Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-05-10
a SOUTHERN TRAGEDY.

A Street Duel, the Outcome of the Haml.
ton-Gambrell Case, in jackson, Missis-
ssppi-General Writ Adams and Editor
Martin of the ssNew Missisippian' Both
Dead as the Result.
JACKSON, Miss, May General Wirt
Adams, prominent in the history of Mis-
slsslppi, and ]. Fl. Martin, editor of the
jackson Neso Mississapp,an, were both
Killed mere yesterday in desperate duel
az close quarters, and the double tragedy
mas created a profound sensation through
out the entire State. The fatal ARRAY
grew out of the Hamilton Gambre1 shoot
ing Of year ago, when Roderick Gam
brell, editor of the Jackson Sacord and
Shield, was killed by Colonel Jones s.
Hamilton The trial of Colonel
Hamilton divided the State OF
Mississippi into two practically
hostile parties, the Neao Mississippian, of
which the Martin brothers were the edit
ors, violently attacking Colonel Hamil-
ton and his friends. Prominent among
those was General Writ Adams, who was
his business partner in the penitentiary
leases and Ship Island railroad. The
paper yesterday morning contained vio-
lent attack on General Adams, suggest
ing that he took advantage of his position
as postmaster to delay and prevent its
transmission in the mails. The two men
met on President and Amite streets, when
General Adams stepped up to Martin and
said:
"You rascal, have had enough Of
this.'
Martin replied: eff you don't like it,
them and without finishing the SEN
sence he pulled his pistol, fired and step
ped behind tree. General Writ Adams
replied almost Immediately. He walked
around the tree to get a better shot at
Martin, both firing at the time. AS Mar
tin fired his last shot Adams dropped
dead, and Martin himself fell almost
simultaneously. An examination of the
bodies showed that Adams had received
but one wound, the ball having passed
through the heart, while Martin was shot
in the breast, leg and heart. Both men
died almost instantly.
General Writ Adams was one of the
most-noted citizens of Mississippi. He
served as secretary to Dunlap, Secretary
of War of the Republic of Texas, and was
Adjutant of Budesui's regiment in the
great Indian fights of the 10th and 10th of
July, 1889, on the Neches river, where
''Old Bowles," the great Cherokee chief,
was defeated and killed. He returned to
the United States and was a wealthy bank
er at Jackson and Vicksburg. In 1851 and
1854 he was elected to the Mississippi
Legislature, and framed the first gen.
eral laws on the subject of levee pro-
lection. In January, 1861, he was appoint
ed by Governor McRea of Mississippi as
commissioner to Louisiana to secure CO.
operation in the passage of the secession
ordinance. In February, 1861, President
Davis summoned him to Montgomery and
offered him a seat in his Cabinet as Post
MASTER General, but he declined in order
to organize cavalry regiment, which
was thought to be the best in the Confed-
crate service. He was made Brigadier-
General of cavalry in 1865, was engaged
in every eventful battle of the Army of
the Tennessee, and made the last fight Of
the war east of the Mississippi, at Gaines
vile, Ala, where he captured a number
of prisoners. He was appointed post
master of Jackson, two years ago, by Pres
ident Cleveland.
Martin was young man only thirty
years of age, a talented editor, but of the
aggressive order and had been already
engaged in a number of serious ARRAYS
over the Hamilton Gambren case.