The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-10-24
A Thrilling Incident in the Early His.
tory Of Kansas.
.Leayenworth Times.

.LeaVenworth Times
In his reportorial travels few day
ago, Timer representative stumbled
upon an "oldest inhabitant," who, onl,
after earnest solicitation, it must b,
said, recOunted the details of n famou
duel fought here in September 1858
nearly twenty years ago, the spot choser
for the slaughter being almost precisely
he one selected by United States Senator
James II. Lane when be sent the bullc'
crashing through his brain which pu,
such n sudden end to his Senatorial
"a, eer. The fact Of the duel has hereto
fore been known as the dark secret,
and "a 'Pras is known has not heretofore
been div, 'ged, AS the parties concerned
n.,o .'nor u' yer to reveal it until some
J,,rro ' ,i,,a ,,h, conccaImcnt would no
s".u,. ',''' Wv. oo. 'sty. The necessity
top scor, "o % no longer exists, and
The full facts relative to one 81 lhe most
remarkable, bloody ann oJtef ,ii
duels eycrloughtupon the blol "y,st"liled
soil of historic Kansas are for thc hr't
time made public. As is well h. 'o"h.
the period prior to the reception oi
Kansas into the Union Of States was
iin.c Of trouble and tribulatiOn, n time
whicG tricd mcnssouls; when the bowie
niie and HE ready revolver were the
sole arbiter1 NJ 1uancls; when the val u"
Of Il mans life TGg measured solely by
hi. ability to pro 'ec5 Il, and when law
and order we're among Nc things to be,
and not Of the things WITCH were The
strife for supremacy among the Free
State men and the border roihans was
bitter 10 the last degree Il wa' to Inc
knife, and the knife to the hilJ; y mug
vie bloody without precedent and essen
tally aggressive. Among the fIH-
State men conspicuous for his advocacy
Of equal rights wa4 a youthful MasSs/
chusctts lawyer named Williams, A
talented young limb Of the law, brave,
resolutc and daring, who would face a
battery if duty demanded il, and who
never counted upon results when Princ-
pie was at stake,
He WAS Il marked man at the time, ana
the opposition was determined that he
rhould be put out Of the way. Enrolled
in the border rullian ranks was Il Iusty
%Outhcrncr named jackson, Tcnncs-
sccan, firm believer in the "COdc,"
crack shot and utterly fearless, ANA who
hated a Yankee ~ he hated the devil,
lie was the one selected to put Williams
out OF the way, to seek a quarrel with
the victim and then to let the bullet
finish the work. Meeting one afternoon
ON DcIawarcst the two became en-
gagged in conversation, and, bandying
words, a hot dispute arose, ending by
Jackson splitting in Williams's face,
Thiswasnninsult too gross to be broOkcd,
and nothing but the interference Of
friends prevented Il tragedy then and
there The result WAS challenge, the
parties to meet upon the Government
reserve the next morning at daylight to
fight it ont. Pistols were chosen, and
after two shots the parties close with
knives Jackson being the challenged
party, had the selection Of the weapons,
and being an expert with both the re-
yOlycr and knife, chose them to he used
in the duel. Williams, while compare
ativcy good shot with the revolver,
could notapproach his antagoniHtin the
use of that weapon, while with the knife
he was wholly unacquaintcd. However,
he could not back out, and, knowing
inevitable death to be the result, he
proceeded 10 the spot chosen dctcrm.
incd to sell his life rs dearly ~ possible.
In the gray daylight o. the autumn
morning the two men, accompanied by
two seconds and surgeon, met upon
the reserve short distance northwest Of
the head 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 he was in the
right and resolved to make his mark,
even if he could not kill his adversary.
Ten pace, was the distance. Both men
graspcd their rcvOlvers and awaited the
word the seconds looked HnXiOusly on
as spectators would ut public cxccu-
ton where Il victim was to be sacrificed;
the word WAS given. Both fired stimuli
taneousIy, and when the smoke cleared
away neither had fallen, although by
the nervous twitching of the muscles of
WiIiamss face it could be seen that he
had been hit, but jackson was uninjurcd
at the second fire Jackson'S bu let
whistlcd over Williams head, while the
ball of the latter imbcddcd Itsrll in the
heshy part of his advcrsary's thigh; the
knives were then drawn and the two
closed in mortal strife. Maddencd by
his wound, Jackson fought with the DIES
pcration OF despair, Williams Cooler, his
Northern blood asserting itself stood,
like fierce lion ut bay, defending him
self against the onslaughts Of the tiger.
In IN unguardcG moment Jackson was
thrown from his guard, and at that in.
slant the keen blade of his antagonist
pierced his left side, inhicting, however,
"A not mortal wound, the blood stream
ing forth in torrents.
But Will ans, from the effect of the
bullet wound and loss of blood, was be.
coming exhausted, and, being novice
with the knife, he could not stand up
against 50 trained and practiced an ad.
versary AS Jackson; and the end soon
came. Jackson, although weak from
the loss of blood, pressed fercely on, and
succeeded by quick moment in parry
ing side thrust by Williams, dashed
forward, his bright blade gIittterng aud
flashing for Il moment in the air, and
then being buried deep in the throat of
his enemy, the point protruding from
the back of Williams neck. The latter
stood erect but moment his knife
dropping from his ncryelcs3 hand, his
eyes glazed in the scmi-consciousness
preceding dissolution, and then he fell
without groan.
Jackson was seized at once by his
friends and hurried across the Iver,
where, after time sufficient to recover
from his wounds, he turned his steps
homeward and never again set his foot
upon Kansas soil. He entered the con ed