The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1870-07-01

war he was on Breckinridge's staff, and tho
affairs of private blood in which he has
been engaged are innumerablo. For in
stance. he was Ben Johnson's second when
he killed Tom White. Did you ever hear
of that2'
"Noir
"Oh Tom Hawkins had to leave the
State for some years after that duel. Old
man White was there when Ben shot his
son. and he went on awfully. The papers
raised bowling row about that duel.
Tom White and Ben johnson had fuss
over cards, both pretty full, and chal-
lenge passed. The women and families of
both sides took a big interest II, and Bens
mother nodded the balls with her own
hands. She was all up and alive about 1t.
/ reckon she d shot Ben herself If he had
not gone 70 field. Ben was oil crippled up
with rheumatism, and they had to set him
up and hand him his gun. They fought
with shot guns loaded with balls. There
was old man White, hsggling in the field
about points Of honor, the terms of apollo
nv, etceterce, etcctcree, when pop went
the guns, and his son laid dead at the old
mans feet, with hole right through his
forehead They say 1t was dreadful to
hear him go on. don't know what be-
came of Ben johnson.
"Ohi yes, bless your soul! Tom Haw-
kins scared John Pope most dead once.
They we're at old General Woods table,
when Pope impugncd the courage Of Gem
eral -, and Tom Hawkins just glanced
at him and opened out. John Pope had
10 take water.
tom was Breckcnridges second when
the challenge passed between John and
Cutting. Then Tom showed the general
ship OF Alexander the Great. Cuttings
second was old President Monroe's son, of
the regular army, and Tom turned him in.
side out. He put BIN on the defensive,
Numbered ut him, and got John Breckin-
ridge of with all the honors.
TON Hawkins is terrible fellow. If
he looks ut you with his wide-opcn eye,
full Of ferocity, you are half gone up al
ready. When they tried Henderson at
New Orleans, and Judah Benjamin was
employed by the Spanish government to
| assist IN the prosecution, Tom, whose trial
was to follow, saw what II terrible tongne
Benjamin had, and he followed him out Of
| the courtroom and said:
"Look here, Mr.. jew i want to tell you
something. II, when my trial comes of,
III kin you in your tracks"
/ DcHluuliu suW tuosc oiS NySS 'N"Ny w
| lump out Of Toms head, and he said:
MFR. Hwkins, shall not want to have
| any difficulty with you, sir"
They did not convict Henderson, and
| Tom never came TO trial.
| IL reckon you never heard Of Tom Hem
derson's connection with the Fitch and
Stephen A. Douglas trialP That has never
been published, to my knowledge; but II
was u remarkable episode In the preface
| to the rebellion. You see, II was coming
| on toward the political conventions Of 1889,
and Douglas had all the strength, so that
| II was hard on TO certainty that he
would be nominated and crowd out the
Buchanan party. Igot sure Information
| af the nightly caucuses Of Slidell, jesse ID.
| Bright, Howell Cobb, Benjamin, and that
faction in Washington, for they met ut
Cobbs house chiefly and one day II came
| to me straight rs wire that they
had determined to force Douglas
into fight, and that 1t had been
proposed that Slidell should insult
| Douglas in the drinking saloon or the
Senate, and If he resented II, shoot him
down. wrote to Douglas ut once, but
KIN owing his habits so well, Of leaving let
tiers unopened for days and weeks together,
] sent the letter to u friend and COM
| MN W HMM 'H'u ~
perusc it, that he might be prepared. And
In that letter said If you are pushed to
the wall, telegraph for Tom. Hawkins, OF
Louisville.
"Well, came on from the South soon
| after that, and went up with George Pugh
| TO SEQ Douglas. There wo saw nobody To
pay much attention to us. Douglas seemed
absorbed with something else, and looking
out of his library, across the hall, i saw
Roger \. Pryor and Albert q, Brown, Of
Mississippi, step into another room. |
asked no questions, but came away and
soon afterward started for New York.
When got to the Relay house there was
| but three minutes delay, us the western
train had just come In, and i
saw get out of 1t and step toward the
Washington train who but Tom. Hawkins
"Tom," l cried, "what are you doing
here?'
"What are you doing away from WASH
ington?' said Tom.
"Going to New York.
"New York, what2 Do you get me
here and then run of to New York
Douglas has sent for me. The fights on r.
"Pll get of my baggage At Baltimore, y
said !, "and return to Washington to-
night
| And with that the trains steamed con-
trary ways
| II found out the matter ut Washington
that same evening. The conspirators had
arranged to force an insult upon Douglas,
and then if he challenged, he would lose
the vote Of the North. Ii he refused, no.
body in the South would touch him. The
creature of the conspirators to insult Doug
las was q. N. Fitch, of lndiana-still
alive, ! believe-and he had done
it in executive session the day
before reached the city. Doug
las had demanded retraction or u fight,
and Tom Hawkins had been sent for
IL found the household all warm for the
duel. Mrs. Douglas and the Cuttses and
everybody were bound to see Stephen out.
His wife said he might lose the Presidency
or anything before he should be beaten by
Jesse Bright and old Bucks myrmidons.
The billet doug had been passing all day
betwixt the Buchanan headquarters, in
the Presidents room Of the capital,
and one of the committee rooms, where
the Douglas men sat in council. The