Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-11-16

| them into his pocket, and, unmolested
retired to his state. room, where he re
loaded his pistol and packed his port
manteau. At the next landing he left
| the boat without interference, and was
quickly lost to sight as he climbed up
| the landing and entered the woods.
1t was probably owing to two reasons
that the officers of the boat or pas
sengers made no attempt to detain him,
IN the first place, it was evident to all
of them that the sufferer had attempted
to swinde or rob him, and he (Davis)
being much the smaller and weaker
man, they felt a sympathy for him, not
unmixed with aspecies OF admiration
at his GOODNESS and nerve. Secondly,
many of them knew him by sight or
reputation, and did not care to hazard
their lives in an attempt to arrest him
when they could gain nothing 10y so
doing.
The wounded man was assisted to bed
by his friends, and physician was
called to attend him. Strange to say,
he recovered, but for weeks after arriv
ing in st. Louis, and becoming sutfi-
ciently convalescent to walk the streets,
carried both of his arms in sling.
Davis remained away from town some
time, but finally reappeared here, and
Officer Patrick DcDonough, seeing and
recognizing him, arrested him, but in
the attempt was stabbed, and rather
badly wounded in the side. The man
shot, for some reason best known to
himself, refused or failed to appear to
prosecute him, and that case was dis
missed on nolle prosequi. How the case
against him for assault with intent to
kill upon Officer McDonough was dis.
posed of, the Democrat informant did
not remember, but Davis was probably
released on bail, and jumped his bond.
In the fall of 1859, or spring OF 1860,
Davis travelled or worked for some
months with one William Clifford, pro-
fessional gambler, who is said to have
been open-hearted and generous to
fault. His splendid appearance, fasci-
mating manners, and genial ways made
him favorite with all who knew him,
and the police or others never appealed
nate without receiving a generous con-
trlbution. Although as quick to resent
a real or fancied insult as Davis, and
much more powerful man, the pair
never quarreled until one night when
both were to q considerable extent in
toxicated. Some disagreement then
arose between them, and Clifford struck
Davis or applied some epithet to him
that aroused all the evil passions in him.
He said nothing at the time, probably
being unarmed, but, in walking up town
that night, met an officer with whom he
was acquainted, and, after narrating the
quarrel, declared with an oath that,
before the week was over, he would cut
off Clifford's ears. The officer remarked,
" You are drunk, now, Davis 60 home
and 90 to bed, and you will think better
of it in the morning. Davis asserted
with savage earnestness that he was not
drunk, and that the officer would see
that he kept his word and revenged the
insult. He then passed on, and the
officer saw nothing more of him until
two days afterward, when he was brought
into the station-house and placed on
the hold-over book to await the result
of knife wound he had inflicted on
Clifford.
The latter was drinking at the bar of
the Astor House saloon, on Franklin
avenue, when Davis, seeing him through
the door, entered, and, walking up to
the counter, called for glass of peer
and invited Clifford to Join him. Cliff
ford, regretting.his hasty words at their
last meeting, aquiesced, thinking that
q mutual understanding and apology
would fol Low. AS he reached out his
hand for the beer, Davis caught up his
own mug and threw the contents into
Clitford's face.
The latter sprang toward him to resent
the insult, when Davis quickly drew q
large knife and plunged it into his body,
severiDg the intestines and causing a
wound that proved fatal in two or three
days. Davis was tried for the murder,
but was acquitted on the ground of self
defense, as Clifford either tried to draw
some weapon or strike him with the
beer glass before he was stabbed.
Davis is also reported to have found
a New Orleans gambler altogether too
intimate with his woman, and, taking
him aside one evening, he informed him
that the woman was the same to him as
a wife would be, and that he had pur.
chased the house and furniture for her.
He concluded by saying that he did not
particularly blame him (the gambler),
as he did not understand the case, but
he requested him to never revisit his
house. This the gambler promised, and
Davis said he was satisfied. He, how.
ever, added that, should the gambler
forfeit hls word, he would find him less
amiable on a second occasion for con-
versation on that subject. The gambler
did keep away from the house for a
time, but one night, when he supposed
Davis up the river, returned, by appoint
ment, and had just seated himself for
a wine supper and tete,a-tete with the
object of Davis affections, when Davis
himself walked into the room, and, after
knocking the interloper down with a
oker, sliced off the tip of his nose with
bowie-knife, remarking that he would
forever spoil his good looks. lie then
disarmed him, and, when he had suf.
ticiently recovered consciousness to walk,
u'hered him out of the front door be-
fore the muzzle of pistol. Davis died
five or six years ago, while on trip
through the South, but whether he fell
by the hand Of some man equally des'
perate, or died of disease, was moi
stated.-,&. Louis Democrat.
A Problem Solved.