The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-10-03
A Duel Which was Fought in Hamburg.

The recent duels which have occurred,
and not occurred, have called out many
duelling "reminiscences. The disagree.
ment between Messrs. Fluff and Patter-
son has been discussed daily in the clubs
and wherever mer congregated, and with
this as starting point many stories
of other personal encounters were told.
From among the many which I have
heard, the following is taken, as it vas
witnessed by manypeople who still live
in Augusta, land the facts will come back
to some on reading it, who have not
thought Of them In years. Col. J. O..
Clarke, MIR. B. S. Dunbar, Capt. J. @.
Mcdonald all were witnesses and remem-
ber the affair we'll.
The story as told by these gentlemen is
about as follows:
In The palmy days of Hamburg's his.
tory, when it was thriving, busy town,
receiving nearly 100000 bales of cotton
annually, Mr.. Sam Clarke, the brother Of
Col. J. o. Clarke, and Mr.. George Rob.
inson, the father.in-law of Capt. Charles
e. Coffin, were merchants doing business
on its principal thoroughfare.
Mr. Clarke carried on drug store, and
Mr.. Robinson was just across the street
in the hardware business. From all the
stories that are told of these two clever
gentlemen by their surviving friends
they must have enjoyed ajoke to the
fullest extent. An old negro, whose
locks were white with the SHOWS of sixty
winters, did odd jobs about Mr.. Clarke's
store. He vas too old to do much work,
but was great hand to spin yarns about
his youthful deeds Of prowess and feats
of strength. He fourished under the
name Of Benjamin Turns, but was
known by everybody as "Old Uncle
Ben"
Cid Tobe johnson was contemporary
of Uncle Ben's. He had crooked leg,
and was woodsawer. he might be
seen any day shutting along the streets
of Hamburg with that peculiar gait of hia,
and usually with wood saw over his
shoulders. BE was sort of privileged
character. Everybody knew him, and
the young men were constantly splaying
pranks on the old fellow to hear him
spread himselfin his own peculiar vernac.
ular.
One day a job was put up on the two
old men together. They were great
rivals and each was quick to take Of.
fence at anything laid or done by the
other.
Tobe was informed of something in.
sulting which old Ben had said about
him, and went over to have satisfaction.
Mr.. Clarke was absent at the time but
when he returned found old Ben in q
great state of perturbation. He said !:
"Tobe hab been ober hyar, and scused
me of f'sultin him, and den knocked me
down."
Mr. Clarke told him he must not rest
under any such abuse, and he ought to
challenge Tobe to fight duel.
"I'll do it eff you'll lem me-" said
Ben.
"Why, certainly I'll let you. I'll act
as your second" said MIR. Clarke.
The challenge was soon in old Tobe's
hands. He took it to Mr.. Robinson to
read for him. He explained to lobe
| that Ben demanded the satisfaction which
one gentleman had right to expect
from another, and challenged him to fight
duel.
"In course I'll fight 'em," said old
Tobe.
Mr. Clarke told Tobe he would act as
his second, and the duel was arranged tor
the next Saturday afternoon.
1t soon became noised around, and
there was no end Of curiosity and excite.
ment about it. Everybody was anxious to
see the meeting, and it was the talk ofthe
town. Old Tobe was daily practcinging
|
to use the pistol in the yard back of MIR.
Robinson's store, and it was whispered
about that he was putting holes in q
plank at the word Old. Ben began to
weaken, and was only held mp to the
scratch by the secret assurance that nc
bullets would be put in the pistols, and
he would be in no danger.
This WIS kept q profound secret, how.
ever, between the seconds, old Ben and
the town marshal. TO everybody else.
old Tobe included, it was fight to the
finish, without favor to anybody. The
day arrived and the town was greatly
excited. The duelling ground was on
the top of Schultz's hill, near spring,