The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-03-18
THE KILLING OF GENERAL NELSON.

U6 NSSkSV0 VI O6v6WN6 WGAOVNs
Gen. sesadmsn's Account Of the Event.
From Tie Toledo Blade.
Much more interesting IL the account
Of Major- General James B. Stedman,
who was an eye witness:
II was standing at the Gait House
bar" says the General, with Gen.
John T. Croxton Of the Fourth Ken
lucky Infantry, and who sfterward
died ~ the Representative Of the Gov
eminent of Venezula. had just TAX
Tn my drink, and Croxton was in the
act Of taking his, when looked down
the long hall, and saw at the other end
Of It group composed of Gen. Nelson,
Gen. Davis, and Gov. Morton. They
were talking together rather excitedly
and as ! looked saw Nelson draw
back his right hand and slap Davis's
face with an overland blow. saidto
CroxtOn:
"There'sgOing to be trouble; Nelson
has just struck Davis"
"After Nelson struck he stepped
back q few steps and leaned against
the railing of the office. Davis and
Morton also stepped back, and saw
<MOItuu taAc sOIuctulHS AiOiu hIo mp
pocket and hand il TO Davis, who then
stepped forward, levelled pistol at
Nelson, and fred. At the puff of the
revolver Nelson put his hand on his
breast, and when We ran up We heard
him say:
"I'm q dead man. Send for an Epis-
copal clergyman"
"Croxton. myself, Silas Miller, one
Of the proprietOrs Of the Gait House,
and Others, carried him into q little
room under the stairs. Weopened his
clothes, aud found near the heart o
little blue mark, about the size Of q
buck-shot, aud that was all. The
wound had closed no blood was run
ming; you would hardly notice that it
was q wound. By good luck there was
an Episcopal clergyman-a man with
whom Nelson was intimate-in the
house. He was sent for and came inn
mediately, and when he entered the
room we Withdrew. In about ten min
utes We were told that Nelson was
dead.
"Quite q number came running up
at the sound Of the shot, and among
them . policeman, who arrested Da-
Wis. Davis went with him quietly, but
upon Gen. Buell. being informed OF 1t,
he made demand upon the Mayor for
the delivery Of Davis to him, which.
after q Imomentary hesitation, was
DONE"
The General was asked: "What was
then done to Davis"
Nothing; nothing at all. don't
think he was even put under arrest.
No notice was taken of the affair.
Everybody felt sorry that Nelson was
killed, but they understood that Davis
could not do anything else than what
il he hadn't resented il he would have
been disgraccd, and compelled to leave
the army. He could not resent it any
other way. Davis was small man,
while Nelson was six feet two, weigh
ing 275 or 800 pounds, and was mon
ster of strength.
$50 you think that Gov. Morton
handed Davis the pistol with which he
killed Nelson 2"
81 haven't any doubt Of It," replied
the General. II was too far off to see
that it was pistol which Morton pull
ed out of his pocket and gave to Davis,
but he pulled something out and
handed it to him, and then the shot
was fired" "What effect. IL any, do
you imagine the occurrence had on
Oavis's mind"
None at all that could notice. He
WAS alwas a moross, silent man made
so, perhaps, by his domestic troubles
and the chronic disease Of which he
died-but could not see that he was
made any more so ty the homicide. !
saw him after the war ut Governors
Island, New York, and he seemed
pleasanter than usual. I accounted
for it by the superstition that the
sharpness of his domestic troubles had
begun to wear off,"