the docket that attracted the
whole population. But, what to a stran-
ger would have seemed the most extraor-
binary phase Of the affair, the whole pop
ulatiun came armed-as they would
themselves have expressed ito the
teeth and t, nails" Big knives were
as numerous as snakes in cypress
swamp. Every coat pocket WAS pistol
battery; every shoulder bristled with a
rifle; and some actually bore two, to be
prepared for any emergency. 1t must not
be inferred that suck was the common
equipment Of spectators for the inside Of
the court house. The present was an
exception produced by the occurrence Of
unusual events. A brief statement may
serve to solve the mystery.
The Lynchers had recently hung seven
men on the same galIows tree. They had
-, nf
prosecution for the barbarous deed and,
consequently the entire band had turned
out. SO as, in case an indictment should
be found. to move to quash 1t At once
with gunpowder and bullets. But still
more prolific source Of excitement than
this, existed. ~ numerous An d we'll or
ganized clique in Fayetteville. consisting
Of county officers. local officers, and Off
GERS OF the btnk-A|pireI to complete
and irresistible dominion over the country
Their leaders were desperate duelIStS,
and their reign was truly one of terror.
Gradually, however, formidable opposi-
ton to the junto developed itself among
the farmers of the county. These ap-
piled to the Fayetteville clique the name
Of ari<tocracy, or as they pronounced it.
"horstocracy;" and the latter avenged
themselves by calling their enemies
wood rats after peculiarly mischeyiouS
little animal that infests the gardens and
fields of Arkansas. The plebians adopt
cd this term and rallied under it as the ap-
pelatiou and watchword OF. their party.
The "woOd- rats" had greatly the ad.
vantage in oint Of numbers, but unfor-
tunauely, they were destitute Of able and
honest chiefs, and sadly divided among
themselves. The "hOrstOOrats' monopo-
lized the bank. with every office. civil
and military, in the county. Besides,
they possessed unlimited pecuniary means
to buy up all the bowie knives of the des-
peradoes of the frontier. Hence, in scve.
raj murderous affrays the woUd-rats'
had been put to a bloody and isnOmini-
GUS flight. To the general rule of igno-
miuious defeat. however, there had been
of late single exception. A young
wood rat" had slain one Of the most ce-
lcbrated champions of ''horstocracy" for
infamously slandering his sister. He
had been arrested, chained, and cast in
10 a dungeon; and this second Monday in
September, 1889, was the day set apart
for his trial. All the "wood rats" ofthe
region mustered in the court yard to see
if their comrade had fair play, and had
brought their rifles as corps de reserve.
to be ordered up in case OF necessity
The last man Of the - horstocracy" also
attended, to keep the prosecution in coun-
tenance: and thus as all the leaders and re-
tainers on both sides we're thoroughly
wesponed. and excited nearly to madness
by the fumes of passion and the deadlier
fumes of Alcohol, the most hOrrid conse-
quences might be sPprehended.
The forum was an immense building.
amply provided with galleries, and yet,
ere the morning sun had measured one
fourth Of its brig ght way TO the blue ze'
NTH, hall and galleries. doors and win
dows were all crowded to one degree be-
low sufFocation. Nevertheless. one great
good resulted from the annoying evil
In this conglomerate press it, would be
impossible for the opposing factions Z
use firearms and, should they really