Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-03-30

I n 49, ess.
tits now thirty years since one m y.
most remarkable, desperate and mn.s .ns
Gus duels THAT ever took place in fs,;a .er
any other country was fought n W.
burg. One of the parties was f.,rrnerI',S
New York boy, who was q graduate f,ss.a
enc of the Wall street banks. After an
ing all the desks of that institution r;a
singular ability, from a co,lect;na
clerk up 10 the position Of first teIias
while still quite young man he xas -,
pointed cashier of bank in yickshurg
which gave ohense, and caused sras,
jealousy among the senior clerks OF tks.
institution, and they took every opnorfn
nifty 10 oppose and insult him. Ibis h.
came so marked and unbearable in 4.
character that the President finally ,elS
the cashier that lie must resent it and ba
would stand by him. He had eccasios
soon after TO give one Of the tellers a snec
linen of his skill in the art Of sell. ds
Tense. This resulted in challenge for
duel, which was accepted, and after thras
days of constant pistol practice, respl,inr
in the death OF the teller He had nns
merous relatives that, one after ano,har
came forward to avenge his death pnti.s
four duels were forced upon the casbier.
from the natural consequence of the 60
duel, and :" still there were more Re-
monds in the field" A relative OF N Il
first victim, an editor and successful dneI
list, gave out a threat that he was comm Il
TO town to avenge the death of his cousi,'
His great courage and desperate fgLt
ing qualities had been freoue6tlrS
successfully tried, and were so vii
known that something desperate must
be done to meet the emergency. anil
if possible to stop any ana ali fu,nra
challenges. The editor arrived ~
town, and lost no time in sendns
his message which was promntI3
responded TO. Early in the morpipg -
the same day all the arrangements wers
made for meeting at six O'clock the ney,
morning. After making some necessarvS
arrangements in case Of death the casbia,
went to bed, and slept until four a. m
having all this time forgot the aImo.,
worshipful love and devotion of his wife
and only child, who were in profound 10.
norance OF his desperate enterprise HeS
silently kissed them; and then the hus. 4
band and father stole away to attend 10
the bloody business that he deemed I'm.
perative, according to the code OF
honor" and the loose morals of the inhab.
itants in that vicinity. He went forth
with firm determination "to CONQUER or
die" On arriving at the appointed
rendezvous, he found trench dug six
feet deep, two feet wide and twelve feet
long. Into this double grave he two
principals descended, each armed with
SKIS shooting navy revolyers, and having
bowie knives, with instructions to com.
mence firing at the word, and advance
and finish the bloody work with their
knives if the pistols failed to accomplish
it. AT the first shot the editor was NOR
tally wounded. He drew his knife, and
with the ferocity of tiger, sprung for
ward at his opponent, just as he had fired
his second shot. lie warded off the blow
with his pistol, which had deep cut in
it made by the heavy knife, showing
what desperate blow had been aimed at
his life by his adversary, who fell dead at
his feet. The cashiers mind was So
much diseased that he could not attend to H
business, and by the advice OF his physi.
clan took vacation and change Of scene.
He came to this city and died in lunatc
asylum on the island month after
~. 7. Commercial Advertiser.