The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-22
ADuEL WITH POTATOES.
A Southern Preacher who Wasn't Afraid
to Fight.
Atlanta Journal

To Fight.
Atlanta Journal
This seems to be year of duels," said
DR.. Morrison of the First Methodist church
TO an Atlanta Journal reporter, shut
notice there's far more duels than blood.
Ii reminds me of famous duel fought in
Kentucky in lsiS. !.
"Biii Bowman was . noted preacher who
lived near Ailiersburg. He was q typical
kentuckian, tall. angular. ard muscular.
Like Sam Jones, he always said what he
thought. In the midst of arevival meeting
well known desperate came into the
church and began making a disturbance.
With eyes flashing with Indignation Bill
Bowman arose and in a ringing voice pub
hcly reproved the desperate, who at once
retired from the church.
The next morning.the desperate sent
challenge to Bowman to fight him duel.
Bowman accepted the challenge. and there
was no four-column newspaper correspond
ence, no railroad trips to an adjoining
state, nothing but two little notes-one
challenge and the other an acceptance
and then all was ready for the fight. The
town was terribly excited. for such thing
as preacher fighting duel had never
been heard of before.
.'Old Bill Bowman. being the challenged
man, had the choice of weapons. He Sc
lected half-bushel of Irish potatoes as big
as his fist for each man, and stipulated that
his opponent must stand fifteen PAGES dis
tant, and only one potato at time to be
taken from the measure. The town was
wild with delight, for everybody knew that
Bill Bowman could throw, with his long,
muscular arms, IS straight and almost as
swift as rifle could send bullet singing
toward the target
'The desperate was furious at being
thus freshly insulted, and made an indig-
nant protest against such fight, but Bill
Bowman insisted that he was the chal-
ienged man and had right to choose his
own weapons, and threatened to denounce
the desperate as coward il he failed to
come to time. As there was no way out of
the box but to fight the desperate finally
consented TO face the preacher.
THE fight took place on the outskirts OF
the town. Everybody in Millersburg was
present to see the fun. The seconds ar
ranged the two men in position, by the side
of each being half hushel measure flied
with large Irish potatoes as hard as brick
Bill Bowman threw the first potatoe. 1t
struck his opponent central shot and
flew into thousand pieces. yell of de-
light went up from the crowd, which rat
tied the desperado, and his potato flew
wide OF the tall, bony preacher.
bill Bowman watched his chance, and
every time hisoppoueut stopped for po-
tato another one hit him in the side, leay-
ing wet spot on his clothes, and then scat
tering itself to the four winds of heaven.
Old Bill hit the desperate about five times.
and then the sixth potato struck him in the
short ribs, knocking the wind completely
out of him and doubling him up on the
grass.
The people were almost crazy with
laughter, but Bill Bowman looked as sober
as If he had just finished preaching fun
eral sermon. The desperate was taken
home and put to bed, and there he staid
for more than week before he recovered
from the effects of his Irish potato duel.
The old men in Miilersburg still talk
about that celebrated duel. But il was the
means OF breaking up dueling in that Sec
ton"