The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-06-30
Tragedy In Ashe County.

Eerrtbte Tragedy In Ashe COUn ~.
To the attentive friends and corr e.
Spondents of the Knoxville Wing we are
indebted for the following nrrative of
an occurrence in private life that trans
pired a few days since in Ashe county,
North Carolina, near the Tennessee
line. Terrific, rough and fatal as the
result of the conflict was, we are assur-
cd that the parties participating in it
are regarded as good citizens by the
people of their immediate vicinity.
Each of the par ties represented own
respectable farms and sustain them
seleves creditably from the productions
of their land.
From the evidence adduccd before
the Justice, who had the case for trial,
we make up this summary:
1t seems that the wife OF James Da-
venport became jealous, old as she
proves to have been, ofa young girl
named Kate Jackson, represented as
being very lovable.
"Graee was In all her stops, heaven In her ey
IN every gesture dignity ana loNo'
Frequent quarrels and contentious
between Mrs. Davenport and Miss Kate
had occurred, however notwithstand'
ing.
On the day of the fatal collision itap-
pears that Miss Kate Jackson in COM
pany with her married sister, Mrs, De-
Armand, passed the residence of the
Davenport family. As soon as the sis
ters were discovered on the road, the
Davenports six in number, comprising
the mother, three daughters, two of
them grown, two sons, the eldest about
eighteen years old, rallied in force, and
set out in vigorous pursuit of the de-
fenceless sisters The trail was contin-
ued until the sisters had nearly reached
the Tennessee line. Here, the Daven-
port brothers, by military movement,
strategetically aanked them, and presen
ted afront, armed with sticks and stones.
This caused Kate and her sister first to
halt, and then attempt to retraco their
steps. But on attempting to retreat,
they were confronted by Mrs Daven-
port and the three daughters similarly
armed, who, demanded Mrs DeArmand
to get out Of the way, as they intended
to kill Kate. Instead of obeying this
military order, Mrs. DeA. made prep
arations to defend her Isister. Young
Davenport, the elder son, seeing this
opposition to his order, at once let 60 a
stone at her, which took affect on her
head, breaking her skull, and prostra-
ting her lifeless on the ground.
The heroic Kate was thus, at the on
set of the engagement, left to defend
herself. She rallied and maintained her
line by indiscriminately upon the at
tacting party such flinty missiles as came
opportune to her. One of these shots
took immediate effect upon the elder
Davenport boy, Sitting one side Of his
face open and placing him hOrS dU COM
bat. Turning her attention, then, to
the maternal head of the Davenport
family, she directed a stone aga inst her
head that inflicted severe wound and
laid her sprawling on the field, This
accomplished the heroic girl slow ly fell
back to a position where she could sup
ply herself with necessary amun ition.
This point obtained, and being still be-
Sieged, she again discharged shot and
another of the Davenport boys wilted.
Then the Davenport girls rallied and
made desperate charge upon her with
clubs and 0tones, inhicting serious
wounds but not succeeding in getting
her down. Just at this crisis Kate hard
pressed as she was, and having no time
to stoop to gather rocks to defend her.
self, extricated from her pocket small
penknife, measuring about six inches
in the blade, and commenced an indis-
Criminate and very wild and general
cutting and slashing at the co mbined
Davenport girls surrounding her
The result Of this fearful phrenzy or
the part of Kate was seriously detri-
mental to the well-being of the Daven-
port females. Two of them received
serious slashes from the insignif cant
weapon she welded, one of them drop
ping on the field from loss of blood let
flooding from the knife, and the other
so seriously disabled as to be fit sub
ject for hospital practice.
This unexpected result ontributed
materially to the immediate withdrawal
Of the remaining Davenport besieging
party, who quietly removed their dis
abled from the field, leaving the heroic
Kate master of the situation.
The casualties sustained in this en-
gagement only amount to the death of
Mrs. DeArmand, with the probability
that the elder Miss Davenport will also
die, and the crippling for life OF four
others of the Davenport family.
Kate Jackson was less injured than
any one engaged in the fight, and was
able to carry her dead sister home after
IL