The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-08-29
The DARK SECRET,
And one Which Remained Hidden
for the Space CT Twenty
Years.
The Famous Jackson Williams Duel,
Fought on theReserve in 1853.
Death of the Latter and Flight of
the Former-Revo!vers and
Pistols for Two.

the Former-ReVo!vers and
!; Pistols for Two.
Ia his reportorial roundings yesterdays
TINES representative stumbled upon al
"oldest inhabitant," who, only after earnes
solicitation it must be said, recounted tn
details of famous duel fought here il
September, ISIS, nearly twenty years ago
= the spot chosen for the slaughter being al
most precisely the one selected by u. 5
Senator james Ii. Lane, when he sent the
bullet crashing through his brain which
put such a sudden end to his Senatorial
career. The fact OF the duel has hereto
fore been known as
THE OZARK SECRET"
and so far rs Is known has not heretofore
been diyulgeG, as the parties concerned
were sworn never to reveal il until at some
future time when concealment would be no
longer a necessity. The necessity for con-
cealment no longer exists, and the full facts
relative TO one OF the most remarkable,
, bloody and d-:ern in,d duels ever fought
upon the blood-Stainec soil of historic Kan
sas, are for the first time made public. As
is we'll known, the period prior 10 the re-
ception of kansas into the union of States
; was time of trouble and tribulation; a
time which tried mems souls; when
THE BOWIE KNIFE
, and the ready revolver were the sole arbi-
tiers of quarrels; when the value of q mans
life was measured solely by his ability to
project it, and when law and order were
among the things 10 he, and not of the
things which were The strife Tor supre-
macy among the Free State men and the
border rufiians was bitter 10 the last degree;
a war TO the knife and the knife 10 the
HIT; a struggle bloody without precedent,
and essentially aggressive. Among
the Free State men who were conspicuous
for their advocacy Of equal rights was a
youghtiul Massachusetts lawyer named Will
liams, a talented young limb OF the law,
brave, resolute and daring, who would face
battery if duty demanded it, and who
never counted upon results when
| PRINCIPLE WAS AT STAKE.
lie was a marked man at the time, and
the opposition was determined that he
should be put out of the way. Enrolled in
the border ruifin ranks was a lusty South
erner named Jackson, a Tennesseean, a firm
believer in the code" crack shot and ut
terry COOl, d HAL VI
fine presence, and who hated a Yankee as
he hated the devil. He was the one select
ed to put Williams out of the way; to pick
| a quarrel with the victim and then to let
the bullet finish the work. Meeting one
afternoon on Delaware street, the two be-
came engaged in conversation, and handy
ing words, a hot dispute arose, ending by
Jackson splitting in Williams face. This
| foo, IN, h.a hron -od nd
nothing but the interference OF friends pre-
vented
A TRAGEDY THEN AND THERE.
The result was a challenge, the parties TO
meet upon the government reserve the
next morning at daylight to fight it out.
Pistols were chosen and after the first two
shots the parties to close with knives
jackson, being the challenged party, had
the selection Of the weapons, and being an
expert with both the revolver and the
knife, chose them TO be used in the duel.
Williams, while comparatively good shot
with the revolver, could not approach his
antagonist in the Use OF that weapon, while
| with the knife he was wholly unacquaint-
ed. However, he could not back out, and
knowing inevitable death 10 be the result
he proceeded 10 the spot chosen, de.ermIn-
ed
| TO SELL HIS LIFE
as dearly az as possible In the gray day
| light of the autumn morning the two mer.,
| accompanied By two seconds and a surgeon,
! met upon the reserve 4 short distance
northwest of the head OF Broadway, and
prepared for the bloody work before them.
Both were cool and collected, the first be-
cause OF the anticipation Of an easy VIC
tory, the other firm in the belief that be
was in the right and resolved 10 make his
mark, even If he could not kill his adver-
| sary. Ten PAGES was the distance; both
men grasped their reviewers and awaited
| the word; the seconds looked aGNiously on,
rs spectators would at a public execution
| where victim was 10 be sacrificed; the
| word was given,
| BOTH FIRED SIMULTANEOUSLY,
and when the smoke cleared away neither
hrd fallen, although by the nervous witch
| leg Of the muscles Of Williams face it
| could be seen that he had been hit, while
| jackson was uninjured; at the second fire
Jackson's bullet whistled over Williams
head while the ball Of the latter imbed-
ded itself in the fleshy part of his adver-
sary's thigh the knives were then drawn
ard the two closed in mortal strife. Madden
ed by his wound Jackson fought with
THE DESPERATION OF DESPAIR;
Williams, cooler, his cold northern blood
asserting its supremacy, stood, like lion
at bay, defending himself against the fierce
ons!aughts OF me tiger. In an ungusrded
| moment jackson was thrown from his
guard and at that instant the keen blade
OF his antagonist pierced his left side, in.
| fiicting, however, a not mortal wound,
THE FLOOD STREAMING FORTH IL TORRENTS.
But Williams, from the effects Of the bui-
let wound and loss VI 5'ood, was becoming
exhausted, and being novice with the
knife, he could not long stand up against
So trained and practiced an adversary a
jackson, and the end soon came. Jackson,
although weak from loss of blood, pressed
fercsly ON, succeeding by a quick move
| ment, in parrying a side thrust by vii
liams, dashed forward, his bright
| blade
GATHERING AND FLASHING FOR A Mo-
in the air, and then being buried deep in
the throat Of his enemy, the point protrud
ing from the back of Williams neck. The
| latter stood erect but 4 moment, his knife
| uIUtpeu l!Oul MS nefNele-> HdilJ, HIS eyes
| glazed in the semi-consciousness preceding
dissolution, and then he fell dead, without
| a grosn.
| Jackson was seized at once by his
| friends and hurried across the river, where
after time sufficient to recover frcii his
wounds, he turned his steps homeward
and never again set his foot upon Kansas
| soil. He entered the Rebel army, and
died at the head of his regiment at Gettys-
burg. The seconds and surgeon returned
to the city and said nothing about the al
fair =, the body of Williams was hurriedly
and privately inferred, and while the dis
appearance of both Jackson and Williams
for time excited comment and caused the
Institution of thorough search by their
friends, the matter was soon forgotten in
the midst Of the wild excitement conse-
quent upon the great events then transpi-
ring.
REVOLVING AGAINST ALCHOHOL.