The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-04-25
The independence Editor Pre-.
pares a Tonic Especially
for the Major.
The St. Louis Chronicle Says it
is Intended to Produce
an Eruption,
Which the Compounder Declares
Must Dry Up Without a Salve
Application From Himself.

The prospective duel between Major
John Edwards, of this city, and Mr.. james
l.. Payne, of the independence Sentinel, Is
Of As will be remembered the killing OF
Jesse James brought about a newspaper
controversy between these two gentlemen,
and war of words was INDUCED i'm Mr..
PAYNE charged that Major Edwards had
received, as a gift, gold watch and chain
from the James gang, which was denied by
the major, who branded Payne as a
LIAR AND sLANDERER.
The publication of this stinger caused a
a futter of excitement, for everybody rec
ognized that a personal insult had been
given Mr.. Payne, who is not a man to be
trifed with, for the purpose Of inviting
difficulty. and clash of arms between the
two was confidently expected.
Anticipating this, a reporter OF the II.
Louis Chronicle interviewed Mr.. Payne at
independence on Saturday, and found him
q, his Office writing. The result of his talk
il given, as follows:
"Inditing a challenge to Major Ed
wards ?" was the query.
quite the contrary. l am preparing
copy for the compositors."
Il suppose you have noticed Major Ed
wards editorial written for your benefit ~
We'll, yes, have read it,"
What do you think of it,"
"To tell you the truth. haven't thought
very much about it. 1 care SO little
for anything John Edwards may say that
don't ALLOW myself TO lose any sleep on
his account"
do Won think the major wants blood ~
Il don't know whether he does or not,
but would infer from the editorial in
question that he does"
The editorial reads very much like an
invitation for challenge. Will you
comply"
mo, / think / have too much sense to
allow myself to be enticed into duel in
that manner. | suppose when Edwards
wrote it he thought / would be fool enough
FALL INTO HIS TRAP
and challenge him right away, but he is
greatly mistaken. Ii some men were to
speak of me in that manner should take
ii as an insult but in many other cases it
is wisest to consider the source If Ed
wards wants to kill me it will be easier for
him TO hire an assassin 10 come and shoot
me through the window than to fight a
duel. / have a reputation to maintain
and don't propose to disgrace myself by
being drawn into an affair of that kind"
But will you make no reply TO him
through the columns of the Sentinel
"Oh, yes that is what | am writing
now."
"How about the watch presentation !;
Edwards says you have lied about that?''
well, Edwards says i'm one breath that
when / said Jesse James presented him
with gold watch and chain lied, and in
the next breath admits that the watch was
OFFERED TO HIM,
but he refused to accept it, This is clearly
a distinction without a difference, or If
perchance there is difference, il is so
slight that fail to see it. One thing is
certain, the admission that the watch was
offered proves conclusively that Ma jor Ed
wards must have been upon more intimate
terms with the bandits than should like
10 have been"
How about the assertion that Jesse
James was better man than you"
We'll, have no doubt but that from
Major EdN ards standpoint Jesse was bet
ter man than !; further than this | have
nothing to say, choosing to allow the peo-
pie to make their own comparisons"
"Do you think Major Edwards will con-
tinue this controversy further"
81 don't know, am sure, but | rather
imagine that he will take tumble to
himself and drop the thing | have no
desire to have any trouble with Major Ed
wards, and don't propose to if he will let
me alone"
ME-. PAYNE's REPLY
TO Major Edwards appeared i'm this morn
ings Sentinel, and the probability OF a
reconciliation between the gentlemen may
be Judged from the article itself lie SAYS ::
."The editor of the Sedalia Democrat per
mits his gentle passions to rise because of a
paragraph i'm Wednesdays Sentinel, reviv-
ing the old and oft told story that he had
been presented with gold watch by one of
the James gang while editing the Kansas
City Times, and says thatif the editor OF the
Sentinel means to say that the editor of
the Democrat ever received a watch or
anything else from Jesse James, that the
said editor of the Sentinel lies, ETC. The
Democrat then explains that the watch was
offered but refused, not because Jesse
James offered it, but because the editor OF
the Democrat is not in the habit of taking
presents from anybody. This is clearly a
distinction without difference, and we
cannot for the life of lis see what the
Democrat editor gets mai about; for, to
our mind-and perhaps to the mind of
good many other peopie-it was not the
alleged acceptance OF the
PRESENT FROM ROBBER.
ent-throat, highwayman and outlaw that
would compromise a citizen, but the
being on such excellent personal terms
with character of that kind as to be
offered such substantial tokens of friendly
regard. III the editor of the Democrat is
ashamed of the excellent personal friend
ship that must, according to his own ad-
mission, have once existed between him
self and MIR. Jesse James, deceased, then
we are silent; but if he is not ashamed of
those warm personal relations, he ought
not TO cOnsi Ter himself slandered when
hey mentioned hx Others for Shaa, Ia