Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-01-23
Fatal ARRAY.

on sunday nght la.t l1Jtn inst,) about hail
past Il o'clock,a rcncontre took place between Mr.
Chas. b. Christian of Amherst county, mem
Der of the Law Class in this place, and Cadet
Thomas Blackburn from the county of jefferson
aud resulted in the death of the latter.
The combat happened in the street near the
Hay scales, and opposite the Presbyterian
Church.
Mr.. Blackburn received three wounds, inhict-
ed with bowie knife, one upon the left temple
one III the back, and one in the neck which was
the fatal stab The blade of the knife transver-
sely entered the neck on the left side, half an
inch below the ear seyering the carotid artery and
reaching almost to the other side, causing death
in five minutes. Mr.. Christian is now in custo-
dy. From the appearance of the ground there
seems to have been two struggles, as there was n
pool of blood few steps to the left and above
the scales, where the combat is supposed to have
commenced and another Immediately beside the
the scales. There was also quantity of blood
on the platform of the scales.
We do not feel authorized to give the crcum-
stances which led to so fl arful tradegy, nor
wouldit be proper for US to express the opinion
we may cnt rtain in regard TO the guilt or inno-
cence of the party now awaiting trial. a histo-
ry of the transaction gathered from detached ru-
mors, and an opinion founded upon those rumors
and published, might and doubtless would serve
To bias the minds of the citizens of the county,
some of whom will be required to sit as Jurors
upon the case. We particular therefore
merely to state that such disastrous atfray has
occurred, and whatever may be our feelings in
regard to the demands of Justice, the pleadings
of sympathy with the entire community, we can
not but regret that an affair should have occur
red in our midst so tragical in its immediate re-
suit, and SO melancholy in the consequences that
must flow from it.
The time and place. well as the parties en-
gagged, render it most lamentabc affair. and a
fn.Iip q la,ia line taJ
the hearts of all. Happening on the Sabbath
night, just rs the church bells had ceased ring
ing, while the congregation was assembling, and
the feelings of all were softened and subdued by
the gentle influences that the Sabbath ever gath
ers about us-and then over against the church,
of all places i'll the Jrld the least to be expected
where an outbreak would occur. And the parties
both young men, far from home and kindred
no wonder that this community so stricken
and paral yzed in heart and feeling The one
Cadet at the V. NJ. Institute, in his last year, II
few short months he would have graduated The
longing for that time, when free from the re-
straints of College life, with all his trophies fresh
upon him, he would seek his distant home in the
glad dream of happy family reunion! But
with him the dream of life has suddenly passed
away, the proud bright aspirations leaping into
the future, in an instant qucnched, in one short
moment a llfeless manged thing. with all the
bloom and strength and beauty of opening man
hood full upon him.
And the other, who had been in our midst but
a few months. came to prepare himself for the
duties of life; full of hope revealing in the dreams
of youth, eagerly anticipating the time when har-
nassed for the struggle he would step into the
arena of active life To strive for the reward of
popular approval and impress his name and char
acter upon the lips and confidence of men. All
in an instant dashed aside, for whatever may be
the issue of a judicial examination, he has plant
ed within his own breast an arrow whose point
is never dulled, he has entwincd around his own
reflections a worm that cannot die, and has turn
ed the brightness of his future to clouds and bit
terness and gloom. A widowed mothers anguish
and sisters sufferings must mingle with the
pangs ofhis own mind, and deepen the current of
bitterness as he thinks of the void he has caused
in the hearts aud home of others.
How deeply melancholy is this occurrence
when viewed in connection with either party
And with all the horrors that cluster about it, it
should force home the conviction upon the mind
of the young of the frailtes of human nature, and
speak in impressive language, how approximations
absolutely necessary it is to have lying back of
the rash impctuosity of youth the controlling pow
or of religious principles Lexington Gu-etfe.