The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-04
THE KENTUoK1AN's WEAPON.
A knife in the Left Suspender Worth
More Than a Pistol Anywhere.

u hnlIo III the LEU 0uSponQer w Orth
More Than Pistol Anywhere.
From the Chicago Herald.
LAS between knife and pistol as an
offensive or defensive weapon, give me the
knife every tine" remarked Congressional
Delegate Marcus A. Smith of Arizona the
other day at the Palmer house. ''Pve seen
both used a good deal in my time, and |
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 tragedy in kentucky, and re-
marked that Col Swope was fool to draw
revolver on man who he knew habitu-
ally carried knife. you see,n and here
delegate Smith crossed his legs and lighted
d fresh cigar, "a man, unless he is a dead
shot and quick as fash, has no business to
carry gun, anyhow. Many 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 be wouldn't have been
hurt. Down IN my country people don't
shoot a man who is not armed Hence.
unless 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
Oli LIS peIsou Will bu0 Jury OF UlR0T.
II tell you,p continued Mr.. Smith, as he
pushed the bell button, "pm not afraid Of
man with gun, but Pm in mortal dread
of man that carries a knife. good
many people think a knife is a towards
weapon, and 80 it is when used to stab a
man in the back; but it is the most conf
dence begetting arm that a man ever car
ried. Most Kentuckians carry a knife of
| some kind. II it isn't bowie it is dirk or
| dagger. The favorite knife among Ken
| tuckians-or was when l was a boy and
| lived in that State-is the double-edged dag
| ger. 1t is carried in a sheath and the
sheath is attached to the left sus-
pender. 1t is the fashion, you know,
in the south to wear low-cut vests and the
knife, therefore, can be reached in the frac-'
| ton of second, and as it requires no prep
aration, aim, or anything, its possessor can
| rush upon an opponent with a quickness
and force that are irresistible, and there is
no escape. | have seen a number of duels
between men armed with knife and pistol,
and 1 neve r knew the pistol man to escape
| but once, and he shot the man with the
knife before the latter could reach aim. If
| a table or any other barricade can be inter-
posed, why, the man with the pistol has a
| 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 in Martin
JoyceS SOloOn, In TOMBSTONE, one slender
| fellow with six-inch blade hold a dozm
| desperate fellows at bay. All of them were
armed with guns, and most of them dead
| shots. but the sight of that gistening steel
in the hands of a man who they knew
would use it seemed to paralyzs every
| nerve. Not one dared to shoot, lest before
the smoke cleared that awful knife would
be in his vitals. Ughl" and Delegate Smith
shaddered at the mere thought
| hFTha Enifa hOwayar is not 'rOpular with
any but Kentuckians. The late Judge
| Terry of California was more feared be-
| cause he was known to carry a knife, than
from any other cause. There was once a
gentleman, lawyer in Nevada-Gen. T.
H. Williams his name was-who always
carried blade in sheath fastened to his
suspender. The general was sickly and
feeble, and ill-tempered 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 a hot canvass, but
nobody ever insulted the general. He was
a Kentuckian, and his knife never left his
suspender."