Morning journal and courier., 1884-04-02
Mary @. Blackburn's Career.


"
Something More About the Young wo-
man Whom Salm1 Morse Befriended.
[From the Kansas City star.l
Six or seven years ago Judge Blackburn
was one of the leading jurists of Nevada.
His daughter Mary, then not quite II years
old, was lovely girl-tall, 1.-THE, and with
glorious head of deep blonde hair, Of that Pc
cuIiar shade that hesitates on the border line
of the ightest brewn. They were at that
Esieged with admirers, whom the Judge en-
deavorsd, with a popular sort of parental
monopoly, to kesp at arms length. Proba-
bly, the most obnoxious of all of these to him
was Harry J. Norton, bright young news
paper man, who was publishing typical
mining camp journal there. Norton was ro:
mantle looking fellow, dark-haired and hand
some, and hsdJs history full of incident and
adventure. <He had been soldier, had
fought hj<way into Mexico; he had been a
scout add in sgoyernnent employ; had thread.
50 the labyrinths 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 GiIa river
and escaped by sheer and desperate courage
alone; he had been a gold miner, hunter
all alone in leagues and leagues of prairie
land, and above all, he was keen observer,
an easy and graceful talker, and these ''mov-
ing incidents by flood and field" wove them
selves into his conversation, and lent it an in
effable charm. He was man of undoHbted
nerve; will power was the dominant trait of
hIa oh oaka nd Sox not oil kI,ok
he soon captivsted the belle of the camp.
Judge Blackburn, however, regarded him
with dislike and suspicion. He said freely
that he considered him dangerous and dis
solute man, and declined to iDtrust the future
happiness Of his child in his hands. Norton
loved her tenderly and purely, and was not
the man to be baked. Next to himself the
most prominent suitor was rich Mexican,
who had drifted North, and whose name has
escaped the pen. He was, however, rich,
rather dashing, and really dangerous rival
anywhere Norton fancied that he was stand
ing in the way, and prejudicing the Judge
against him, and he lost no time in finding a
pretext for quarrel and challenging him to
a duel. The challenge was instantly accept
ed, the Mexican, as the challenged party,
choosing Colts revolvers, at twenty paces
and an early hour next morning as the time
Prompt to the minute they met. During
the night Norton had worked as usual at his
office, coolly grinding out ''copy' for the
printers and correcting proof as nonchalantly
as though he was anticipating nothing more
serious than good sleep at the end of it.
The last sheet of ''copy" he wrote was brief
obituary of himself, and hanging it on his
hook. told the foreman, without mentioning
its nature, to run it in next issue in case he
did not return.
The place selected for the duel was 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 deliberately and
sent bullet straight through his opponents
heart. The Mexicsn's ball had passed over
his head.
1t was yet in the early gray of dawn, and
the journalist hastened to BIaokburn's house,
and told Mary plainly Just what had hap
pened, also that he must instantly fly.
II will go with you," she said.
She never re-entered the house. Norton
procured her wraps In the camp and they
left together before the sun was up. or
course she was soon missed, and linking her
absence with the news of the duel which
reached him shortly, and of Norton's de-
parture, Judge Blackburn did not have
much difficulty in arriving at an understand
ing or tha case. He was q stern old man,
and started in pursuit fully determined, SO he
often aftsrward said, to kill them both. His
instant construction was that the journalist
had enticed the girl away, and in the relent-
less old code of morality he preferred death
to dishonor.
Norton, however, had no such notion
They struck the stage and took passage as
any lady and gentleman might, for Virginia
City. En- routs the augered 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 con-
fronted by marriage certificate. Although
he concluded not to do any killing, he never
entirely forgave Norton, and returned to 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 young couple led a row.
ing life. drifting wherever the shifting fortune
of nomadic western journalism drew the hug
band. For time they we're in the Black
Hills, but some gold brick" confidence men
whom Norton exposed combined th cir infu-
ence to freeze him out. His next objective
point was LeadviIls, and reluctant to take his
girl wife to SO turbulent camp, Norton sent
her home to her parents in Nevada, and
went to fight the battle alone He was soon
a popular character there, and became editor
OF the Chronicle, which had recently been
started.
While at Leadville Norton published
book, half romance and half history entitled,
''On the Yellowstone" It was the idealized
story of his adventures, and while it never
reaped the author fortune its sale was wide.
In 1879 hard work and reckless life broke
Norton down, and he was seized with pneu-
monia. His wife was telegraphed for and
came in on the big numbering stage on the
evening that he died. They took her to the
bare log cabin in which he lay, and the scene
at the bedside was pitifuI hey yond all word1
In the delirium of grief she clung to the
corpse and had to be finally taken away by
sheer force. Norton was buried under the
pinon trees in the Carbonate hills, and the
widow of less than 20 went back to Nevada
carrying with her the dead Bohemian's few
effects, including the manuscript of a revision
of his book, s'On the YELLOWSTONE" making
more of story and less of a history out of it.
A purse was raised for her among her hus]
bands old associates, and she drifted out of
sight. It was after ward learned that she
went with her father to the Pacific coast, and
few years ago became suddenly enriche2 by
legacy left her by a relative. 7. was with
this money that she made her theatrical ven-
ture at New York, again opposing the wishes
of her parent, and again Hithout warning
leaving his house. Salmi Morses play, "On
the Yellowstone, " was il reality a dramatiza-
ton of Henry Norton's book.