The South western news., 1888-09-26
ASKoRT RACE.
bfu Georgia Aspiraht 10 the Presidential
Once.
Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution

pre- sid ntial campaign of that yer,
there lived in Ebert county, about
shree miles below Elhert, a man
by the name OF Hiram Davis, whose
information was very limited, but
who imagined he knew good deal
At the time there was theatre
cal company spending some tn e
in Filhertcn with a large te' t
stretched on the west side of the
public square, ia which the men
of the town would frequently con
gregate to discuss the exciting po-
litical questions Of the day.
On one occasion an unusually
large crowd was present in the tent,
Davis being one of the number
when it was proposed to hold a
national nominating convention to
nominate candidates for presi
dent and vice-president OF the Uni
ted States.
After the meeting vas organized
Hon Amos T. Alderman (then a
resident of ElbertUn) arose and at
ter brilliant speech on the gravity
of the situation, and especially of
that peculiar occasion, placed in
no ,ination Hiram Davis, OF
Ebert County, Ga, tor president,
and Don Pedro Castro, of Mexico
Tor vice>president. The nomina-
ton was seconded and carried by
reclamation amid tremendous ap|
plause.
4 committee was appointed to
notify Davis Of his nomination, and
called on him for a speech. Fe
asked for an hours time to prepare
himself. In the meantime the
crowd had grown to such proror~
tons that the canvas would not
hold them, and it was decided to
have the speech delivered from a
veranda in frort of the court house.
Davis's friends, prominent among
whom was Capt. Ben 9. Henry,
then a resident OF Elberton, took
him off and rugged him up in a
large old style blue military coat,
with epaulets on the shoulders, an
immense collar that reached above
his ears, a very tall stovepipe hat
and an old pair of No. y ditchers
boots.
At the appointed time he ap-
peared on the veranda, and a more
eOmical looking appearance never
presented itself to the people of
Elbertor. But navis meant bus,
mess. He thought that he was the
bonafile nominee for the Office.
and visions of the white house and
S25, 900 a year had been poured in
his ear by his accommodating
friends until ne was worker up to
the highest point of excitement.
He delivered a senseless harlngue
Of an hours length with as much
earnestness as was displayed by
Stephen A. Douglas in those
days.
During the speech Captain ia.
Sanders, now deceased, pretended
90 become offended at some remark
made by Davis, and at its conclu.
sion sent him challenge to figh: q
duel. Davis was averse to spilling
human blood and wanted to &c
cline the combat, but bis friends
assured him he was occupying a
position in which it would be a
disgrace to decline and that certain
defeat would be the result OF such
u course. This nerved him up to
the point, and he accepted the
challenge, and acting under the
advice of his second Captain Ben
Henry chose double Darrell shots
guns as the weapons, and. twenty
PAGES as the distance.
Everything being arranged, a
level street in the front of the
Methodist church was selected as
the dwelling ground. The distance
was measured, the guns loaded
with powder only, but Davis
thought with duck shot also) and
the principals placed in position. At
the command, Fire" Sanders
fred his Immediately, but Davis
took cool and deliberate aim and
fired. Sanders. OF course, fell and
his surgeon ran up and bent over
him, at the same time emptying a
bottle of red ink on his bosom, and
announcing that he was mortally
wounded.
Davis saw the blood Gas he
thought ard bis friends advised
BIN to fee. This he at first de.