Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-22

Potter and the Bowie-Knife Affair.
A ilwankee Republican Sentinel
1t is now nearly q quarter of a can.
fury sgo that the Pryor.Potter duel
was the sensation of the day. Potter
then represented the first district of
this state, which, at that time, In
cluded Milwaukee. He was a little
more than 40 years Of age, broad
shouldered, muscular and powerful.
OF free.soil antecedents, he belonged
to the radical wing of the republican
party. Pryor, then a member of con-
gress feom Virginia. was ten years or
more his junior. He was tall, rather
slender, with an almost beardless face,
sallow in complexion, and, as was
was the fashion of the southern gen
tlemen of that day, wore his hair very
long, falling down upon his
coat collar. He was one of the sire.
eaters" of the south, a fanatical sup.
porter of the slavery, arrogant, i'm.
petuous, and inf Ated with provincial
vanity. All northern men wares In
his opinion, towards; In the south
alone on this continent could gentle.
men be found and men of gallant
courage. The northern democrats
were tolerated by him because they
were uaeful supporters Of the slave
System, but for republicans he fell 9
lofty contempt. He wss reputed to be
a good shot, and, like most southern
men OF s ss.t day, an adept IL the
dueling code.
Without tba slightsat apprehension
that o northern man would accept a
challenge, It seeYned an easy ano
cheap way Of acquiring renown ane
popularity In his own section, to chal-
lenge Potter after they had had some
heated words In the house. As the
challenged party, Potter had the righ'
to choose weapons, and he promptly
informed Pryor that ne would fght
him, the weapons to be bowie knives
In those days Potter did not look like
a man whom it would be pleasant t.
encounter at close quarters with such'
weapon, and he at once re-
oeived q note from Pryor's sec
onds that that gentleman regard
ed the weapons designated al
"barbarous" and declined to fight
The affair made great noise at tn
time and seriously damaged the pres
t,ee of Southern chivalry. Ever!
possible detail respecting 1t was col
liacted and nublishe6 bv the newHpa
pers. Now, after q lapse OF man!
years Pryor, comes forward with q
entirely new version OF it. d
claimp that he was In ooncealment a
Alexandria, and that his friends re
oeived Potter's acceptance, and, with
out consulting him and without nj
Knowledge, rejected the proposition 7
tight with bowie knives. Heknew moth
log about 1t, he says, until the matte
was settled; then he could not disavo'
the action of the gentlemen wit
whom he had intrusted hts INTEREST,"
and he was obliged to 'acquiesce. J
such were the fact, he evidently 81
lected his friends wiih'temarkable di
crimination and prudence. But W
think his memory is at fault, and this
il his present version were the corre'
one Il would have appeared while tn
affair was fresh and wa the subject {
comment and discussion in all parts
the country. 49,
The memory of these "old III
happy far eff things" has been revive
by the present reports of Mar. Potter
%seriora iilness. These reports hay
been accompanied By an absurd stol
of Mr.. Pottar's poverty. A irier
who has recently visited him inform
, Nh that his health Is as good as 1t n
: been for some years past. Abo'
, three wears sgo he had o careuncie {
his neck which wss nearly fatal. SIN
; then he has not been as well as fo
morly. During the last autun
> he had an attack OF Illness, b
: had sufioiently recovered to atteI
the election, and his health has II
proved since. As to his poverty,
owns n tiue farm on which he has ivI
J aiuoe territorial days, and owns 9th
: property which gives him q comfoi
J able income. He ~entertains &
n friends who visit him with q genera
: hospitality, and Is always glad to w
Q come them, and there is good reas.
to hope that many years OF useful Il
. are vet In store for him
The most brilliant shades posslb'
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