The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-08-19
ALL DONE FOR LOVE.
TWO MINERS FIGHT A DUEL WIN
SLEDGE HAMMERS.

A MISSOURI MAIDEN THAT CAUSED TWO
HEARTS AND HEADS TO BE CRUSHED
WHILE SHE LOOKED ON.
The details of strange story have lust
come to light from the Welsh settlement
OF what is known as the "Black Road
district, near Bevier, Mo. The settle
ment is composed of miners, who work
in the coal mines there, nearly all of
them being Welshmen. The story is as
follows:
One of the handsomest girls of the
Black Road district is Martha Lightfoot.
She is not only handsome, but was tickle.
and had all the young men of the district
at her feet. Two of the brawniest young
miners of the district, Alb Jones and
James Carmichael, were devoted suitors,
and rnmor first gave to one and then the
other the place of honor.
Matters ran along in this way for
some time, Martha being impartial in
her smiles, and apparently giving en-
couragement to both. At the same time
she had numerous other suitors on her
string. A crisis finally came one night
when the miners were congregated in a
baToom in the village. Jones pro-
elaine to his assembled friends that he
was the accepted sutton of Martha Light
foot, and would soon lead her to the
altar. Carmichael was present, and at
once denounced the statement as lie.
He said that he himself had received the
troth of the girl, and she would marry
him or no one.
Hot words followed, and fight was
prevented by friends, and it was decided
that the girl should be called upon to ex
plain the situation. The men and their
friends went to the Lightfoot house and
called for the girl to come forth. The
girl was disposed to postpone the matter,
but was told that she must decide at
once which of the two men she intended
to marry. She looked first at one and
then at the other, and burst into tears,
saying that it was impossible to make
her choice. Her father tired to ipnp-
ence her, but was rudely hushed up by
the suitors. As the girl would make NO
choice, the young men decided to fight a
duel for their bride. The details were
simple, and what is probably the strane-
est duel ever fought was contested that
night.
The moon was shining brightly as the
combatants stood in the centre of large
ring formed 10y all the Inhabitants in the
district, who had assembled TO see the
contest The men were armed with
breaking hammers, such as are usually
used in coal mines. Science and great
physical strength were combined. and
the blows were delivered and parted
with lightning-like rapidity. For half
an hour the battle ragged, when by some
chance each received crushing blow on
the head at the same instant and both
sank to the ground. Jones was dead
within fifteen minutes, and Carmichael
fingered until the next day, when he.
too, died.
The sequel of this strange duel is as
remarkable as the prologue. When
Jones was pronounced dead, his old
mother, who looked to him alone for
support, called for the girl to stand forth.
The girl stood on one side of the ring.
and those who were near her drew away
from her as from one who bore contain
inatlon.
The old gray-haired woman then pro
ceeded, with awful solemnity, to put
'the curse upon her."
As anathema after anathema came
from the old crone's lips, the girl seemed
to blight and wither. Disaster dire and
trouble deep were called down by the
lonely mother upon the cause of her sor-
row, until at last the overweight nerves
of the girl gave way, and she fell sense
less to the ground. When consciousness
again returned to her she was a ravinc
maniac, and grew so violent that it be-
came necessary to place her in an asy-
lum. 1t was while she was on her way
to that institution that the strange story
was learned.