Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-09-22


upon him. Benton stepped slowly
backward until he reached tho back
door of the hotel. The muzzIe of
Jackson's pistol was three feet from
his heart. They were turning down
the back piazza when Jesse Benton
entered the passage behind them.
Seeing his brothers danger, he raised
his pistol and fired at jackson. The
pistol was loaded with two balls and
large slug. The slug took effect in
Jackson's left shoulder shattering it
horribly. One of the balls struck part
of his left hip him and buried itself
near the bone. The other ball splint-
cred the board partition at his side.
Jackson fell across the entry, bleeding
profusely. Colanel Coffee had re-
NAMED outside. Hearing the report
of the pistol, he sprang into the entry.
He saw Jackson prostrated ut the feet
of Colonel Benton. Concluding that
the Colonel had laid him low. Coffee
rushed upon him, pistol in hand, to
strike him with The butt of his pistol,
when Benton, in stepping backward,
came to Il stairway, aud fell headlong
to the bottom. Coffee, thinking him
hors du combat, hastened to the assist
ance of his wounded friend.
Stockely Hays, nepew of Mrs.
jackson, and n devoted friend to the
General, stood near the Nashville Inn
when he heard the report of Jesse
Benton's pistol. He ran with all
speed to the City Hotel, and saw Jack
son lying on the floor, weltering in
his blood. Unlike Coffee, he saw who
had fired the deadly charge. Hays
was q giant. He drew long, glisten-
ing blade from his sword cane aud
made lunge at Jesse with such fran.
tic force that il would have pinned
him to the wall had it taken effect
The point struck n button and the
slender blade was broken to pieces.
HAYS drew dirk and threw Jesse to
the floor. Holding him with one
hand. he raised the dirk to plunge it
iuto his breast. Jesse diverted the
blow by seizing the coat cuff Of the
descending arm. The weapon only
pierced the fcshy part Of his left arm.
HAYS madly strove to disengage his
left arm and in 80 doing gave jesse
several flesh wounds. At last. with
a mighty wrench. he tore his cuff from
the mars couvulsiye grasp, poised the
dirk high in air, and was about to
bury it in Jesse's heart, when n by.
siauder caught the upIiited hand aud
prevented the further shedding of
blood. Others interfered and quiet
was restored.
Faint from loss of blood Jackson
was conveyed to a room in the Nash. /
VILE Inn. His wound blcd fcarfuly. /
Two mattresses were soaked through. /
aud the General was almost reduced /.
to his last gasp. Every doctor in F.
Nashville. with one exception. recon. /
mended the amputation OF the shatter /
ed arm. I'll keep my arm, said the /
man, and he kept it. No /
attempt was made TO extract the ball. /
and it remained in his arm twelve I.
years. The wounds were dressed with /
sIippery.elm poultice-, aud it was two /
or three weeks before jackson could /
leave his bed. A little over a year
afteward he fought the battle of New /
Orleans.
the Bentons remained for an hour
pr more upon the scene of the aiFfay, |
jackson as an assassin.
The Generals small sword had been /
dropped in the struggle, and remained /
On the floor of the hotel. Colonel |
Benton broke it in the public square
accompanying the act with words con-
aud defiant, uttered in the |
Ioudcst tones of laundering voice.
The Generals friends, grouped around
the couch Of their bleeding chief, dis
regarded these demonstrations, and
The victorious and exulting brothers
retired. Col. Benton, however, soon
found it very hot for him. Two weeks
afterword he wrote
aFH llAtihiit w utii Ueft. 4 nave j
The meanest wretches under heaven TO
contend with-liars. affidavit-makers
aud shameless towards. All Jackson's
puppies are at work on me. They
viii be astonished ut what will hap.
pen. 1t is not them but their master
whom | will hold accountable. The
scalping knife of Tecumseh is mercy
with the afFidavits of these
! am in the middle of hell.
can see no alternative but to kill or
be killed. / will not crouch to Jack.
son. The fact that and my brother
defeated him and his tribe aud broke
bis small sword in the public square
will forever rankle in his bosom, and
make him thirst after vengeance. NY
life is in danger. Nothing but de-
cisive duel can save me or even give
me 6 chance for my own existence.