The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-23
WEAPONS OF OLD TINES.
The DeTringer and Bowie Knife Once
50 Popular.

0U IUpuldIs
How Col. James Bowie Came to In
vent the Blade That Has Since Be-
come Justly Celebrated-He Needed
Something of the Kind in His Every
Day Business - Incidents in His
Life-The Swift and Certain Little
Single-Shooting Pistol-Magruder's
Specimens.
From the Chicago Times.
"The nation which shortens its weap-
ons Iengthens its boundaries" said a
great author Though everyone has heard
of the Bowie knife, yet little is known of
its origin or history. Yet it's fame is as
wide as that of the old-time Twenty-Five
inch Roman sword.
Two states claim the birthplace of
James Bowie Tennessee and Maryland
and the question has never been quite
definitely settled But he gave the name
to weapon as deadly as any that has
ever been forged from steel.
Shortly after Louisiana became state
the old Spanish and French records
created great deal Of trouble 1t fire.
quently happened that a planter who had
taken up large tract of land and fairly
opened IL out as a plantation would learn
that it was claimed by some one under an
old colonial grant. James Bowie was
very frequent claimant Under these old
laws. Several capitalists of the time had
sent him to Havana, where the old papers
of the Spanish colony Of Louisina were
kept, and caused careful transcripts of
them to be made. They appointed as
their agent to put them in possession of
these properties James Bowie. In these
early days it did not at any time take
much provocation to bring on "a personal
encounter" as a fight TO the death was
euphoniously entitled. a man who had
been to the trouble of opening up an estate
only to find it claimed by lot of people
he did not know was generally pretty
ready to fight for it, whether fight
would settle the question or not.
TROUBLES OF THE BOWIE BOYS.
The consequence of this state of things
was that James Bowie and his two broth
ers, Stephen and Rein Bowie, had on
hand almost constantly some sort of diff
ticulty" that had to be fought out with
deadly weapons. This was before the
days when the percussion cap was in gen
eral USE and the smaller pistols of the
| period were flint locks, inconVenient to
carry and not very reliable So the
knife had to be used when one wanted a
really trusty weapon. MIR Bowie worked
out with pocket knife and shingle his
idea of a weapon that would be about the
proper thing for the business he had in
hand, and it was made by the local black
smith at Shreveport, La, after this model
which he carried for several years. About
1880, however, he heard of a New Orleans
cutler, a Spaniard named Pedro. who was
making some knives of wonderful kind
and temper. They could be driven
| throughsa silver dollar without damage
to point or edge. Mr. Bowie at once
awaited himself of the professional SER
vices of this artist. who made him a knife
which was marvel of temper and beauty.
| The blade was nine inches long, and blade
and handle together measured fifteen
inches
This weapon was used by him in nine
teen encounters, and it was the one that
was in his stifening hand when, with six
dead Mexicans about him. showing the
evidence of his fatal skill, he was found
dead at the Alamo
Bowie's method OF using the knife was
one peculiar to himself He did not hold
it in his hand with the long point down
ward, but grasped the handle as a
swordsman would grasp the hilt of his
sword. He always struck at the neck of
his man and aimed for the tIgnlar and
seldom missed his coup. In the most
famous Of his battles, the one fought on
Natchez island IAN island in the Missis-
sippi river, amost opposite the CITY of
NaJchez), he cut two mems heads almost
off, giving each only single sweeping
blow.
In this fight there were seven men en-
gagged. Among them was James Madison
Wells, who few years ago was so well
known throughout the country as the
president Of the Louisiana returning
board of lS76-T7. Bowie himself
was very dangerously wounded
but managed TO recover, thanks
TO a marvellous constitution and care
full nursing. While down on the ground.
with an antagonist on top of him, who
weighed thirty pounds more than Bowie
did, the indomitable fighter managed TO
get his left arm around his enemy's neck.
Then with a sudden right hand cut he
severed the other mans iugular with
an awful slash. and was almost smothered
by the terrible outgush Of blood that
poured from the wound.
HE WAS LIGHT WEIGHT.
Bowie only weighed 140 ponds when at
his prime. He was a quiet. soft-yoiced
man. who never drank nor dissipated 10
any way. He possessed enormous phvsi-
cal strength for his size, and was as quick
and 1.-the as a wild cat ana as game He
was terror TO all the hard cases. from
Louisville 10 New Orleans.
'ln 1885, said Gen. Is. G.. Humphries
''the Methodists about Church Hill Miss.
were holding their annual meeting. They
had been a good deal disturbed BY the
crews Of rough fiatboatmen, large num-
Der of whose boats were lying IN the river
below the town. One morning after
services were ended a mum Der Of the men
held a meeting 10 decide upon the meas
ures 70 abate this trouble. AMONG them
the parson, who was a newcomer, noticed
a small man whose only peculiarly was a
pair Of steely, blue-riuged eyes-eyes Ike
a cat. q viii attend the services TONIGHT.
gentlemen he said in low, gentle voice.
and will help you 20 settle any difficulty
that may occur This seemed very salts.