The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-23

| demanding the name of the author of the Of
| fensive article, Aston demanded for McGraw
satisfaction of Tabor and his two editorial as
sociates, holding that the grayamen of the
otfense was In the publication. The name of
the author was offered and declined. Tabor
| then announced himself responsible. Nc
Graw, through Aston, challenged the three
editors, naming Tabor first. The parties went
| to the field. At the second shot Tabor
| Jumped straight into the air, fell upon his
| back, shivered and died. McGraw was IN
| hurt, and the affair stopped there.
HIS LAST MEETING.
Aston had been engaged In many personal
encounters, but never had been seriously hurt
| II was harder for him to take an insinuatIon
o. insult than for almost any one else but he
| always repressed his anger, and, II possible
| avoided trouble He was a fine talker, a
| genial gentleman, Of winning address. and
| those saved him from many difficulties that
his impetuosity would have led him into
HIS fayorlte maxim, however, was the saying
of Sir Boyle Roach. ''The best way to avoid
| danger Is to meet 1t pumplyp and his bold
ness often sufticed where extemporiziug
! would have failed. In the trouble that led to
| his death, after he had been sent off by Cox
| to arm himself, his first impulse was to get q
double barrellsd shotgun and go and look
Cox up and kill him. He was thoroughly
acquainted with the violent habits of his
enemy and knew best how to meet them He
was dissuaded from this course however,
very much depressed at the idea that Cox was
hunting him down, and seemed to have
premonition Of what was coming. He said,
throwing himself into n chair In the Treas
urer's office. 1T Is awful hard to know that
man Is dogRing you and that you have got to
kill him or be killed" Instead of going off TO
arm himself he went into q restaurant to get
! some dinner. He ate heartily, but was very
much worried. At length he was persuaded to
take pistol, getting one that he had n ever seen
GpIf-nOpkipn al b,,
entered the Ireasurer's office he seemed re-
lieved to think he had found relief from
trouble. No sort OF personal fear moved him,
but the idea of bloodshed seemed to sieken
him. When he saw Cox enter and half
draw his pistol at man evidently mistaken
for him he seemed to know that his time had
come He grew shade paler and his face
darkened and grew stern His first word,
have any difficulty with you" he said; you
must let me alone" Cox still persisted how
ever, growing angrier all the time At length.
when he stepped back and closed the door
and said, y will force you, sir" he seemed to
give up all hope. Capt. John Nevins, his
friend, who witnessed it all, described the
scenes that followed: "CoI. Bsb rose auiet
and calm, just like he was going to make a
speech. There was not tremor about him
All right, he says, we'll have 1t out right
his pistol. Cox's was already out. / threw
myself between them and said, No you don't.
gentlemen Col. Bob thrust his hand over
my shoulder and fired, striking Cox in the
mouth. At the same time Cox fired and the
ball went through my whskers. Their hands
nearly crossed as they fired. | still held them
apart. They fired again by me, and | then
turned them loose Cox was jumping and
lodging around, but Col. Bob never moved
He stood as straight as a statue. After he
had shot his fourth shot he turned his face to
me and smiled that peculiar smile he has. AS
he turned he. pulled trigger again and his
pistol snapped. Then Cox fired again, and |
saw red spot ooze out In Col. Bobs temple.
Cox was trying to cock his pistol again when
| jumped In and threw him back, catching
Col. Bob. He sank in my arms. When /
turned Cox was sitting in a chair splitting
blood, with his pistol on table. He said,
/ am dead man.. | cut Col Bobs shirt
OPEN" State Treasurer Raynor says that
Aston put both his hands on Cox's breast.
and said, ED, for Gods sake let us have no
difficulty. / don't want to kill you; you
shouldn't want to kill me-"
THE ALsToN DESTINY.
Aston had peculiarly winning and hand
some face, and a semi military manner. He
stood like statue while shooting, his hand
some face set and stern, with the old Aston
fire blazing from his eyes, turning his erect
figure by military half wheels to present his
side always to his shifting enemy. After he
had been shot down Mr.. Ed. Mercer, who
knew OF his torebodings about dying with his
by GodW and tenderly took them off "The
scene at the death bedside was affecting in
the extreme. Only the most intimate friends
and the family were admitted, a force of po-
lice beating back the host that surged against
the DOORS As it was evident that he must
die in a few moments Mrs. Aston asked Gov
Coquitt, who was kneeling by the bedside
and who was devotedly attached to the dying
man, to pray. With a voice broken with emo
ton, holding Alstons hand, the Governor
prayed aloud while every head In the room
was bowed and every eye streamed with tears.
And thus without a shudder, with hardly
moan, his face peaceful and half smiling he
died, In his bed. his wife and friends about
him, prayers going to God with his fieeting
soul, and only the CHASTITY blue-red hole In
his temple to tell that the old Aston destiny
had oyertaken him and that he had left the
old Aston heritage to his son.
He leaves two brothers; one q prominent
Alabamian and the other living on his place
both most excellent gentlemen. He leaves a
wife and four cbildren-a devoted and adj
mirable family. They have fine plantation;
but the noble generosity of Col. Alstons life
leaves little else. He was a true man, a gal
liant friend, a rising statesman. The whole
city and thousands OF friends throughout the
Union mourn his death. Cox is getting bet
ter, but will be sent to jail to await his trial.
Facts About Peanuts.
IN. Y SUM-