The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-06-14
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:, JOHN MENEFEE.
THE FIGHTING DOCTOR

p The hero of the following sketch was
"a native of Kentucky. His father. was
a farmer of moderate circumstances 1iv-
ing a few miles from Louisville, who
managed; by great labor and scrupulous
economy, to give his fayorite and first
born an excellent education, embracing
the degree of doctor of medicine
Young Menefee was remarkable, from
the earliest period of his intellectual de-
velopment, for an intense and burning
ambition, such as could brook no rival
IN whatever he undertook, while the glo-
rious. gifts of a magnificent brain and
mighty physical constitution, seemed to
furnish the surest guarantees for the ul-
innate reality of his every hope. By
prodigious exertions, day and night, he
stood foremost in all his classes at Col
fege, and graduated with an eclat that
obscured the fame of competitors, 50 that
had the rising star of his genius met
with no adverse shock to hurl it away
from its appropriate and radient orbit,
Imagination can scarcely assign a limit
to the splendor it might have attained,
But unfortunately hostile collision at
the very commencement of it's career, to
arouse the sleeping volcano of his dark
est passion, and project the course of his
ambition at a dangerous tangent from
the circle of a peaceful life, y ...--5
He had a young and beautiful sister
who was .seduced and betrayed by a fash
ionable villain in Louisville, one James
Murray, lawyer, and universally re
garded as the most desperately brave
duellist that Kentucky--the land SO
prodigal of heroes produced. al
While the father and mother of the
ruined girl were weeping tears of despair,
John, then only twenty years of age,
armed himself and proceeded in search
of his enemy. He found him in the
court house Immediately after an adjourn
ment, and without uttering word, at
tackled and belabored him dreadfully
with a cowhide. Murray, on his part,
fought like a fiend, but in vain for the
fred desperation of fierce and concen-;
trated wrath appeared to have given
young Mcnefee the strength of dozen.
men. He blinded his enemy with quick
and countless blows, dashed from his
hand every pistol the other succeeded in
drawing from his pocket, and fagelated
hIm VII HO Was hteI dAly OohSiSu Will
blood. - H.'a ~ 5.'i2'i7
a challenge was the result, Men
efee accepted on these conditions: That
the meeting should take place at a GER
tain spot the ensning morning, directly
after sunrise. Three pistols were to be
loaded each foe should take one fire by
turns. at mark ten PAGES, distant =
Whoever Hit nearest the center, should
then have the remaining pistol, and
shoot at his adversary's head. If he
missed, the other should be entitled to a
shot, and SO on by alteration till one of
them should fall. dead These ferocious
terms were mutually settled, and the
principals and seconds met accordingly
on the banks of the Ohio river, six miles
below the falls. ga '''',1 i.''-
The seconds measured off ten PAGES,
and then made black spot with moist
ened gun-powder, about as high as a
mans, heart, on slender oak tree
They then loaded three pistols, handed
one, to each principal, and retained the
third to be given to the. successful marks
man. The antagonists then cut pack
of cards for the first. shot : Murray
| drew the queen of diamonds. Menefee
| the ace of spades, and so won the first
fire. He Immediately took his stand,
turned his right side to the tree; !; let
the hand which grasped the weapon, now
at full cock, fall until the dark. muzzle
reached below his knee, fixed his flash
ing blue eyes steadily a moment on. the
Fmark, and then, swift as thought, raised
and pulled trigger. Unfortunately the