News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-12-19
The Prudent Keptuckian,s Weapon.

GAS between knife and pistol as
an offensive or defensive weapon, give
me the knife every time" remarked
Congressional Delegate Smith of Ari-
IONA the other day. ''Pve seen both
used good deal in my time, and L
never knew the man with the pistol to
get away with the man with the knife.
The latter is terror"
Mr.. Smith was discussing the Swope-
Goodloe tradegy in Kentucky, and re-
marked that Col Swope was fool to
draw revolver on man who he knew
habitually carried a knife. "4ou see"
and here Delegate Smith GRO 'sed his
legs and lighted a fresh cigar, ga man
unless he is dead shot and quick as
flash, has no business to carry a gun
anyhow. Many a good man has been
killed because, having a gun, he didn't
know how to use it, whereas, if he had
no gun at all he wouldn't have been
hurt. Down in my country, people
don't shoot man who is not armed
Hence, unless a man knows how to
use a pistol with prompt effect, he'd
better not carry one. Now, Col. Swope
carried pistol, didn't know how to
use it, fired at his man, missed him, and
then, before he could fire again, the
man with the knife was at work on his
person with the fury of a tiger.
al tell you,' continued Mir. Smith,
as he pushed the bell button, "lm not
afraid of man with gun, but I'm
in mortal dread of man that carries
a knife. A good many people think
knife is towards weapon, and so 1t
is when used to stab man in the back;
but, it is the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
arm that man ever carried. Most
kentuckians carry a knife of some
kind. If it isn't 'bowie' it is dirk
or a dagger. Thafaxerite knife among
lS"~ss-sclS asdtance, but as -fean | was a
BOZ bow .. m.sll iiiaaed ~ ,Iiat State-is the
double-edge1 dagger. 1t is carried in
a sheath and the sheath is attached to
the left suspender. 1t is the fashion,
YOU know, IN the South to wear low
cut vests, and the knife, therefore, can
be reached in the fraction of a second,
and as it requires no preparation, aim
or anything, its possessor can rush up
on an opponent with quickness and
force that are irresistible, and there IS
no escape. have seen number OF
duels between men armed with knife
and pistol, and | never knew the pistol
man to escape but once, and he shot
the man with the knife before the latter
could reach him.
If a table or any other barricade can
be interposed, why the man with the
pistol has great advantage, but in
open ground, unless he is quick and
dead shot, the man with the knife is
going to kill him-provided, of course,
he has the nerve. have seen i'll Mar
tin Joyce's saloon, in Tombstone, one
slender fellow with a six-inch blade
hold dozen desperate fellows at bay.
All of them were armed with guns,
and most of them dead shots, but the
sight of that glistening steel in the
hands of man who they knew would
use it, seemed to paralyze every nerve.
Not one dared to shoot, lest before the
smoke cleared that awful knife would
be in his vitals. Ugh!" and Delegate
Smith shuddered at the mere thought.
1.-THE knife, however, is not popular
with any but Kentuckians. The late
Judge Terry of California was more
feared because he was known to carry
, knife than from any other cause.
There was once gentleman, lawyer
in Nevada---Gen. t. III. Williams his
name was-who always carrieda blade
in sheath fastened to his suspender.
The General was sickly and feeble and
at times, but you can bet
nobody in Nevada ever dared tackle
him in court or out of it. He ran for
The United States Senate in 1874 against
Bill Sharon and made hot canvass,
but nobody ever insulted the General.
He was Kentuckian, and his knife
never left his suspender."