The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-06-14


circumstances, most persons would have
missed the tree; but as it was, Meme
fees bullet barely cut the upper edge OF
the mark. An excellent shot -
NJ Murray now took his position. He
was famous level shooter, having pre-
viously slain three men in as many shots,
sending the balls directly through their
brain. He raised slowly, poised, took
deliberate aim, then stood several Sc
conds motionless as the tree at which
the muzzle of his pistol was pointed, and
fired The crack was short and sharp
like the pealing of a bell, and when the
blue wreaths of curling smoke cleared
away, the spot on the oak was not to be
seen-the white bullet hole bored into
the splintered wood occupied its place.
The second then gave Murray the
third pistol, and he stationed himself ten
steps from his unarmed adversary, who
in the meanwhile, seemed calm and fear
less as an unconcerned spectator, with
out the slightest symptom of either
alarm or surprise According to the.
terms stipulated, Murray might choose
his own time after the elevation of the
weapon, to fire; and the thought appear
ed to cross his soul to torture his antag-
onist by a cruel and unnecessary delay.
He raised his hand gradually, and fixed
mortal aim at Menefee's head, in which
posture he continued for more than two
minutes But Menefee still betrayed
no emotion Not nerve shook--his
face paled not shade. A bitter smile
of scorn writhed on his purple lip, and
his gleamy blue eyes, gazed fercely into
that of his deadly foe, seemed to the
wondering mind like ball of fire, so in
tense and revengeful was its glare At
length he called out in voice piercing
and shrill as the shrek of trumpet :
Murray, you d d-----d d coward, why
don't you shoot? Are you afraid to
shoot ?" .g-'i ~ -, 1.'s''=ia7i =
And whether it was the position of
Murray's aim, SO long extended, affected
the aim, or that he became excited by
the mocking taunt, or surprised at the
terrible tones of his enemy's voice, or
quailed with preternatural dread before
the lightning of his burning blue eye, it
isimpossible is tossay = bntlatsleast,swhat-
ever might,b be the causes "a remarkable
change passed over his features.s His
cheek grew pallidH Ibis pale lips culver
ed, his hand shook dIe fred The,
ball merely grazed NJ Refee's left tenn
pie without injury 81 ssaf.I 81.
: Then the seconds reloaded the pistol,
and placed it in the hand of Menefee, and
the parties again assumed their proper
stations. The youthful. avenger of his
sisters shame waited not an instant
He was in too great hurry to finish his
work, for suspense. Quick as the fash
of a sunbeam, he elevated his weapon
and fred. With the roar of the explo-
sion, without a sigh or groan, Murray
dropped dead in his tracks. His right
eye had been shot out! a.r- .... a
Menefee fed the country, and settled
in Conway county, Arkansas. Hence
forth the whole current of his thoughts
and passions appeared to be changed.
The earthquake of mortal wrath, which
had burst up from the profound abysses
of his soul, had ploughed out a new pas
sage for the march of ambition4 pas;
sage stained with ineffable blood ~ Be-
fore his heart had burned with unguencE-
able enthusiasm to excel in knowledge,
in variety, depth and extent of attain
ments; now he coveted superiority on
ly in desperate deeds; the cloudy achieve
ments of brute bravery. Nor to say
the truth, could he have selected more
appropriate field in the wide world for
belligerent purposes than Arkansas then
afforded. Political strife ragged with in ]
credible fury. No man could be leader
either in the parties of the State, or in
those of county, unless he stood ready
at all times to defend his principles at
the point of the bowie knife or the mus
zle of the pistol. To enumerate all the
duels fought by opposing chiefs of the.
different faetionsiduring that sanguina-
ry era, would stagger belief A faint 4
idea of this barbarous state of things
may be conceived from the astonishing
fact that Arkansas has never to this day /
had a Senator or Representative in the
councils of the nation, who has not once
if no more, -periled his life on the. So
called field of honor Honorable
.duels, however, formed scarcely tithing
of the combats waged- Riots, affrays,
and deadly rencountres by chance. med
ley, were of weekly and sometimes daily
occurrence DIR. Menefee took a, hand
in all, and yet escaped from each with
out a scar, till his very name grew to
be a thing of terror, at the sound of
which even brave mel, trembled.I And
thus he had reached the fat of his now
false, and at last fatal ambition. AS a
" famous fighter" he was universally ac-,
knowledged to be without a second, and
that5too, in a. country abeunding with
bold spirits, from every quarter of the
Union The Rectors, the Desbas, VIII
son Conway-the most redoubtable he
roes dreaded his feroeious blue eye ~
: It would have been curious inquiry
to analyze the motives and feelings of
the terrible duelist ofsthis period HE.
does not seem to have been actuated by
sheer and absolute cruelty aHe did not
WELD the ibowie=knife for the sake of; in
fiicting pain; it was sonlyIthe sharp in
strument with which he cleaved his way
to notoriety. He fought, not so much
to avenge insults as TO achieve popularity.
To excel ascend, eulminate, formed the
goal of all his thoughts and wishes, and
to do this in his present sphere, but a
single path lay open--the path marked
by fire and blood. He became mon
omaniac, ,hopelessly diseased in the or
gan of destructiveness. He lived only
IN state of ecstatic dream Of bravery