The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-21
FIELD AND WELLS.
Gath Photographs the Two Gladiafors
of the Tribunal.

re-. A. T. to Cincinnati EnquIrer1
The passage alarms between David Dud-
ley Field and old J.. Madison Wells has been
the episode of the week. They are old men
about or above seventy years old each
and of strong native constitutions and equal
though unlike, physiques Exposed to a
trying southern climate and plantation
work, Wells has grown aged more rapidly;
Field is as tall as Saul, imposing in hight
not gaunt or lean, fashionably made up and
well pleased with himself, insinuating.
plausible and elegant. He is dressed with
neatness; he has the professional mans
eyeglass suspended to his vest; he
has a voice of silvery fineness, and he
sits at the table and asks his questions con-
versationally, with sweetness and leading
meaning that's like stepfather's fiogging-
at once gentle and tantslizing He has little
or no scruple, and generally puts an answer
into his questions Versed in all the subtle
ties of the cross-examiner, he impugns while
he interrogates, he pinches while he
smoothes. He is, in some measure, like Mr..
Dickens's character of "Chester." patroniz-
ing and cutting, lofty and unfeeling, sweet
and poisonous He has no natural courtesy
and great refinement He spares no sensi-
blllty and otfends no grammar. He can not
conceal certain half triumph nor wholly
disarm the suspicion of the witness, who in
Wardly muses. that a most capable
scoundrel is fencing with him. Old
Wells is bee6ly made up, thick breasted
broad, heavy, squarish or substantial short
ish legs, with muscular power most compact
ly bundled up in his arms, wrists and neck
He has short, thick neck, and adeep head,
with the skull square and thick and short.
gray halr-and all over-the strength of @
low built Samson. He could defend pas.
or break pillar. He could hold up a rock.
like the dying. muskateer, with his body or
drive powle knife into a fighting alligator.
he Is bison like old fellow, except for hair;
/ his only beard is gotee, cut close off along
the broad bottom of his chin. Sluggish
power, readily turned to fuel, abides in his
countenance. He is almost habitually self
suppressed and toned down to certain rus
tic dignity and sobriety. He feels the
governorship he once held. His intel
ligence is more than fair, but ACQUIRED
through the senses. He has evidently
readsome and adapted more. He is a natural
man OF scarcely civilized type, with i'm
petuous passions and logged self reliance.
He is chary of speech, trusting little of the
low current of his thinking to the mill-tail
of his mouth. He is yet plausible and slow
of giving offense. He takes otfense with
gathering terror OF countenance, and is a
law unto himself. You would not meet him
placldly on lonely road any more that you
would expect John A. Murrell You would
leave his region If you heard he was cunning
for yon. He has a long sense of resent
ment; he will not scare; he sub
sists like a mule, upon thistles and
injuries, and grows fatter therefor. He
does not carry the appearance of these re-
sentiments because they are too deem to live
in his lineaments; they descend to the bone
and are carried there like the hereditary
| prejudices of an Indian. By contact the
fury is rekindled; the hell opens in his
cOuntenance; his encounter is deadly. The
occasional laugh on Wells's face is like an
| Indians giggle. 1t comes up Unexpectedly;
| it tarries a minute. He is respectful in his
hands warmly. He loved the Union as be
loved savery-a thing among his rights, a
| part OF his property, to be defended if he
chose to do it. Having taken that position,
| it became one of his unciviliZed traditions.
| His Union was a tiger: his party was his
executor; his fidelity was lowering and dark
"a clansman's passion, not an affection. He
rejoiced when the rebels were killed; be
wanted the flag to drip bloody; he wanted
the victory to be forever.
When Wells encountered Field he felt his
sensibilities wounded. He felt that man
was undertaking him. He did not compre
bend lawyers way of fighting. His vanity
of character and his savage personality were
being punctured and played with So the
old man of three score and ten hated in
minute or two the other old man of three
score and ten. would liked to see them
| fight, those veterans of two civilizations,
| the feeble and the rough, the professional
| and the natural. There is no telling who
would hive whipped, for roth are
powerful: Field like hound; Wells like
bulldog AS have not particle of intel
| lectual or moral respect for either of them,
L should have looked at the fight anatomi-
cally, and cried Hiss him, Legsi At him,
BULL"