The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-12-16
"OLD nowIE.lkNIFE."
Roger A. Pryor's rAntngonist Dying-A
N Duel That Didn't Come or,

MILWAUKEE, December 15.-The serious
illness Of Hon. John r. Potter was chroui.
cled in these dispatches a few days ago.
1leis now on his deathbed, and some rem.
iniscences Of his cventful lie arc produced.
During the session OF the Thirty.ninth Con.
gress, in April, 1850, the slavery debate
was ut its heiglth. Owen Loyeioy, OF Iii.
nols, fearless man, poured hot shot into
the Democratic ranks. While this was
going on Roger A. Pryor, u vireinian, now
q lawyer in Brooklyn, N. Y, advanced to
the center Of the hall OF the House OF Rep.
resentatives, exclaiming, ''The gentleman
from Illinois shall not approach this side
Of the House shaking his fists and talking
in the way lie has talked. 1t is bad enough
TO be compelled 10 sit here and hear him
utter his reasonable and insulting Inn.
guage; but he shall not, sir, come upou
this side Of the House shaking bis fists in
our faces."
It was then that Mr.. Potter arose and
said: "We have listened to the gentlemen
Oh the other side for eight weeks, when
they denounced the members upon this
sidc with violent and offensive language.
we listened to tfcm gently and heard
them through, and now, sir, this side shall
be heard, let the consequences be what they
may!n FN ~ ~" - - -
This, OF course, brought the brunt oi the
battle on TO Potter and Pryor was not
slow to rain down his; abuse upon him.
But the Wisconsin man stood by his words.
and on April y, one week aiterward. re-.
eeived note from Pryor, Mr.. Hindlnau.
Of. Arkansas, delivering it. It merely
asked Mr.. Potter to leave the District to
receive written communication. Mr.,
Potter answered TINT, rs the note couteul.
plated duel, and that his disqualification
was contained in the Constitution OF Wis.
consin, he would not leave the District.
Ihls was iollowediby peremptory cl,al.
iehse, which Potter accepted and quickly
named the common bowic-knife as the
weapon, the duelists to be locked in q
room; Chisholm, pryor's second, pro-
tested against the use OF so barbarousa a
weapon, but Lander, Potters second,
would consent to no other weapon, but
offered to substitute himself for Mr..
Potter with other weapons. This, OF
course, could not be agreed 10, and no fur.
ther demands were made upoh Potter to
fight, This made Potter great favorite
with the Republican party, and at the Con-
ycntion which met ut Chicago the June
following he was presented by lie Missouri
delegation with u bowie.knife seven feet
long, including the handle, with a blade
three inches i'll width, which may now he
seen hanging on the the wall Of his farm
house. The handle is Of ebony, and lie
blade Of beautifully polished steel. On
one side OF tho blade is the inscription:
Presented to John i. Potter, OF Wiscon.
sin, BY the Republicans OF Missouri, 1850"
On the opposite side was: "Will Always
Meet Il Pryor Engagement" The presen-
tation took place in the fremont House,
Frank {. Blair making the speech. -: ::
MI, potters present home is q modest
farmhouse, standing back a few rods from
the road, three miles south Of NIukwonapo.
There, unblesscd by this worlds goods, lie
man whose name was in eyerybody's
mouth from Maine 70 Mexico, and from
the Atlantic to the Golden Gate. and even
across the Atlantic, is passing the last days
OF his life in obscurity.