Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-16
A CHECKERED LIFE.
Mary BIacISburn's History-The Roman
tic story of Her Elopement-A Duel
in Nevada.
Kansas city Star.

napers attentivelv has not felt that there
must be some strange inner history IN the
life Of the Young actress, Mary g PACK
burn. who has been brought so rrOml-
nently before the public in the mysterious
death of Salmi Morse, Of passion Play
fame. Youthful, beautiful, a novice as
an actress. possessed of some money, her
relations with the singular old man,
whose life had been one colossal adven-
ture and whose body was drawn at last
from the river. nobody has entirely eX-
DIained. 1t has been part of the writer's
experience to know personally some OF
the history of Mary c. Blackburn. 1t has
been sadly romantic and full of strange
vicissitudes for one so young. something
like SIX or seven years ago Judge Black
burn was one of the leading iurlstS Of
Nevada. His daughter Mary, then not
quite Il years old, was a lovely glrl-tall,
1.-the. and with a glorious head OF deep
blonde hair, of that peculiar shade that
hesitates on the border line Of 5he lightest
brown. They were at that time at Silver
Citv. New. and she was besleged with adj
mirerS. whom the Judge endeaVOfed, with
popular sort Of parental monopoly, to
keep ut arms length.
Probably the most obnoxious of all these
to him was Harry j, Norton, bright
Young newspaper man, who was publish
ing typical mining camp journal there.
Norton was a romantic looking fellow.
dark-haired and handsome, and had his
tory full of incident and adventure. he
had been a soldier, had fought his way
into Mexico: he had been a scout and in
government employ; had threaded the
IaOvrlnths of the Yellowstone into the
most marvellous fairyland that the foot of
man ever trod: he was the sole survivor
of a wild raid of the Apaches on the ella
river. and escaped by sheer and desperate
courage alone; he had been a gOld-miner;
a hunter all alone in leagues and leagues
of prairie land, and above all he was a
keen observer, an easy and graceful talk
er. and these moving incidents by flood
and field wOve themselves into his con-
versatiOn and lent it an inetfable charm. He
was man of undOubted nerve; will-pOWer
was the dominant trait of his character,
and 1t is not at all strange that he soon
captivated the belle of the camp.
Judge Blackburn, however, regarded
him with dislike and suspicion. He said
freely that he considered him a dangerous
and dissOlute man, and declined to intrust
the future happiness of his child in his
hands.
Norton loved her tenderly and purely,
and was not the man to be baked. Next
10 himself the most prominent sutton was
rich Mexican, who had drifted north,
and whose name has escaped the pen. He
Was, however, rich, rather dashing, and a
really dangerous rival anywhere. Nor
ton fancied that he was standing in the
We! ~, he lost no time IN TdGf.2 Gainst
text for a quarrel and challenging nun 10
a duel.
The challenge was instantly accepted.
the Mexican, as the challenged parry
choosing Colts reyOlyers at twenty PAGES
and an early hour next morning as the
time. ~.
Prompt to the minute they met. During
the night Norton had yyT-rAei a. usu4l al
his office my STlhulnS out copy iOi
o. printers and correcting proof as non
chaiautly as though he was anticipating
tic ehd of it. The Iast sheet OF ''cOpy'
he wrote was a brief obituary of him
self, and hsnging it on his hook, told the
foreman. without mentioning its nature, C
run it in the next issue in case he did moi
return.
The place was selected for the duel wa,
a level spot in the rear Of some shattered
adobe houses. They stood back to back,
and at lone, two, three were to wheel
and fire. At "three" Norton turned de
Hberately and sent a bullet straight
through his opponents heart. The Next
cans ball had passed over his head.
It was yet in the early gray of dawn
and the journalist FASTENED to Black.
burns house and told Mary plainly just
what had happened, also that he must in
stantly fly.
- viii 90 with yOu,,' she said.
She never re-entered the house. Morton
procured her wraps in the camp and they
left together before the sun was up. o
course she was soon missed and linkinl
her absence with the news Of the duel
which reached him shortly, and Of Nor
toms departure, Judge Blackburn did not
have much difficulty in arriving at al
understanding Of the case. He was q
stern old man, and started in pursuit
fully determined, as he often afterwarC
said, to kill them both. His instant con
strUctiOn was that the journalist had
enticed the girl away for the purpose OF
running her, and in the relentless old
code of morality he preferred death tC
dishOnOr.
Norton, however, had no such notion
They struck the stage and took passage
as any lady and gentleman might, fOl
Virginia City. En- route the angered
father pressed them so hard that they
were compelled to abandon the stage, and
securing horses finished the trip in the
saddle. They arrived in Virginia City
half an hour ahead, and when Judge
Blackburn arrived he was confronted BY
marriage certificate. Although he con-
Guided not TO do any killing, he never
entirely fOrgave Norton, and returned ia
his home feeling that he had been deeply
wrOnged. Nobody was particularly
affected by the death Of the Mexican and
the prosecution quietly died out for lack
of interest.
For two years the Sbung coupled led a
rowing life, drifting wherever the shifting
fortune OF nOmadic Western journalism
drew the husband. For time they were
IN the Black Hills, but some ''gOld brick''
confidence men whom Norton exposed
combined their influence to freeze him
out. His next objective point was Lead
lne, aad reluctant to take his girl-wife to
= turbulent camp Norton sent her home
light tire battle alone. He was sUun a
popular character there, and became edi-
,sr Of the Chronicle, which had recently
been started.
While at Leadville Norton published q
book. half romance and half history, en-
titled. ION the Yellowstone" 1t was the
ide3GZed story of his adventures, and
F-vnlle 1t never reaped the author a fortune
its sale was wide. In 1879 hard work and
a reckless life broke Norton down and he
was seized with pneumonia. His wife
was telegraDhed for and came in on the
-saiesf numbering stage on the evening that
he He'd They took her to the bare log cabin
in Which he lay, and the scene at the bed
side was pitiful beyond all words. In the de-
liriun of grief she chung to the corpse and
had y be finally taken away bv sheer
force. Norton was buried under the pinOu
trees ia the Carbonate hills, and the widow
of less than 20 went back to Nevada car
IEing WIN nef the UedU bohemian > lew
effects, including the manuscript of a re
Visicn II his book, ''On the Yellowstone"
making more of a story and less of his
tory out fit. a purse was raised for her
among her husband S old associates, and
she drifted out Of sight. 1t was afterward
learned that she went with her father to
the 10 tic cUstsU, NJ a few wears 400 he
came Suddenly enriched rs "a sl.7- i5'e.
her Dv relative. 1T was with this money
that She made her theatrical venture at
New York, again opposing the wishes of
her parent. and again without warning
leaving his house. Salmi MOrse's play,
son the Yellowstone" was in reality a
decentralization OF Henry NOrtOn's book.
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