Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-10


was having sort Of a political discussion with
man named Turner. We spoke together and
L was against slavery and Turner was for 1t.
All the slave holders were with Turner and
knew that my situation was dangerous one.
carried my pistols With me everywhere, but
at Foxtown left them in nv carpet bag and
was armed only with my bowie knife. At
this meeting our debate grew very hot and
Turner 8 son rushed In and struck me and
told me lied. 1 knew this meant a fight and
that there was a conspiracy against me. l
drew my bowie knife, but was seized by about
twenty OF the conspirators and hauled back and
my knife was jerked from me. first thought
that the men we're only trying to prevent .
fight and did not make much resistance. 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. 1t cut apart my
breast bone and 1 bled like stuck pig. 1
thought was killed. and determined to kill
the man who had melted the mob. l grabbed
my bowie knife in my fingers, catching 1t by
the blade and handle and Gu, ting the flesh
through to the bone. You can see the scars
now "And with that Gen. Clay held out his
hand on the two fingers of which was seen great
white scars where the bowie knife had cut
| them.
"well, I got the knife and hourished it
around my head with my bloody hands The
crowd disappeared as / cried out, get ont Of
the way. and l rushed for Turner. l cut him
In the abdomen, but as / drew the knife from
him l almost tainted from the loss of blood
and fell, saying l died for the liberties OF my
country. At this time my boy ran in with my
revolvers, but it was too late and l could not
Use them. The crowd thought was dead and
this saved my life They carried me home and
lay between life and death for some days. i
did not think l was going to die and would
not let the doctor touch me. / would not let
them change my clothes and l lay Cor days
drenched In blood. After some time. how
ever, began to mend, my wounds healed and
got well again: As for Turner. he died
This ARRAY caused much discussion among the
abolitionists of the north and not a
few Of them criticised me not q little severely
for fighting. They thought l ought to have
submitted and let them kill me. and DE-. Bailey,
the editor of a paper in Washington, said
would have done a great deal of good to the
cause if l had died. and remarked that the
blood Of the faithful Is the seed of the church
As he said this rather a humorous but vindict-
i've smile spread over Gen. Clays face, and he
paid his respects to the New England abolition
lists 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 l asked him
as to the killing of Perry White.
KILLED IN sELF-pEFENsE.
Gen. Clay has perhaps done more forthe ne
gro than any other 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. little
boy of four whom he had brought from Russia,
and he lived alone with Launey and his SER
wants 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 at
tempted to poison him. and when he discharged
them one of them threatened to murder him.
Clay warned him to keep of of the place.
White left, but sent letters saying he intended
to kill Clay. One morning when out
riding General Clay saw him on his
plantation, concealed in the woods. Gen. Clay
jumped from his horse and believing that the
negro intended to kill him, drew his revolver,
got the drop on him and told him to throw up
his hands. He then began togive 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 Gen. Clay then fired and
struck the negro in the neck. He fired second
time and shot him through the heart He was
tried for the shooting. but was acquitted on the
or 0und of self-defense. l walked with Gen.
Clay over the place where the shooting oc-
CURED. 1t was within a stones throw Of the
house and the general said that he had no doubt
that he would have been dead man if he had
not killed White
HOW JULIAN HAWTHORNE ESCAPED DUEL. ['
Gen. Clay il now nearly eighty-two years Of
age. but he is still dangerous man to fool
with. Quiet in his mien and gentle in his con-
versation. he would resent insult as quickly
today as when he was in his prime. and in self
defense l am sure he would be equal to two
average men of half his years 1t is now only a
few years ago since he came very near having a
duel with Julian Hawthorne the novelist
Hawthorne had reviewed copy OF Gen. Clay's
memoirs, and in his review had criticised Clay
severely and had discussed the subject of the
chastity of his wife. Said Gen. Clay: Il was
very angry. l did not believe that could
make anything out of the man by suing
him and l determined to make him
apologize or fight. l wrote to Col.
W. G.. Terrill Of Washington, asking
him to act as my second. and l also wrote to
Whitelaw Reid inclosing letter to Hawthorne
which l asked him to publish if his relations
toward Hawthorne were such that he could do
SC without affecting them. In this letter told
Mr. Hawthorne tina. the article which he had
Published concerning me, in which he had Use /
the name of my wife. was false. and that he had
attributed language in that article to nc which
! had never uttered. and that l demanded an
uneq1ivocal retracton CT everything he had
said about her ill the article and that this re-
traction should be so published that it would
have as wide a circulation as his article had
had. l told him that would give him an OPP
portunity OF Withdrawing his allegations and
my letter Was so written that between the lines
you could see that l meant he would
have to tight II he did not withdraw
them. Well, 1 sent this letter to Mr.
Reid. He replied that he was friend of Haw-
thorne's and that he could not publish the
lette., but that he would refer it to Haw-
thorne. hawthorne got the letter and appre-
ciated the situation. He wrote a retraction
that was perfectly satisfactory and published it,
This ended the matter Had he not done |
would have challenged him. and if he had re-
fused to accept the challenge l would have shot
him on the streets As to what his article said
about me did not care. 1t was bitter and I'M
Just. but l am accustomed to such attacks.
did object however, to what he said about my
family. and made him retract bis remarks
concerning my WIFE.
BY this time the fire had burned low in the
great open fireplace. The hands Cf the clock
on the mantel pointed to the hour OF II and
the general arose and gave mt a light, telling
me that he thought it was time for US to retire
Before leaving asked him what he thought Of
the code duello. He replied: 81 am opposed
20 il on principle and think it is Il savage way
OF settling difficulty, but there are some csset
for which i. seems to be the only remedy, and
don't know whether it is good thing OF not
In al, my life have never courted a quar-, I'll.
and il the ease OF Tom Marshall he beXar. the
feud by attacking ME at Lexington. l believe
it is a mans duty to defend himself wheh at
tackled, and such rencounters as have had
have been brought about oy my enemies -
FRANK j. CARPENTER.
The Boarding House Table.