Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-12-10
The Prudent Kentuckian's Weapon.


LAS between knife and pistol as
an offensive or defensive weapon, give
me the knife every time" remarked
Congressional Delegate Smith of Ari-
coma the other day. "Pve seen both
lsed good deal in my time, and !
never knew the man with the pistol to
get away with the man with tie knife.
The latter is q 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
haOitually carried q knife. "You see,"
and here Delegate Smith crossed his
legs and lighted fresh cigar, ga man
unless he Is dead shot and quick as
dash. has no business to carry g gun
anyhow. Many a good man has been
killed because, having a gun, he didn't
know how 10 use IL, whereas, If he had
no gun al all he wouldn't have been
hurt. Down IN my country, people
don't shoot q man who Is not armed.
Hence, unless q man knows how 20
use pistol with prompt effect, he'd
better not carry one. Now, Col. Swope
carried a pistol, didn't know how TO
-
then, before he could fire again, the
man with the knife was at work OH his
person with the fury of q tiger.
81 tell you," continued Mr.. Smith,
as he pushed the bell button, ssI'm not
afraid Of man with gun, but Pm
in mortal dread of man that carries
a knife. a good many people think a
knife is towards weapon, and go it
is when used 10 stab u man in the back I;
but, II is the most-confideuce-b -begetting
arm that a man ever carried. Most
kentuckians carry knife of some
kind. II it isn't bowie it Is dirk
or dagger. The favorite knife among
kentuckians-or was when l was a
boy and lived in that State-is the
dOuble-edge1 dagger. 1t is carried in
q sheath and the sheath is attached 10
the left suspender. 1t Is the fashion,
you know, IN the South to wear low
cut vests, and the knife, therefore, can
be reached III the fraction of second,
and as it requires no preparation, a, n
or anything, its pOssessOr can rush up-
on an opponent with q quickness and
force that are irresistible, and there Is
no escape l have seen a number Of
due!s between men armed with knife
and pistol, and l 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 inierposcd, why the man with the
pistol has a great advantage, but in
open ground, unless he is q quick ard
dead shot, the man with the knife is
going 10 kill him-provided, of course,
he has the nerve. l have seen in Mar
tin Joyce's saloon, in Tombstone, one
slender fellow with q 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 a man who they knew wCuld
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. Cgh!" and Delegate
Sm.h shuddered al 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
a knife than from any other cause.
There was once gentleman, a lawyer
in Nevada---Gen. T. II. Williams hi,
pane was-who always carried blade
In sheath fastened to his .uspender.
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 fol
the United States Senate in 1874 against
Bill Sharon and made a hot canvass,
but nobody ever insulted the General
He was Kentuckian, and his knife
ueTer left his suspender."