The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-11
CASSIUSCLAY'S DUELS
(contiaued from Page Q.


/ knew that my situation was dangerous
one. ! carried my pistols with me every
where, but at Foxtown | left them In my
carpet bag, and was armed only with my
bowie knife, At this meeting our debate
grew very hot, and Turner'S son rushed IN
and struck me and told me lied. knew
this meant fight. and that there was
conspiracy against me. / drew my bowie
knife. but was seized by about wenty of
the conspirators and hauled back and my
knife was ierked from me. nrst thought
that the men were only trying to prevent
a night, and | did not make much res1s-
lance. But as soon as lost my knife they
began to pound me with clubs, and some
one behind me stabbed me IN the
breast, reaching around in front. The
knife entered my lung. Ii cut apart my
breast bone and bed like stuck pig: |
thought was killed, and / determined to
kill the man who had melted the mob. |
grabbed my bowie knife in my fingers,
catching it by the blade and the handle
and cutting the Iesh through to the
bone. You can see the scars now"-and
with that General Clay held out his hand
on the two fingers of which was seen great
white scars where the bowie knife had cut
them.
''WeIl, / got the knife and fourished
it around my head with my bloody hands.
The crowd disappeared as cried out, ''get
l. l.
l cut him in the abdomen. but as | drew
the knife from him | almost tainted from
the loss of blood and fell, saying died for
the liberties of my country. At this time
my boy ran in with my revolvers. but 1t
was too late and / could not use them.
The crowd thought / was dead and this
saved my life. They carried me home and
l lay between life and death for some days.
did not think l was going to die. and |
would not let the doctors touch me. [
would not let them change my clothes, and
l lay for days drenched in blood.
After some time, however, / be-
gan to mend, my wounds healed and
got well again. As for Turner, he died.
This aEray caused much discussion among
the abolitionists of the North, and not a
few of them criticised me not little Sc
verely for fighting. They thought | ought
to have submitted and let them kill me,
and DIR. Bailey, the editor of a paper IN
Washington. said I would have done
great deal of good to the cause if / had
died. and remarked that The blood of the
faithful is the seed of the church. As he
said this, rather humorous but vlndictlve
smile played over General Clay's face, and
he paid his respects to the New England
abolitlonists in language that was both
emphatic and graphic. He referred also
to the ingratitude of the negro for the
kindnesses which were done TO them by
the whites, and asked him as to the kill
ing of Perry White.
KILLED IN sELF-DEFENsE.
General Clay has perhaps done more for
the negro than any other one man in the
South. He freed his slaves and fought for
the abolition of slavery, when no other
man dared to speak or act for them.
After the war was over he came back
to Kentucky, and lived quietly at White
Hall, devoting his chief time to study.
He had with him his adopted son, Launey
Clay, a little boy of 4, whom he brought
with him from Russia, and he lived alone
with Launey and his servants at White
Hall. His servants robbed him right and
left. They stole his silver and his
furniture, and systematically plundered
his plantation. They poisoned his
son and attempted to poison him, and
when he discharged them, one of them
threatened to murder him. Clay warned
him to keep off of the place. White left.
but sent letters saying he intended to kill
Clay. One morning when out riding Gen.
eral Clay saw him on his plantation. con-
cealed in the woods. General Clay jumped
from his horse, and, believing that the
negro intended to kill him, drew his revolt
yer, got the drop on him and told him to
throw up his hands. He then began to
give him a lecture and to ask him
why he had threatened his life, when
Perry White put down his hands
and jerked out his pistol. General Clay
then fired and struck the negro in the
neck. He fired a second time and shot him
through the heart. He was tried for the
shooting, but was acquitted on the ground
of self defense. | walked with General
Clay over the place where the shooting
occurred. 1t was within a stones throw
OF the house, and the general said that he
had no doubt that he would have been a
dead man if he had not killed White
HOW JULIAN HAWTHORNE ESCAPED A DUEL.
General Clay is now nearly 50 years of
age. But he is still a dangerous man to
fool with. Quiet in his mein and gentle in
his conversation, he would resent an in
suit as quickly today as when he was in
his prime, and in self-defense. I am sure
he would be equal to two average men of
half his years. 1t is now only few years
ago since he came very near having duel
with Julian Hawthorne, the novelist.
Hawthorne had reviewed copy of General
Clay's memoirs, and in his review had crit
icised Clay severely and had discussed the
subject Of the chastity of his wife.
Said General Clay: Il was very angry. I
did not believe that l could make any
thing out of the man by suing him, and L
determined to make him apologize or fight.
/ wrote to Colonel w. q. TerriH. of Wash
ington. asking him to act as nv second.
and | also wrote to Whitelaw Reid enclos
ing letter to Hawthorne, which I asked
him to publish if his relations towards
Hawthorne were such that he could do SO
without aztec ting them In this letter |
told Mr.. Hawthorne that the article which
he had published concerning me, in which
he had used the name of my wife, was
false. and that he had attributed
language In that article to me
which L had never uttered, and that
L demanded an unequivocal retraction of
everything he had said about her in the
article and that this retraction should be
so publlshed that it would have as wide
Circulation as his article had had. | told
INN that L would give him an oppor-
tunity of withdrawing his allegations
anal letter was so written that between
the INES you could see that meant he
would nave to fight if he did not withdraw
them. Wen, sent this letter TO Mr..
held. lie replied that he was friend of
HawtnorneS. and that he could not pub
ilsh the letter, but that he would re-
Ter 1t to Hawthorne. Hawthorne got
the letter and appreciated the situation.
de wrote retractlon that was perfectly
Satisfactory sndsd and published it; this
ended the matter. Had he NOT
zone so would have challenged him. and
II ne mad refused TO accept the challenge
would have shot him on the streets AZ
10 what ms article said about me. | did
Hot care. Ii was bitter and unjust but I
am accustomed TO such attacks. did oh
Iect: however, TO what he said about nv
IanliIy' and L made him retract his re-
marks concerning my wife"
by this time the fire had burned low in
the great open fireplace. The hands of
the clock on the Daptel rOiptaI 70 ~