The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-05-19
Norton'b Duel.

| wac III DeouWoou. udu TCtuTueu from
an expedition up the Yellowstone river and
published book on my research. Dead.
wood was at that day what Lcadvllle is al
the present timc-all life and fire, glitter
ana riches. There were no bcggars in the
strccts ana every man was the posscssor OF
gold, mining stock or unlimited credit.
was at the Dakota House end passed nv
evenings, Ill the main, at the theatres. A,
one OF the theatres a woman whom ] had
known in Detroit three years before was
singing ballads. She was too noble a
woman to tread the boards of any stage,
but, like many others, gifted with sweet
mczzo-soprano voice, she found in the
variety stage an easy avenue to livelihood.
| She was woman, every inch, and was
always accompanied by q young sister to
and from cities and their bIichigen home.
Beng an old friend, she felt perfectly at
home Ill my company, and we were to.
gcthcr much of the time. No man in
Doadwood, except myself, would she per-
nit to act as her escort, and the consc-
quence was that it was not many weeks
until was cnvicd by half the men in the
camp. On one night refer to, after the
theatre, went down to the barroom of nv
hotel for the purpose of taking drink be-
lore retiring. While pouring out glass of
whisky stranger walked up and acco3tcd
nc, saying:
"lou arc MIR. Norton, beliovo2'
:" answered him in the affirmative and
invited him 10 drink. He hcsitatcd a
moment and then called for lemonade
with "A light STICK and asked me to
accompany him out to the street.
You are man and gentleman and
am the same. l love Hiss - (men.
tloning The name of my actress fricnd) and
she could love Inc, am certain, werc it
not for you
VI raised my hand to strike him down,
but the muzzlc of revolver, the butt of
which was in his hand, deferred me.
stepped back couple of PAGES.
"'I have thought this matter over he
continued, lowering the revolver and have
determined that one of us must die.
| could have shot you down any night and
none would have been the wiser, but am
frank enough to make you proposition
"B But shall ollcr no objection to your
marrying Miss -" | said hurriedly
"Sho is nothing moro than dear friend to
me. DO ahead and win her, man. |
thought him crazy and believe to this day
that he was not in his right mind.
"'No,' said lie slowly, with dctcrmi-
nation, this world is not large enough for
lib two men. l will kill you before this
! night Is over, or you will haYe done mc the
same favor. You are armed and shall have
an equal chance for your life; we will 90
up the valley little ways and there settle
our quarrel like men. If | kill you, mono
shall ever know whether the cases were
right or wrong, and if fall it Will be with
no malice toward you.'
I" lie took my arm and we walked up
the street together. 1t seemed like duel
to Inc, and yet there was the man anxious
to murder nc at my side. began to grow
ncttlcd and was sufficiently reckless before
we reached tho Bismarck stage road to have
fought Inn with bowie knives had he de-
mandcd it. Then, too, was angry at the
free manner in which he had spoken of
Miss -. Up the valley we strobe.
Presently my strange guide and enemy
halted and said:
;" You will stand here and l will step
ten PAGES further on
81 obeyed the directions
lie paced off ten strides and, removing
his hat, faced me, revolver in hand.
Hold on" said |. elf your mind ia
fully made up to shoot he, at least let me
know your name.
''That makes no difference to YOU SAID
he. it's as good a one as you can boast
of. Please be ready to fire when count
to three"
II am clever shot with the pistol and
can shoot the spots from the cards at
twenty yards, and felt perfectly confident,
no matter how good shot was nv an.
tagonist, that could kill him at ten PAGES.
|
fully. l was standing with my back to
the moon and he wes q little above me. and
the moon shone full on his broad brow.
lie lcvcled his weapon and began to count.
AS the fatal words were slowly pronounced
l raised my revolver and at tho word three
pressed the trigger. We fired at the same
instant and felt the wind of his bullet by
my head. lie sank to his knees without a
struggle and fell upon his face IN the snow.
My being in the shadow little below him
and the moons rays on his pistol barrel
had, even at 80 short distance, disturbed
his aim. l walked forward, turned over
the body, which was still warm, and looked
down into his face. My bullet had sped
true. There was small, blush looking
hole, from which the blood had not vet
sprung, in the centre of his forehead II
~J >'Ao .iS''.N eAiS PAotoi oiAoto lhCJ pulu no
heed, and, not wishing to be arrested and
charged with murder, 1 walked down the
valley over tho hard beaten snow and re-
turned to my hotel.
After minutes pause Harry Norton re +.
lighted his cigar, emitting cloud of smoke
through his nostrils and continued:
"The following afternoon I saw quite a
crowd assembled at the city undertaken g .
l clbowcd my way through the crowd and
asked an acquaintance standing near what
caused the commotion..
Some cuss got sick of the camp, went
up the valley last night and committed sui
eide. The wolves were lowering about
and picked his bones pretty clean before
one OF the mon from the Homestakc mine
came down town and found him.
L" lIe might have been lnurdered9" an
swered in questioning tone.
"No, he committed suicide was the
reply. Ills revolver was found in the road
and one chamber had been cmptied. He
just got homcsick and went up there and
called himself and the wolves had good
meal and he can't be identified Ho was
n ot m,lr1erp1 for ovor 3OO0 g., ,>;Iio ,,o.,