The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-06-24
MISSED HIS MARK.
A True Story Of Kentucky I'm Che
Olden Time.

Y
ted narrative of one of the most IN
tercsting adventures and hair>breadtb
escapes characteristic of the first part of
the present century in this section of
the commonwealth.
The question was asked by Judpe
Dulaney, and Robert Davis, the wit
ness, answered that his age was seven
ty-two years and, for the purpose of
answering the balance of the question,
turned to an old acquaintance i'm the
room, and asked him, "What year
was 1t that fellow shot at me near the
dripping Springs? for that was my
nrst years's experience in the tobacco
trade" When the witness had been
released from his examination, We de-
sired to know the particulars of the in
cident referred to, and he favored us
with the following:
In the year IS, / was agent in the
Green river country for. a large tobacco
house i'm New Orleans. There were no
express companies through this coun-
try then, and had just returned from
New Orleans, bringing with me a
large amount of money, for the purpose
of paying for the tobacco had pur-
chased and shipped, and to make fur
ther purchases for the same house.
stopped one night at the Dripping
Springs, about fifteen miles north of
Bowling Green, on the Louisville and
Nashville Turnpike. This was the
stopping-place then for travellers GO
ing over to the Mammoth Cave. From
this point l was desirous of reaching a
farmers, who resided not far from the
Cave, and, accordingly, after settling
my bill with the hotel-keeper at the
springs, left early the next morning for
that point.
In those days, at almost every ho-
tel in this section of the country, there
was certain to be found class OF men
peculiar 10 those times and this part of
the country; men of good address and
manly appearance, and who, without
labor of any kind, lived upon the fat of
the land, as found at the old stage
stands and country taverns, but of
whose previous history nothing could
ever be learned, and who yet seemed
never to be Withholding any secret
from their associates, and even casual
acquaintance. Such was man by
the name of Potter, then living at the
Dripping Springs.
After leaving there, rode over on
the rugged and almost mountaious road
leading from the springs to the cave,
until l reached the branch that crosses
the road, about two miles beyond the
springs. 1t was warm, sultry day,
and l stopped here, as had been suf-
fering from headache, to bathe my
head in the stream. / dismounted
from my horse, and held the bride
while L knelt on a rock; and at the
very instant stopped over heard the
sharp crack of a rifle, and, in looking
up, i saw this man Potter coming al
most on run out of some bushes to-
ward me; and / afterward remembered
the exceedingly perplexed look of sur
prise upon his countenance when i
asked What was he shooting at %
He said, A turkey and commenced
to load his gun again. mounted my
horse and rode off, not doubling his
word. A few yards from this point the
road turned, and on my looking around
from here, saw that he was loading
very excitedly, and there was pecu-
liar something in the manner i'm which
he turned up his charger to pour in the
powder that caused my first suspicion
of the truth. 1t has been upward of
As years, but there is no memory more
distinct in my mind than the strange,
unaccountable look of that man, as he
appeared at that NOR ent. ] then re-
membered that he had seen me open
my pocketboOk to settle with the land
lord at the springs that morning; and
scarcely had thought of this when
my horse staggered and fell i'm the
road. On examining him, l found his
whole breast covered with blood that
f<xfo ,on h,,1I I4} IL
in his shoulder. My suspicion were
then proven, and, getting him up
again, hurried ON to the Mammoth
Cave as fast as his condition would al
low. There had been big field mus
story, the colonel i'm command, Mr.
Elijah Claypool) started with six men
back to the spot. Potter had some
friends present, and particularly DR..
Stone, who were inclined to ridicuIe
my story as to the intention of Potter,
even if L was correct about his being
the man. On arriving at the branch
no trace of Potter could be found, nor
could we for some time find any marks
or circumstances tending i'm any way
ever, Col. Claypole found, on a little
print of rifle stock, and also of a
mans knee upon the ground. The
Colonel then placed me where / stood
when I heard the shot, and with his
own gun he took aim at me from the
position by the tree, and he then told
the doctor that a thick dogwood bush
was directly i'm the line, and that bail
could not have penetrated it without
...rtf ff..r n lnof fnr rfxr-to nt,<
a leaf was found with the smooth-cut
hole of rifle ball in it, and the line of
sight showed that it must have passed
through the centre of my back and as
il did not, the matter was mystery to
act of STOPPING at the time heard the
shot. And it was then plainly seen
that my horse being behind me had re.
And | could accountthen for the suf>
fused look OH Potter'sface when asked
him what he was shooting at. He had
expected, of course, to run out and
find me dead, and could not account
for his disappointment.
Potter was afterwards arrested by
the militia, but somehow was never
brought to trial, but compelled to leave
tilc CouHlN, WDiCu at liistt tllile WIS
the greatest punishment for all often
ces not amounting to murder.
About three years after this L was
going over the same road, and on the
same business; and, having obtained "A
very early start from the springs one
morning, met on the top of one of
the high hills, near this same point
about daylight i'm the morning, this
very same man Potter, with his rifle
on his shoulder. 1t was then that
/ thought of the morrow for / saw at
the very first glance that he knew me;
bat. stranger still than this meeting was
he nerer noticed me, or deigned to speak
of the incident of our first meeting there.
1t was easy enough to face him, but it
was never more difficult to turn my
back on a friend than to put this man
behind me. But passed on unmolest-
ed. He was reputed fine marksman at
the springs, and perhaps he remembered
that within few PAGES, and with an un-
errinc rifle, he had tried me once before
and failed. and never had known the lit
tie incident that saved my life at the time.
Il have never heard anything OF Pot
ter since then"
The truth of this adventure is vouched
for by two OF the most respectable cltl-
Zens OF Bowling Green--Mr. Robert Da-
Wis and Mr.. Elijah Claypool and its
history has not appeared in print before
To PURIFY A RooM.--Set a pitcher
of water i'm n room. and i'm n few hours