The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-12-26
DUEL WITH POTATOES.
How the Reverend Mr.. Bowman Dcwrsd
Desperate,

y Desperate,
his seems to be q year OF dueis, !"
said DR.. Morrison, of the First Meth
odist Church, ssbut notice there's far
more duels than blood. 1t reminds me
of a lannon's duel fought in Kentucky in
184s.
Bill Bowman was a noted preacher
who lived near Millcrsburg. He was a
typical Kentuckian, tall, angular and
muscular. Like Sam Jones, he always
said what he thought. In the midst Of
revival meeting we1l-known desper-
ado came into the church and began
making disturbance. With eyes fash
ing with Indignation Bill Bowman
arose and in ringing voice publicly re-
proved the desperate, who at once re-
tired from the church.
"The next morning the despe RADIO
sent challenge to Bowman to fight him
duel. Bowman accepted the challenge,
and there was no four-cofunfn newspaper
correspondence, 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 ex-
cited, for such thing as a preacher
fighting duel had never been heard Of
before.
sold Bill Bowman being the ehal-
lenged man had the choice of weapons.
lie selected half bushel of Irish pota-
toes as big as his fist for each man and
stipulated that his opponent must stand
fifteen PAGES distant and only one potato
at a time to be taken from the measure.
The town was wild with delight, for
every body knew that Bill Bowman
could throw with his long muscular
arms as straight and almost as swift as
rife could send bullet singing to-
ward the target.
"The desperate was furious at being
thus freshly insulted and made an in
dignant protest against such fight, but
Bill Bowman insisted that he was the
challenged man and had a right to
choose his own weapons and threatened
to denounce the desperate as coward
if he failed towcome to time. AS there
was no way out9of the box but to fight,
the desperate finally consented to face
the preacher.
''rhe fight took place on the outskirts
Of the town Every body in Millersburg
was present to see the fun. The Sec
onds arranged the two men in position,
by the side of each being half bushel
measure filled with large Irish potatoes
as hard as a brick.
"Bill Bowman threw the first potato.
1t struck his opponent central shot and
flew into thousand pieces. A yell of
delight went up from the crowd, which
ratified the desperate and his potato flew
wide Of the tall, bony preaeher.=-
--wBiIl Bowman watched his chance,
and every time his opponent stopped fol
potato another one hit him in the side
leaving wet spot on his clothes, and
then scattering itself to the four winds
of Heaven. Old Bill hit the desperate
about five times, and then the sixth po
tato struck him in the short ribs, knock
ing the wind completely out of him, and
doubling him up on the grass
''The people were almost crazy with
laughter, but Bill Bowman looked al
sober as If he had just finished preach
ing a funeral sermon. The desperate
was taken home and put to bed, and
there he stayed for more than week be
fore he recovered from the effects of hi:
Irish potato duel.
.sThe old men in Millersburg still
talk about that celebrated duel, but i
was the means of breaking up duelins
in that section. Atlanta journal