The sun., 1878-10-13
RENlNISCENCE OF 1871.
THE cHALLENGE THiT HENRY CLAr's
URtNDSON SENT =. >. PREN7fSS
Reconciliation only Effected when the
Famous Lawyer and his Uenrdie.s An
,,soniu were on the uueiilnG Ground -
me speech that Led TO the Quarrel.


pow. ,he fu,r,'. oaai,. i'n',rL
eoorrcn, : pronti-- had won world
..i. rnru'ntion iu Mis- Iuu' ne nm orator and
vt'v,.n n.s 'Nn du s with G,v. Horny y.
,t, in 1888 in which hc wis both times chal-
t.~.ol and .a 10 time wounded his adversary.
KIT established llI- reputation Tor courage.
rt,w.t.hcry ~ his cloqucn"r surpassed any
tvin, orn'rr 1i his times. or. ineced, any that
' N''r ',,!ci h u from Patrick Henry down 10
VI, as- cafc to Nat.hcz Miss. in 1927, and
Ca. enplcyed as tutor in the private flmily of
f@w'dow ~ tho nir Iu'g Shiclds, q the Su,
,,.rie d airi ~ THAI N'aic. aud aVailnd himself
" 'uefn"lirnry oi That uot.d lurist Although
/, native ol The Stnie OF Nlainc. Prenuss had
n,ne of tho pr,ludires of his people. and
s.sdiiv uiautol himself To- southern customs
.ndinsttutions. Ia 1879 he was admitted 10
vi Prenu.s was small in stature. not being
oy'r avo fsot DIe.i inches IN height. and WIS
deiormrd ty his ,risht loot being smaller ihoun
H. ussi caHe .n walking. II. hnd - massive
rl,N forehead. large hlue eyes, handsome lca-
t'irss vlth % remarkably in'c 'ctunl express
49,, fn which pohrr"-s. daring and mag
rsnimii, wore sinlularlv combined He had a
scry slight -p whicl gave To certnin words
,urss cnye ereaf force to his language
In tho-a dU's there wero more wealth.
srs,o.rlcy and cultivated refinement with.
IN A cir 'uu arer'e ot twenty miles around
N,..hsy tau ip amy other portion Of
,,.Io.hlos IN o.. nmi'v ~ Mrs Shields he was
invited 10 d uo * boihool party, and being
f0ial strong and n' t1ai tim" extremely scnsi-
fivsa- lo a.- ln.grmitv. ho tc himself neglect
od arl .nrsHi DOWN upon hy the uristorrniir
rllat "a aad iair a.iles. ana uniustly attributed
ihs causc So hS ue.uc poor. lame schO0 mas
ter From thar TIM he secluded himself from
ali sbsiFv End wholly devoted himself 10 his
hooks and studies having resolved to himself
thl; le would. 20 u.s. HE own language. one
10y frrr ti'-' prorlc 70 ms i'rt In relating
mis- Incident 90 the writer. he said II wHs 20 the
mar'aN'on he felt on that occasion tina, lie
o,r.l his future -uH.,'~-
On QUE ot Mr. Promises visits TO Natches. tho
writer. VITO Nul thnu Just been admitted II the
har. TOOK stroll with him to the Nat'he2 Bluffs.
vhicn are snmt 500 feet above the level NJ the
river aad from IFS long reach commanded
lueNlrw. 4 glorious sui~et. with i,s crimson
hues. was melting on the western s&y. and
sprne lue the dr'oy clouds with the golden
sp.endor of It- RAYS. when Pr.utss broke forth
aio rap'urou. improvisation. In which the
exquisite toaUy oi his language was only
Nut.rt hy IT, gorgeous hrlillncy OF the socne
0ci0le Us. MAnr no had inisae1. surprising
t1a h. hal bocn quoting from some author
tne writer asked where the supposed quotation
WIS from. Iapplp- his forehead with b -
bai56Gr5c: ba5G5:' ne ''d' From A'Fe' l never heard ID
In 1874 Mr.. Prcniss moved to New Orlean.
lvhere the writer had preceded him. and
tormel partnership with HE old confrere.
Gen Huston. Ia january. 1913. he wns cm-
poyad IN q suit AGAINST james Trivia. the som
ir-law oi Henry Cay. o. s.ta.iIe certain deeds
o 'rnst made hy James Irwin to his brother
Andrew who lived in Tennessee. on the sruu und
oi fraud. Randall Hunt. On" 0i tho ahlo-t nd
r.
