Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-12-08
A BOWIE-KEFE TOURNAMENT.
ATeribie Fight among Gam
hlcrs ia the Indian E'erritorY.

lblcrs ia tIie Indian Territory.
! Correspondence of the New York Herald.
Lowell, Kansas, November u, 20.
DIR. V. c. Lawerence. of Nacuna, Colo
RADIO, recently Of Philadelphia, has Just
arrived here and furnished me the follow
ing details of one ofthose bloody tragedies
enacted nowhere else than on the borders:
On Tuesday election day) Joe aud
Charlie Bigger (brothers). Gus Norton
and Tom jackson, who had been driving "A
herd Of cattle into Missouri, passed
through here on their return home. in
! Northern Texas. The men eall young
well mounted and armed. and each posses
sed of considerable money, the proceeds of
the sale of their cattle. They stopped
some two hours in this place and | had
long oonversat wi h them. On Wednes-
day afternoon they camped on the banks
ofa small stream in the Indian Territory,
about forty miles from here, and after sta
king out their horses while cooking their
supper. sat down to game of cards. They
had hardly commedcee their game when
Orestes Watrous (known as Cock-eyed
! Watt The Allison and Dick Bradford,
noted New Orleans gamblers, rode into
the camp. These gamblers were on
professional tour from Fort Scott, and were
bound for BuXom Springs and Kansas City
The new comers were gladly welcomed
and invited to camp with the herders.
which invitation was quickly accepted.
| The sun being some two houls high it
was suggested that there was plenty OF
! time to have Il sociable game or two # po-
ker before supper. and accordingly Wa
trous. Bradford. Joe Bigger and jackson
! took hand At first Bigger aud Jackson
won, but luck soon turned and Wat
rous and bradford were in fair way of
cleaning out the others when Bigger detec-
ted Watrous cheating. \ row at once
cnsucd blows were interchangcd aud wea-
pons drawn by both parties, when it was
proposed, in order to secure fair play. that
Bigger and Watrous should fight il out on
horseback, the weapons being bowie knives.
This was at once agreed to, and the men
prepared for the bloody fray. They were
diycstcd 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 full speed,
pas ing on the LIFT side Both we're splen-
did horscmen. Bigger was mounted on
clean-limbed, fiery pony, little over
fourteen hands high. while watrous rode
large "watch-eyed vicious roam.
at the word go the combatants
spurred towards each other like the wind
but passaed without inhicting any injury.
a second and third joust was run when
Watrous' horse received a slight cut on
the flank On the fourth round bigger,
as he passed Watrous, threw himself on the
of side Of, his pony. 50 as to expose no por-
ton of his person, and drove lis knife ,
deep into the mock of his adversary : stced.
Watrous. divinng the mnneyre. wheeled
as the blow was struck, and attempted ot
hamstrng Biggers pony, but succeeded
only in infiictir% severe wound. This
style of fighting was then abandoned, and
both men and horses appeared TO become
infuriated at the sight of blood. As they
neared each other the fifth time Bigger
suddenly struck Wartrous with his left
FIST in the face at the same moment cutting
"A fearful cash in his thigh but before be
could get away WatrJus succeeded in dri-
wing his knife into Bigger shoulder. The
comblt lnts and or &c we b cn j gwa;
from loss Of blood, when Watrous determiu-
ed, if possible. to end the combat by rid
ing down his adversary, which lie thought
the superior weight Of his horse would en-
able him to do. Accordingly on the sixth
round, he made directly upon Bigger's po-
ny. and Bigger, in attempting to avoid Il
collision, was severely cut in the arr
face. The pony however, was.
although very lame, seized thor
cheek, decorating 1t in fcar,Jhn'
At the seventh encount'ons.. Is.
came sogcther with fearful irs
ny being thrown, falling upUO
but both Immediately regaine1
Waterous' horse was fast bleedi
from the stab in the neck, and
himself could scarce keep bis seat
wound in the thigh. Bigger succct
again sticking Watrous in the thig
was struck in return in the side. Sc
blows were interchangcd and cyaded'
fell only upon the horses.
The fight had now lasted more til,
half an hour, when DIR. Lawrence roc
up in time to witness the final round. 4.
they came together Watrous cndeoyored
to rise in his stirrups and to throw himself
upon Bigger but neither horse could stand
the encounter, and both fell Bigger was
streaming with gore from tho cuts in tho
face, back and arms. but was able 20 ox-
tricate 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 fend, and Il.
most in moment his knife La reached
the unfortunate gamblers heart, and Brad
ford. seeing tlie fate Of his friend, raised
his pistol, fired, and Bigger fell dead n
cross the corpse Of WatrOus.
4 free fight at once ensued. Charley
Bigger Norton and jackson firing upon
Bradford and Allison. Bradford was Kill
led in the melee, and Charley Bigger and
jackson severely wounded. The wounded
we're taken to a cabin about half mile
from the battlefield, and their wounds
dressed by DR.. Lawrence, who pronounced
them in a 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 the source ofmy informa-
will not admit of doubt Of its truth.
THERE is something 50 attractive about
flowers, that. not content with being merely
surrounded by them, we desire to have