The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1870-12-10
RoNie-K nife Tcurnasocnf--TerrsS
Duel Betw cen fsansaicss. ia the Indian
Territory.


Territory.
DR.. V. C. lawrence, of yacuua, Colorado,
recently of Philadelphia, has just arrived
here and furnished the following details
of one of those bloody tragedies enacted no.
where else than on the borders:
| On Tuesday election day.. Joe ard Char
lev Bigger ttro,herSl Gus Merton and Tom
jackson. who had been driving a herd of cat
tie into Missouri, passed through here on their
return home in Northern Texas. Tie men
were all young, well mounted and armed
and each possessed of considerable money!
the proceeds of the sale of their cattle
They stepped some two hours in this place.
and had a long conversation with them.
| On Wednesday afternoon they camped on the
! banks of small stream in the Indian Terri
tory, abous forty miles from here, and after
stalking out their horses, while cooking their
supper, sat down to game of cards. They
had hardly commenced their game when
0restes Watrous known as Cock-eyed Wat).
The Allison and Dick Bradford noted New
Orleans gamblers, rode into camp. These
gamblers were on a professional tour from
Fort Scott, and We're bound for Buxton
| Springs and Kansas City. The new corners
were gladly welcomed and invited to camp
with the herders, which invitation was quick
/ ~ accepted.
The sun hsing some two hours high it was
suggested that there was plenty of time to
have sociable game or two of poker before
supper aud accordingly Watrous. Bradford,
Joe Bigger and jackson took o hand. At
first Bigger and jackson won, but luck soon
turned, and Watrous and Bradford were in a
fair way of cleaning out the others, when
| Bigger detected Watr0Cs cheating. row
at once ensred blows were interchanged and
weapons drawn by both parties, when it was
| proposed, in order to secure fair play, that
| Bigger and Watrous should fight it out on
horseback, their weapons being bowe-knives.
| This was at once agreed to, and the men pre-
pared for the bloody fray. They were di-
vested of their coats and shirts, and their
knives were bound to their right hands
! They were then placed sixty yards apart
with orders to ride at each other at full speed
passing on the left side. Both were splendid
horsemen. Bigger was mounted on clean
limbed, fiery pony. little over fourteen
| hands high. while Watrcus rode large
'watched-eyed, !" vicious roam.
! At the word "go'' the combatants spurred
toward each other like the wind, but passed
without inflicting any injury. A second and
third joust was run, when Watrods' horse
received slight cut in the flank. On the
| fourth round Bigger, as he passed Watrous
threw himself on the side of his pony so as
to expose no portion of his person, and drove
his knife deer in the neck of his adversary s
steed. Watrous, divining the maneuver,
wheeled as the blow was struck, and attempt
ed to ham-string Bigger's pony, but succeed
ed only in intlictng severe wound. This
style OF fighting was then abandoned, and
both men and horses appeared to become in
furiated at the sight of blood. AS they near
ed each other the fifth time Bigger suddenly
struck Watrous with his left fist in the face,
at the same moment cutting fearful cash in
his thigh; but before he could get away
Watrous succeeded in driving his knife into
Biggels shoulder. The combatants and
horses were becoming weak from loss of
blood. when Watrous determined if possible
to end the combat by riding down his adver-
sary, which he thought the superior weight
of bis horse would enable him odo. Accord
inglv, on the sixth round. he made directly
for Bgger's pony, and Bigger, in attempting
TO avoid the collision, was severely cut in the
arm and face. The pony, however, was
game, and. although very lame. seized the
roam by the cheek, decorating it in fearful
manner.
At the seventh encounter the horses came
together with fearful shock, the pony be-
ing thrown, falling upon his rider, but both
immediately regained themselves. Watrous'
horse was fast bleeding to death from a stab
in the neck, and Watrous himself could scarce
keep his seat from the wound in the thigh
Bigger succeeded in again sticking Watrous
in the thigh, and was strack in return in the
side. Several blows were iuterchanged and
evaded or fell only upon the horses.
The fight had now lasted more than half
an hour, when DR.. Lawrence rode up in time
to witness the final round. As they came to-
gether -Watrous endeavored to rise in his
strrups and to throw himself upon Bigger,
but neither horses could stand the encounter,
and both fell Bigger was streaming with
gore from the cuts in the face, back and arms
but was able to extricate himself and rushed
upon Watrous, who could not rise on account
of the wounds in his thigh. Bigger threw
himself upon Watrous with the fury of a
6end. and almost in moment his knife had
reached the unfortunate gamblers heart,
and Bradford, seeing the fate of his friend,
raised his pistol, fired. end Bigger fell dead
across the CORPSE of Watrous.
4 free fight at once eosued, Charley Big
ger. Norton and jackson firing upon Brad
ford and Allison. Bradford was killed in the
melee. and Charley Bigger and jackson Sc
vereIy wounded. The wounded were taken
to a cabin about half mile from the battle
field, and their wounds dressed BY Dr. Law
renee, who pronounced them in fair way Of
recovery.
This is one OF the most remarkable fights
that has ever occurred, even among the law
less adventures of the border. 1t sounds
like romance, but tie source CT my informa-
ton will not admit of doubt of its truth.
la Muskingum county, Ohio, man NAM
ed iElktNiI hid ho4,.,