Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-31
WHOSE CORN WAS THE HIGHEsre
Taco Kisssn.e,s in Virginia Slash Each Othe>
VIII. Carring Knires--One Killed and til
Other Fatally Wounded.
[Cincinnati Enuuirer.1

l1HO hl1aSt1se31 1N Virginia Slash Each Ofjle3
With Curling knires--One Killed and thu
Other Fatally Wounded.
Cincinnati Enquirer
FOREST DEPOT, Va, May 2s.-A fatal en-.
counter occurred near this place to-day be-
tween Alexander Sliey and Frost Coles
brothers-in -law, in which the former was
killed and the latter dangerously wounded
The parties to the affair are young farmers
and highly connected, and of course the
community is in state of wild excitement
Sliey aud Coles became involved in dis
pute this forenoon as to who had the largest
corn. 81 bet my corn is two inches higher
said Coles. Then they visited the fields and
measured. They we're both very pleasant
about 1t at first, but when Coles found his
neig hbors corn was the longest he was ex-
ceedingly wroth, and accused his friend OF
cheating. Then hot words ensued, and
finally the lie passed. The two men, who
an hour before had been intimate friends,
were now deadly foes. Sliey proposed that
they meet in piece of umbrageons woods, a
mile distant, and fight it out with knives.
Coles accepted the challenge.
The two men went to their respective
homes, and, according to their agreement,
procured carving knives. In half hour
they met in the woods ready for the duel,
and then made preliminaries in the corn
field. They told old Bob Ormington, a
colored laborer, to meet them on the grounds
as an escort-a second. Tho negro thought
they were joking about fighting, and to carry
out the joke he was promptly in the chosen
woods when the two men arrived. It was
then too late for him to back out. The
duelists, who were men of splendid physique,
were cool before commencing. It was about
noon. They handed the negro an ak, and
told him that if he found one taking ad-
vantage of the other to rush in and straight
en- them. This agreed upon, the principals
stripped to the waist, and without any delay
began the deadly combat.
They first tried fencing, but it is said that
after few parties, Cole begun to use his
weapon like mailman and fend. He in
ficted five deep wounds in his antagonists
body, one being in the abdomen and one in
the throat. At this rate Sliey fell to the
ground in q few minutes, and died in less
than half an hour. Cole received three
wounds, one in the arm, one in the ribs and
one in the neck. Two of them were quite
deep, and may result fatally.
Old Ormington, the negro, was SO terrified
that he did nothing but yell, so he states.
This sole witness states further that as Coles
ran the blade of his carving knife into
Siey's throat he said, :'Damn you, now who
is the best man?' AS Sliey fell he muttered,
Il am killed." After he had fallen Coles
inflicted three wounds and then he, too, fell
to the ground exhausted by loss of blood.
Bob Ormington started for the house, when
he met constable, to whom he related the
story. The officer went with him to the
woods, where he found the two bodies lying.
Summoning some friends he had them car
ried to the nearest house.
Coles may recover, but it is thought
doubtful. Ormington was arrested as an
accomplish. Sliey was very handsome, and
had been married only few months. Coles
is related to prominent politician.