Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1879-03-29

ing an end Ike hi. ancestors. I. was NJ,
tear, i0r an Alst dOas not know wh8
fear is he wa ss brave a man a. eyI
lived, Ia The army, as one Of Morgan. :.
lirutenants, ne was The most reckless aud
daring Of them ail He once actually
hsd a biscuit shot from bztween hi
teeth, but with q laugh he continued BIZ
bgeaEfast lie said TO your correspol-
dent once: Il have a boy who is a hU..
headed fellow himself, and have taken
my wi'e's hand n mine many time and
2ne't with her by hi8 bedside aud prayed
70 God that l might btqueaLh him legacy
OF peace and q quiet DEATH 1t was Ii
highest ambition, ss he has often said, u
| break the old tradition that an Alat L
must die in biz boots" Once again,
vas with him when be was going to the
field to meet COL +. 7. Clarke Of a
rival newspaper. The challenge ha1
! been issued, and he was just going t.
| take The midnight train. Suddenly, he
turned TO q dark wall, and, leaning III
aead on his hand, prayed aloud that G9d
| might spare him the death his people hGo
died, and allow him to live in peace tin
a quiet death could claim him. H,
never believed, however, that this wou'1
b, granted him. Itmsde him gloomy 70
talk OF IT, but to his fri nds he would say
| that he knew his destiny was to die the
Aston death He even had g super
stition taat certain man was going to
kill him, There had never been any
trouble between them, but Aston Away
sid, That man is my fate The mau
Tas his friend, and never became any
thing else. Despite these gloomy
thoughts, Aston was q deyout believe.
in the code After he had joined slN
church he still adhered to his belief " l,
is a peacemaker," he said. In South
Carolina, where the code stood above the
state Law, there never was 20 quiet and
decDrou5 a community, In Charleston
county there WAS nos q murder in
eighteen years. ard the files Of the Char,
lesion Courier for nearly twenty-five
years DO not show the use Of the word
"li&r' OF "rcoundfeW or any similar epi
the0ts g single time. There were no
street fights or rows, and no assassina,
tons A high code Of honor was estab
isbed, and ii made even towards brave
men, He used to tell of q Caroiioa
Judge (Mr. Pettigrew), J, who having two
men before him tor trying to fight duel
said: " Gentlemen, it will take me aa
hour TO write out these warrants. In the
meantime there IS a steamer az my whar
tnat can take you cut Of my iuri-dic.iol
SO hat you can complete your work be.
tore I could hold you" Col. Aston
oevei fought duel himself, though h.
is,ued and accepted several challenge.
The conservative spirit OF these latter
day almost always settles these m8tter-
without the exchange Of shots. while
Aston would have died before be would
have submitted 10 disnon0rahle com,
promise. know what .ubb)rn hproi-m
ol,red TO carry him into an affair o
homer. Hs sbrark with horror from such
| text. His whole lie was uyersha6Owed
by the memory Of Li3 ancestors aud
their bloody cnds He vas q T5cogniz +
authority OIL matters OF the c3de, and
was usut.Y called into aI prominut
| affairs. WHlo he was tenacious OF The
honor 0f his principles, he never srickle1
for technicG,iiie5, and u.ually succeedet
ia adjusting the differences. Ouly once
was he second in a 'atal meeting H
attended young MCIraw, of Charleston,
and loaded tle pist0, that killed IaD1r
There had appeared in the Charleston
/ Mercury communication assailing
Judge McGrsw, signed with a nom de
! plane. Contrary to the usual practice
| Of demanding the name of the author
the Offensive article. Aston deman5o5
/ for McGraw satisfaction of Tabor and his
| two editorial associates, holding that the
grayawen of the offence was in the pub
iication. The name Of the author was
offered and declined. Tabor then an
n0unced hjmseli responsible, McGraw,
through Aston, challenged The three
editors, naming Tabor first. The parties
went to the field. At the second shot
/ Tabor Jumped straight into the mir, fell
upon his back, shivered and died. Nc,
/ q Aw wGs unhurt, ard the affair stopped
there.
Alstcn had been engaged in many per-
aonsi encounters, but never had been
seriously hurt. 1t Was harder Tor him
to take an insinuation of insult than for
a y one else; but be always repressed
his anger, sndi if possible, avoided
trouble. He was u fine talker, a genial
gentleman, OF winning address, and those
saved MIN tror5 sEnany difficulties that
hi. impetuosity would have I'D him into
His tavorite maxim, however WAS the
Saving of Sir Boyle Reach, "The bes.
way to avoid danger il tOmeetit plump
ly,N and his boiduess often sutiiced wber-
temporizing would have failed In tn,
trouble that I'D to his desth, after hi
had been sent of by Cox to arm himeil
his fret impulse was 10 get double
barreed shot gun, and 90 and loJk Cox
up aud kill him. He WIS thoroughly
acquainted with the violent habits O
his enemy, ard knew b5nt how TO NEE
them. He was dissusded from this course
however, by Governor CO.qu.tt anJ
Others. lie was very much depressed q
ire iCea that Cox was hunting him dowr
and seemed to have a pfemonltiOn o
guat was coming lie said, THROWN.
himself into a cbair in the treasurer
Office, alt is awful hard to know that
man If doggiug you sud that yol havt
got to Kill him or be killed" Instead o
going of TO arm himself, he went into
restaurant TO Jet some dinner. He ate
heartily, but wSs very much worried. A
length he was persuaded to take q pistol
geuIng one that ne hal never seen be
ore, a seItcocking six-shooter. Wher
he entered this treasuCer's Cfice he seem
cd relieved to think he had found re
treat from the trouble, No sort Of per
sonal fear moved him, but the idea Q
bloodsbel seemed to sicAen him, WheI
he SAY Cox enter snd hsi draw his pis
tol at man evidently mistaken Tor him
he seemed to know that his time hsC
come lie grew a shade pale and his fac,
hardened and gtew stern. His h.sg wore