The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-03-15

fferdly tOnG oOnnnned "Of course Il
not dgsifg 30 be IN ahy way
OfTENEfVf no YOU,
judge Gone, bat In order That we fnay haY
no iufthte Misunderstanding tbfOunh thl
misfepfostnta ion Of others, think N righ
10 tell you that I have said | would slaJ
your face II l0u admitted having used The
Language ATTRIBUTED 10 you"
Upon this ,be judge again dlgowned
having spoken Unexpectedly Of Mr.. Ste
| phens, and 30 for the time the affair ended.
IL was the subject oidiscussion all over the
state, however, and tic general verdict was
that Judge Cone, n very powerful man, by
| the way, had shown TIE white leather 10
Little Aleck Stephens" In such COM
muixty, no public man ro'ting under such
charge could hope either fos political pre-.
torment or popular respect. Cone, Of
course, knew this, and, very much heated
and annoyed by the comments which were
being made upon him, wrote TO Mr.. Ste
phens demanding an immediate and pub
lie retraction OF the threat. In reply Mr.
Stephens wrote that the threat of Shaping
the judges face had been made contingent
upon the truth of reports regarding which,
he (Mr. Gomez had pronounced to be un-
true, and that such being the case, there
could be no cause for otlense or angry feel
ing on either side. Unfortunately this let
Three or four days after 1t was written,
however, he met Mr.. Stephens on the pi-
azza of hotel in Atlanta, and, disregard
ing that gentleman's friendly greeting, said
in very offensive tone:
"Mr. Stephens, demand that you make
an immediate retraction OF your threats
regarding me-"
SICK AND WEAK THOUGH HE WAS,
Alexander H. Stephens could allow no one
n II RI inn in fau hi hnH
Judge Cone was very giant in size and
muscular development, yet the irail man
whom he addressed, with aggrayating po-
likeness and without hesitating u moment,
replied: Pardon me, | have already
written you on that subject; l must decline
to discuss it further"
"Am | to take this as your answer? p
asked Cone eXcitedly.
"It is the only answer | have to give
YOU was the calm reply.
Then L denounce you as a miserable
little traitor" cried Cone, mad with excite
ment. The fast words had hardly left his
lips when light cane, welded by the quick
hand of the man he had insulted, left its
red scar across his cheek.
Wild with pain and passion, without ut
tering word, he drew a keen. pointed dirk
knife, and made one furious thrust at his
weak little adversary $ heart. Instantly, as
he did so, however, Stephens, seizing
stout umbrella, which he held in his left
hand, interposed it as a defense, and was
able for a moment to hold him at arms
length. The knife fell short of its marx.
Once more it was thrust at Stephens, cut
ting more deep cash in his arm, but
reaching no vital point; eighteen times it
cut deep into his breast, arms and body, but
still he did not fall. Then he could hold
out no longer. No courage, no spirit, how
ever firm and unyielding, could long with.
stand such an attack. Cone was determined
to finish his work. He threw all his great
weight against the umbrella which held
him away from the man
HE HAD DETERMINED TO KILL,
1t broke; Stephens, half fainting, fell upon
his back The giant Gone was at his throat
in moment; his head by a grip of iron,
was held against the cruel floor; the keen
and blood-dripping knife was held aloft be-
fore him, ready for the last fatal thrust,
but still the poor, pale face of the little
hero was set and defiant-his black eyes
still flashed undauntedly.
"Retract, or I'll cut your cursed throat !"
Kissed Cone.
"Cutl I'll never retract !" gasped the al
most lifeless Stephens.
Like flash the knife came down. With
an almost superhuman effort, the PROSTATE
man caught it in his right hand. Clean
through the muscles, tendons and bones OF
the hand it cut, then struck fast and
reached no vital part With desperate
strength Cone tried to wrench it free. With
grasp almost ofdeath, the horribly man
gled and mutilated hand still held it fast.
In the struggle Stephens was once more
dragged to his feet; the blood was rush
ing in streams from his many wounds; his
hold upon the knife which sought his brave
heart began to relax; he was dying. But
even when he believed the next moment
would be his last, strong men came 10 his
relief. The mailman Cone was secured and
held fast.
Then quickly the wounds which Mr.. Ste
phens had received were examined. 1t was
found that one of them had penetrated to
within the sixteenth of an inch OF his heart.
An intercostal artery had been cut. The
doctors declared that he would surely die.
Happily their predictions were not veri-
fed. His life was saved by the unremit'
ting care of surgeon, his devoted friend,
who, as good as fortune would have it, hap
pened TO be in Atlanta at the tine. When
he recovered, with u magnanimity which
few men are capable Of understanding, he
refu ed to prosecute Cone, and that person,
instead of getting his deserts in the dark
cell Of a State prison, was fined $1,000, and
with his "honor vindicated," was allowed
To 90 free. To this day Mr.. Stephens speaks
OF hun in terms of consideration aud for
giveness. Not long ago, referring TO the
terrible struggle have attempted to des-
cribe, and showing me the great hole in his
mansied hand, he said, with quiet and
far-away look in his deep, dark eyes, Poor
Conel / N sure hed be sorry If he knew
what trouble have to write with these
stiff fingers OF mine. ~ Louisville Courier
Journal,