Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-10-11
A Singular Conflict.

The Savannah Herald relates the fol-
lowing extraordinary circumstances
which, lit is affirmed, took place near
that city.recently;
"a countryman, very nearly deaf, was
driving a pair of mules attached to
wagon, when he was met on the road by
q negro on foot, who bore an axe on his
shonlder. The man in the wagon was
about taking a chew of tobacco, when
the negro stopped suddenly and asked
him for chew, which was promptly
given him. The negro returned his
thanks for the quid, looking steadfastly
at the white man, and repeating the
words: Thank you, sir several times.
The white mans hearing being very
dull, and not liking the negroes ap-
pearance, he imagined that demand
was made for his money, and, in great
alarm, replied he had none. The negro
perceiving the misapprehension and that
the man was very deaf, shouted: 4 did
not ak you for no money But the man
in his fright only heard the word
money While the negro was endeavor-
ing to explain, the mules, who had been
neglected by their driver in his fright,
sheared off to the opposite side of the
road, and were about to upset the wagon,
when the negro seized the reins to bring
them back, which action on his part
only congrmed the dreadful suspicion of
the white man, who, in great panic,
sprang from his wagon and took to the
woods at full speed. The NEGRO, anx-
ious to convince the man that he meant
no harm, followed in pursuit, shouting
to him to stop. The race continued for
some distance, but the negro being the
f1eetest was rapidly gaining on the
terrified white man, who, seeing that he
was about to be overtaken, turned to
encounter his pursuer. AS the negro
approached with vociferous assurance
of kindly intentions, and holding his axe
in his hand, the white man made
spring at him, and desperate struggle
for the possession Of the axe ensued In
the strife the white man got control of the
weapon, when the negro, for his pro-
lection, closed with him and succeeded
in throwing him to the ground, the
white man all the time pleading for life,
and the negro using all his eloquence to
convince him that he meant no harm.
They remained some time on the ground
locked in each others embrace, the white
man clinging desperately to the axe and
literally turning deaf ear to the en-
phatic assurances of the negro, who was
now afraid to let him up for tear that, in
his alarm, he might kill him with the
axe.
In this dilemma, each trusting the
other, in spite of their protestations, it
was finally agreed that the negro would
let the white man mp upon condition
that the axe to which the latter still
clung should be thrown away. Watch
ing each other like tigers, they rose from
the ground, the negro holding the white
mans arms from the rear until, with a
swing of his body, the axe was thrown
from their reach, when they separated,
running in opposite directions, the
white man hatless and with his clothes
nearly torn from his person, shouting
"Murder !" "helpp' at the top of his
voice.
"Terror lending feetness to his legs,
he was not long in reaching a house q
short distance from the scene of the con-
flict. Breathless with exertion and
alarm, he related his story, declaring
that he had narrowly escaped being
robbed and murdered, and demanded
arms and assistance to go in pursuit of
the robber. la the midst of the excite
ment which his appearance and relation
of the affair had created, the negro
scarcely less alarmed and excited, ap-
preached and Immediately gave himself
up. He made his statement to those
present, but as the principal party in the
affair was still incredulous, and could
not be persuaded that he had made q
narrow escape with his life, it was finally
determined to detain the negro in GUS
tody till the next morning, when he was
taken to the Freedmen's Bureau for q
hearing. Accordingly, his physical
wants having been amply supplied, be
was tied, and his supposed intended VIC
tim, armed with gun, placed over him
as q guard. In the morning the deaf
man was found lying fast asleep, and the
negro was not found at ALL"