Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-10-17
DEADLY DUEL WITH KNIVES.
A Yankees Mortal Strife Witha BOr-
der Rutiian.

A Yankees Mortal Strife With BOr-
der RufIian.
An old inhabitant has recoun-
ted the details Of a famous duel
fought here in September, 1858. near
twenty years ago, the spot chosen for
the slaughter being almost precisely
the one selected by United States
Senator, James III. Lane, when he
sent the bullet crashing through his
brain, which put such sudden end
to his Senatorial career. The fact of
the duel has, heretofore, been known
as tho dark secret" and, so far as is
known, has not heretofore been di-
vulged, as the parties concerned
were sworn never to reveal it until at
some future time, when concealment
would not longer exist. AS is we'll
known, the period prior to the recep-
ton of Kansas into the Union of
States, was a time OF trouble and
tribulation a time which tried mems
souls, when the bowie knife and the
revolver were the sole arbiter Of
quarrels. The strife OF supremacy
between the Free State men and the
border ruf1ians was bitter to the last
degree.
Among the Free State men who
were CONSPICUOUS for their advocacy
Of equal rights was. youthful Mas
sachusetts lawyer named Williams
brave, resolute and daring. He was
marked man at the time, and the
opposition was determined that he
should be put out Of the way. En-
rolled in the border ruf1ian ranks was
lusty Southerner named Jackson, a
Tennesseean, a firm believer in the
"code," crack shot, and utterly fear
less; cold blooded, cool, a man Of fine
presence. and who hated Yankee as
he hated the devil.
He was the one selected to put
Williams out OF the way; to pick
quarrel with the victim and then let
the bullet finish the work. Meeting
one afternoon on Delaware street. the
two became engaged in conversation
and a hot dispute arose, ending by
Jackson splitting in Williams face.
This was an insult too gross to be
brooked. and nothing but the Inter-
ference Of friends prevented a tiag-
edy then and there. The result was
challenge. the parties to meet upon
the. Government reserve the next
morning at daylight to fight 1t out.
Pistols were chosen, after the first
two shots the parties to close with
knives.
Jackson, being the challenged par
ty. had the selection OF the weapons,
and, being an expert with both the
revolver and knife, chose them to be
used Ia the duel. Williams, while
comparatively good shot with the
revolver, could not approach his an
tagonist in the use of that weapon,
while with the knife he was wholly
unacquainted- However, he could
not back out, and knowing inevitable
death to be the result, he proceeded
to the spot chosen, determined to sell
his life as dearly as possible.
In the gray daylight Of the autumn
morning two men, accompanied by
two seconds and surgeon, met upon
the reserve a short distance north
west of the bead of Broadway, and
prepared for the bloody work before
them. Both were cool and collected
the first because Of the anticipation
OF an easy victory. the other firm in
the belief that he was in the right,
and resolved to make his mark, even
IL he could not kill his adversary.
Ten PAGES was the distance; both
men grasped their revolvers and
awaited the word; the seconds looked
aDxiously on, as spectators would at
a public execution where a victim
was to be sacrificed; the word was
given: both fired simultaneously, and,
when the smoke cleared away, neith-
er had fallen, although by the nerv-
Gus twitching OF the muscles OF Will
liams' face it could be seen that he
had been hit, while Jackson was un-
jured. At the second fire Jackson's
bullet whistled over Williams head
while the bail OF the latter imbedded
itself in the fleshy part of his adver-
sary's thigh. The knives were then
drawn and the two closed in mortal
strife. Maddened by his wound
Jackson fought with the desperation
OF despair; Williams, cooler, stood
like lion at bay. defending himself
against the fierce onslaughts of the
tiger. In an unguarded moment
Jackson was thrown from his guard
and at that instant the keen blade oi
his antagonist pierced his left side
not infiicting, however, a mortal
wound.