Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1878-10-26
8. s: PREMISES LAST DUEL.
"Reminiscences of the Gre at Orator-A Law
Case the Origin of the eDuel-ChallengeC
by Grandson OF Henry Clay-The Lat
ters Tragic End.

"Reminiscences of the Great 0rator-A Law
Case the Origin of the eDuel-Challenged
by Grandson of Henry Clay-The Lat
ters Tragic End.
Seargent S. Prentiss had won q
worldwide reputation in Mississippi as
an orator and lawyer. His two duels
with Gov. Henry S. Foote in 1888, in
which he was both times challenged, land
each time wounded his adversary, had
established his reputation for courage.
The witchery of his slogttepce sutpass-
ed any living orator Of his times, of, In
deed, any that had preceded him, from
Patrick Henry down to the present day.
He first came to Natchez, Miss, in
1887, and was employed as tutor in the
private family of the widow of the late
Judge Shields, of the Supreme Court of
that State, and availed himself of the
fine library of that noted jurist. AL
though native of the State of Maine,
Prentiss had none of the prejudices of
his people, and readily adapted himself
to Southern customs and institutions.
In 1929 he was admitted to the bar, and
formed law partnership with Gen. Fe-
lix Huston at Matches. In 1881 lie re-
moved to Ficksburg, but frequently WIS.,
tied his old home In Natchez. The
writer first met with Mr. Ptentiss at
Natchez after his wonderful defeHse of
DIR. Wilkinson, of Mississippi, in 1889,
for the killing of Rothweli and Meeks
in the celebrated tragedy at the Gait
House in louisville, Ky; on which oc-
casion he was associated with the dis
tinguished Jud ge John Rowan.
His argument on that occasion was
considered his great masterpiece of
forensic eloquence, and which resulted
in the acguittal of DR.. Wilkinson, al
though the best talent of the State of
Kentucky was employed for the prose-
cution. His repartee, sprightliness of
wit and whitening SARCASM were unsur-
passed. The result of his power lay in
ton of classical; historical and poeti-
cal quotations with which he adorned
and illustrated his specifics and argu-
ments.
Mr.. Prentiss was small in stature, not
being over five, feet eight inches in
height, and was deformed by his right
foot being smaller than the left one, and
which turned under, so that he used a
cliff forehead, large blue eyes, hand
| cOiuO JCottuiCo, Win ~ h8oiJ
lectual expression, in which nobleness,
daring and magnanimity were singu-
larly combined. He had very slight
lisp, which gave to certain words q
Kissing sound, and the expression of his
features gave great force to his Lam
guage. In those days there were more
wealth, aristocracy and cultivated re-
finement within a circumference of 20
| No. ~ ba,.
portion of the States. During the time
Prentiss was teaching in the family of
Mrs. Shields he was invited to a neigh
borhood party, and, being a total
stranger, and at that time extremely
sensitive as to his deformity, he felt
himself neglected and looked down up
on by the aristocratic planters and fair
ladies, and unjustly attributed the cause
to his being poor, lame school master.
From that time he secluded himself
from all society and wholly devoted
himself to his books and studies, hav-
ing resolved to himself that he would,
to use his own language, "one day
bring these people to his feet" In re-
lating this incident to the writer, he
said it was to the modification he felt
on that occasion that he owed his future
success.
On one of Mr.. Premises visits to
Natchez, the writer, who had then just
been admitted to the bar, took stroll
with him to the Natchez Bluffs, which
are some 800 feet above the level of the
river, and from its long reach command
ed fine view. A glorious sunset, with
its crimson hues, was melting on the
western sky, and sprinkling the tleecy
clouds with the golden splendor of its
rays, when Prentiss broke forth into a
rapturous improvisation in which the
exquisite beauty of his language was on.
ly equaled by the gorgeous brilliancy OF
the scene before us. When he had fin
ished, supposing that he had been
quoting from some author, the writer
asked where the supposed quotation
was fromP Tapping his forehead with
his fingers, he said, From here, l new
er heard it before"
In 1874 Mr.. Prentiss moved to New
Orleans (where the writer had preceded
him) and formed partnership with his
old confrere, General Huston. In Jan
uary, 1S4S, he was employed in sui
against James Irwin, the son-in-law ol
Henry Clay, to set aside certain deed;
of trust made by James Irwin to hi:
brother Andrew, who lived in Tennes
see, on the ground of fraud. Randall
Hunt, one of the ablest advocates al
the bar, was retained to defend Mr.. lr'
win. The case occupied three days in
taking the testimony, and created gen
eral inter st. On the testimony being
: closed, the court adjourned until the
next day for the argument of the case
| There was great deal of feeling on botf
| sides, and no little clashing and spar
: ring between the counsel. As they were
going down the Courthouse steps, the
writer being behind them, Hunt observ
/ ed, with a pompous, confident air
"Well, Prsntiss, l rather think yor
have got an alligator case to han
, dle." "Yes," replied Prentiss, will
his Kissing lisp, it is an alligator
case, Hunt, and l am going to sks'
him to morrow" And he kept hi:
word. The next day the courtroom
was crowded to its utmost capacity
, Mr. Prentiss, in summing up and com
menting on the evidence before the jury
dealt in bursts of scathing, witheiius
reflections on the conduct of the defend
, ant. "Why, gentlemen, said he, "th'
evidence before you shows that this maj
7 James Irwin, in robbing his creditors
3 has not shown even the common homes
ty of the highwayman, much less IN
| courage, for the higewayman in taking
spoil does it at the risk of his life
E while he was never known to stoop S,
I low as to rob the poor" Here Mr.
Prentiss made deep pause, and, as
rejecting on the severity of the languag
he had used, he turned from the jur,
and thus addressed the court: "May
please the Court, on reflection, 1 deen
it my duty, in presence of this vast as
y u semblage, to tender an apology for tn
language have just permitted to escap
i from nv lips Gprofound sensation1; 10