The Osceola times., 1879-03-29

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1879

at that time General Reed was poli-
tical opponent of Governor Calls son
snd at the same time his personal friend.
Political feeling ran very high, and on
election day Me-. White made some
reflections upon the integrity OF Cover
nor Gall. Reed at once challenged him
for q duel. The men went, were both
desperately wounded, and behaved with
great gsllantry, fighting, believe, with
bowie knives, their left hands being
strapped together. Some time afterwsrd
Reed became involved In q difficulty
with the Alstons. l give the history as
it was given me by Colonel 4. A. Aston
himself He said that an article APP
peared in newspaper reAecting on
Governor Call. Colonel Augustus Ais
ton, who was the leader OF the Call fac.
tion, demanded the name of che author.
He sas furnished with the name ol
General Reed, who who was the leader
OF the opposite faction. He at once
CHALLENGED General Reed, and meeting
WAS arranged. The weapons selected
were yagers," this deadly weapon
being, as | have said. fsvorite with the
Alstons. Colonel Aston was attended
| by Mr.. Kenon, his brother.ip law. AT
the word Gone" Colonel Alston's gun
exploded, ii being half triggered. The
contents were discharged into the air
General Reed, aiming with deliberstion,
fred, and Colonel Alston dropped dead
in his tracks His sister, most spirited
woman, was nearly crszed at the news Of
his death. She secured the lead that
had killed him, and with her own hands
she nodded il into bullets and sent them
to her brother, Willis Aston (the
father OF r A. Alston), and implored
him TO come and avenge the death Of his
brother She wrote that he had been
murdered, and the Alstons adhered to
this belief, although the general state
meut is that the meeting was fair one,
General Reed using only his just right
after the explosion of Aston" yager.'
At any rate it was very well under ,od
that Willis Aston would seek revenge
for his brothers death, as the family for
generations had made one of ali their
qusrrels. The first meeting between
Aston and Reed was dramatic. The
legislature had just met, and Reed had
been elected speaker. He was a young
man, of exceptional power and popular.
ity, and his lite promised to be brilliant
and illustrious He had invited his
riends to the usual legislative supper,
and the banquet was in progress, every
thing going merrily and well. Suddt My
tall figure, mu6sd in swinging cloak
and with q slouch hat down over the
iace, stslked through the open door.
Without q word it made for the head OF
the table, where General Reed was sit-
ting. Instant y cries of Alston Ais
ton - arose and ran dow1 the table. At
these cries the cloak was thrown back
and Aston was recognized. Reed rose
from his seat, and, whipping his pistol
out Of his pocket, leveled it at his sssail
ant and fired. The bali struck Alston
in his uplited hand, carrying away two
fingers. This did net stop him, but
brandishiug a bowie knife, he closed on
Reed. Before the men could be parted
Reed was cut pretty severely, and Ais.
ton, | believe, wounded again. Aston
was taken from the room, and for some
months nothing more was heard OF the
matter. One day General Reed was
walking down the streets OF Tallahassee
when he was fred upon by Colonel Ais
ton. The contents of one barrel of q
shotgun was poured into his shoulder,
and as he turned 10 confront his assailant
the other load went into his heart. He
reIl and died. Colonel Alstons friends
say that he had given Reed notice that
he intended to kill him on sight.
Willis Aston went to Texas, where
be lived for some time. He settled near
Rrszoria. There was DR.. Stewart, who
for some reason or other, pursued the
matter of the Red killing and used re-
marks derogstory to Alstcn. Aston
hearing Of It wrote the remarks down,
and meeting Stewart Cd the prairie one
day he asked him 10 say whether or not
he wss responsible for these remarks.
DR.. Stewart took the paper. and while
pretending TO read it, put his hand into
his holsters and drew his pistol. He
Jumped of his horse on the side opposite
Aston, and fred into him. A desperate
fight ensued, in which Aston was shot
twice, and his stomach 70 cut that his
bowels protruded. BE killed Stewart,
however, pouring a load Of buckshot
into him after he was prone upon the
earth. He was taken to jail almost
dead. He was famous fiddler, and
procuring fiddle, sat there with his
bowels protruding," as he wrote to q
friend, playing the old tunes of his boy:
hood. His body servant gained admis-
zion to his cell and had coil of rope
wrapped about his body. With this he
wss going to try To escape Suddenly
mob assaulted the Jail, overpowered the
sheriff, broke in the doors and seized
Col. Aston. He was game to toe last,
and fiddled up tc the very instant he was
seized, his dsuntless face looking full
upon his assailants. He was tumbeo
into blanket the ends twisted, and then
he was hustled out OF the jail. Once out
on the street he Was thrown to the
ground, still enveloped In she blanket,
and hundred bullets were fred into
his body. Thus died the last of the
Halifax Alstons" They were a re-
usrkably athletic aud handsome race
of men. Gideon, who was killed by
Pelat, is always cited ss the hsndsomest
youngster of his day 1t may be said
here that the young Csstilian who killed
him was put into the navy as a midship
man, and was drowned in the Mediter
ranean Willis Aston WAS man OF
wonderful strength. He once shoul tered
a load OF 800 pounds dead weight. and
carrit d it through the streets et Sparta
on bet. His lite WAS stormy one.
His feud with the lngrams, brave and
powerful iamiy, was the sensation If
Georgia for the time 1t las.ed. He
always carried his ysger" with him