Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-11-22
A TRAGEDY In KENTUCKY.
Terrible Fight Between Widely
Known Politicians.
One Falls Before the Knife and
the Other to the Pistol.

| al O'CLOCK In the 21UeTnOOu NoIoHcI
William Cassius Goodloe, Collector Of Inter
nal Revenue of the Seventh Kentucky Dis
trict and Colonel Armstead NJ. Swope, met
on the Postoffice corridor at Lexington, KY.
Both were after the mail that vas in their
letter boxes, which are rather close together.
| They approached these boxes at almost the
same instant and when each saw who the
other was they glared at each other tercely.
and one of the two, it cannot be discovered
which, exclaimed: you spoke to me: you
| insulted me-"
This was followed by some angry words
| from the other man. At this instant they
Strengthened up, and each drew a weapon at
| the same moment, Swope a revolver and
GoodIoe a clasp knife. As soon the
| weapons were drawn Swope fired, and Good
! loe knocked the revolver down as it went off
| the ball entering his abdomen on the right
| side. Goodloe then began stabbing his oppo-
nent in the breast with his knife, which forced
Swope backward toward the money order
door. After several blows had been struck
! by GoOdloe. SwOpe fired again, missing Good
loe. In a moment after firing the second
shot Colonel Swope fell on his face and died
almost instantly. On his person were found
thirteen wounds-on his back arms. and in
| his breast.
Immediately after the killing Colonel
! Goodloe walked to physicians office, where
| his wounds were examined. He was per
| fectly cool and made disposition OF his
| property in case of death.
! The cause of the difficulty was a statement
! made in the Republican Convention of May
| l, 1855, by Colonel Goodloe, that fully two
thirds of the Fayette County delegation in
the Convention did not speak to Swope.
The correspondence between the men oc-
CURED about the middle of May 1888. 1t
was very brief and simply withdrew the
remarks each had made about the other
Since that trouble they have never spoken
to each other. and since their differences were
settled by the correspondence they have
never spoken of each other, acting as if the
other had never existed.
The only persons who saw the fight were
Postmaster McChesney who was just issuing
a money order, William K. Shelby, who was
in the money order lobby, and Harry Swift
postal clerk. Shelby aided Goodloe in reach
ing the physicians office
Late in the night Goodloe gave the follow
ing version of the difficulty: He said that as
he went toward his Postoffice box he saw
Colonel Swope getting his mail, and, and as
he did not wish a difficulty, he waited for
Swope to get away with his mail and go out.
But after he had procured his mail Swope
d still stood In, in front of ..,1 his box
please allow. me to get my mail?' The
trouble then began, and with few words,
Colonel Swope drew his revolver and
attempted to shoot Goodloe in the head. He
knocked the pistol and it went off, the bullet
going through package of papers GoOdlOe
had in his hand, and into his abdomen He
attempted to ward Off the revolver until he
could get his knife out, and when he did he
began cutting his assailant as rapidly as
possible until he fell
First Assistant Postma ster-G General Clark
son being interviewed at Washington. said:
I'm the Republican party of the nation there
are few men better more widely admired
than Colonel Goodloe. The announcement
of the tragedy will be like a per
sOnal grief to thousands of Republicans
Colonel Goodloe could have had recognition
under the present Administ, alton but he
preferred to stay in Kentucky because OF his
business interests. He was a man of abso-
lutte fearlessness, manly, and generous
The intelligence of the tragedy was a pro-
found shock to a large number of persons in
Washington. Colonel Goodloe had many
friends in the capital, and was high
ly esteemed by prominent leaders of both
political parties. AS a member of the
Republican National Committee he naturally
enjoyed the confidence of the chief public
men OF the Republican party, and his cour-
tesy, genial nature and general lovable
affections not only of those with whom
he in political accord, but Of those
with whom he differed on national
affairs By marriage he is related to Sena-
tor Beck, OF Kentucky, his brother Major
Goodloe, of the Marine Corps having mar
red the Senator's daughter When in the
city ne was frequent visitor at Senator
Beck's residence. and here he met many of
The President knew Colonel GoodlOe well
and esteemed him highly. The news of his
probably fatal shooting was communicated
to him, and affected him to most
marked extent The intelligence seemed
to stun. the President almost as
A book which he was holding in his hand at
the time fell to the floor, and for few
minutes he paced nervously and abstractedly
up and down. He asked that any particli-
lars of the tragedy which might be received
should be communicated to him.
Colonel A. NJ. Swope was about fifty wears
old and native of Kentucky He practised
law at Paris, KY, until the beginning
of the war, when he joined the Union
army and rose to rank of Colonel
the war he went to Lexington, and re-
sumed the practice of his profession. He has
held many posi- lions of trust within the gift
Of National Administrations, and was re-
garded as one of the ablest men in his party.
In the last Kentucky Repu blican Convention
he made strong fight for Senator Sherman,
but was unsuccessful in his attempt to have
the delegation instructed for the Senator,
being opposed by Colonel Go0dloe. In 1877
Mr.. SWOpe was appointed Collector of In
ternal Revenue for the Seventh Kentucky
District, and resigned in 1888. He was an
applicant for Commissioner of Internal
Revenue under President Harrison, but was
defeated, it is asserted, through the enmity
of Colonel Goodloe.
William Cassius Goodloe was born in Madi-
son County in 1S41. His great grandfather
was General Green Clay. who commanded
brigade in the Northwestern campaign under
General Harrison. In 1861 he accompanied
his uncle Cassius NJ. Clay, to Russia, where
he was sent as Minister by President Lin
coin. Mr.. Goodloe acted as Secretary of
the Legation until 1862 when he
returned and Joined the Union army
as Assistant Adjutant-General of Volun-