Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-03-30
A Singular Conflict.

The Savannah Herald relates the following
extraordinary circumstances, which, it is at
| frmed, took place near that city recently
"A countrymun, very nearly deaf was driving
a pair Of mules attached to q wagon, when
he was met on the road by negro on foot,
who bore an axe on his shoulder. The man
| in the wagon was about taking q chew of
tobacco, when the negro stopped suddenly
and asked him for II 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 negros appearance, he imagined
| that a 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 didn't ak you for money! But the man
| in his fright only heard the word money.
While the negro was endeavoring to ex-
| plain, the mules, who had been neglected
| by their driver in his fright, sheered 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 confirmed the dread
| full suspicion of the white man, who iE
great panic, sprang from his wagon and
took 20 the woods at full speed. The ne
| gro, anxious to convince the man that he
meant no harm, followed in pursuit, shout
ing to him to stop. The race continued for
some distance, but the negro being the
| feetest 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
vocterous assurances 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 en-
sued. In the strife the white man got con-
troll of the weapon, when the negro for his
protection, closed with him aud 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 en-
brace, the white man clinging desperately
to the axe and literally turning deaf ear to
the emphatic assurances of the negro, who
was now afraid to let MIN up for fear that
in his alarm, he might kill him with the
axe.
"In this dilemma, each mistrusting the
other, in spite of their protestations, it was
finally agreed that the negro would let the
white man up upon condition that the axe
to which the latter still clung should be
thrown away. Watching each other like
tigers, they rose from the ground, the Negro
holding the white mans arms from the real
until, with swing of his body, the axe was
thrown from their reach, when they sepa
rated, running in opposite directions, the
white man hatless and with his cloths near
ly torn from his person, shouting Murder
help = at the top of his voice. ..
Terror lending heetness to his legs, ht
was not long in reaching house a shor
distance from the scene of the conflict
Breathless with exertion and alarm, he re
lated his story, declaring that he had mar
rowly escaped being robbed and murdered
and demanded arms and assistance to go il
, pursuit of the robher. In the midst of tn
} excitement which his appearance and rela
tion of the affair had created, the negr
; scarcely less alarmed and excited, approach
, ed and Immediately gave himself up. II
, made his statement TO those present, but a
: the principal party in the affair was still in
oredulous, and could not be persuaded the
5 he had made narrow escape with his lif,
} it was finally determined to detain the n,
e gro in custody till the next morning, whe
J, be was taken to the Freedmen's Bureau fc
a hearing, Accordingly, his physical wan'