Irwin. The case occupied three days ia taking
tbs testimony ANA creai al general interest
On the sln luy hnlnE closed, the Count ad;
'oGrned uni u' next dav Tor Oh" ar,'um"nt ~
the case. There was great deal o: feeling on
nlth dos Aul u' iNt" 'lasllns anu spnifins
between i.ie .un.,l. - 'lsv wsr. going down
tho Clur. il0t.-s e.; IS. t1v ~! ter being b'nind
them, Eulf N'-' gtt g Wlh % p1rgous, cOtii-
dent air. Well prea,-.. rather tnink, yoA
hsV" got Nh ali irnfrr eu-' Co handle. Yes. "
replied irrn-.-s. Mrn h- Kissing lisp, Il Is
an all. gator c.e.. Hum, and I'm going TO skin
bin Tomorrow AMI De kept his word. The
next day iA' court E,om was crowded 10 ia
utmo-i caplttY Mr. prn.>-. In summing M
and commenln. up1n the evidence before the
p.yj irai' n bursts 4 s.a'hin., withyrng r.
Why. grnt'mon. sand he. the evidence BE-
lore you srows ihai this man. james Irwin in
ronpiu- his creditors. las NOT shown even the
his 'ouras~. for the hghwnyman IN taking
n"v-r sncwn % 4toop So low a. 10 robthe POOR.
H"r" N-. lrent-a made "a drcp pause. and ~ IL
r-n@'tn nA or toe severity 81 tho lnngnn4e lie
d ia f ia Gfnt oa W. +, I@Ey ss sni H. inHs sST s1
% rejection. l- w it mv duty, IN presenc" ~
thls yasi hasrni in.a@". tn trnirr an apology ior
from u.y li- Ipreiourl ssn-mionl: ffr ln III 3
olaen days oi chiVa4rY. when knight cr-
erosty nnl rarrsnin,i'v in tho soul Of the
chlNllrous iEhWsgul % u.V"r Possess ID by the
d ',n!art ir t..s 9i-'.' Tho Court and couu-
st. for TAG 4..'n iilt .o1kei ronioundru, wa
: burst 40 irr u --.nlr auplaus broke forth
if.u tac nu.wn'r. Mr.. lgeuuss continued
tnorriOr .t'r. comp .ei Cd i1 .n~ti 'r 40 th'
memory 10 tIe Au -lfY hpu r Of ihe aigHTAy
man ior having come ''"d ms name with thN
oI nHu ~ uHE-a lei 1nu q isErhce'i ani ri1ke
my apolo-y g. Llc tout- ~ tN' WronE nav
committed u .u. returning - 'Ae jury. hf
sall: "A mor' lit!n- and appgoprnte onfn'
parison, gentlemen. wouid BE- 10 associHtr 'A'
pam" ot James IRWIN With tnat u tnr -i"dlihy
Nglt-Iu-rr"f =. o'krt Wilp rpnS You w u"
lot SHOWING tAAt you arc Tooucl. ne cii Il
WIS hasilng AMI pa.niully withrrinR. an
" 20 go L1rt @! "a. . mus and nloquen'e 81
htnlI.t ltuni "1uli oo!Itsratc frent!ss had
.- ro-uit was that young Henry Clay Irwin,
i..t' - H.4- '-'i ,.Ni IS ltr ,iuls ~ A4i
e. -!. Nr. ED'rr, J'hNs0n of Kentucky. a
l~rrnt ry r!4alIeuCr to prsntiss Tho friends
~ N- FrYnt.-- Buil.ie pevton then Tnitrl 4
star. D. -.ri., i,i0rn.v ard ,b" Iate Inx -
La ~Itor ~ thn Ptrdyule, ADVISED lin t1
de.aI' 90. rhqllengs on ihs ground that he
Wa On. r.sr. hlc tor Language used prOf..s-
snnaly. af 4 tlaf Mr. James IRWIN Only nad th.
rsat 60 .marl satisfaction. which was done
10 saw young Irwin as they felt the duel would
troye 'e.t. AN Bur prentiss said the chal
iense stated ihat young Irwln's father wa un
ahe al-ii'u such matters. and II he declined
= voui oly raI - street light: ihut
ne alWf.. Tie spirlt Of tho gallant
Uy onI appreciated his noble feelings.
sli, there bong u1 alternative he WAS
c..n. e. E.N him satisfaction. Tho
c1aI"nl. .To- e'u.oqu .nty accepted. and time
gwen 10 llr Fr.ni. -'n arrange MS affairs. In
tH meanwhile tfni VI f-f ~ ivuS called in % n