The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-29
DUEL AT A WEDDING.
The Romance of a Nebraska Cattle
Town in the Early Seventies.

Town IN the Early SeVSnJlees
From the Chicago Mail.
The dispatches not long ago announced
the death of Al Dickinson, which unim-
portant event occurred from an overdose
OF bad whisky procured and absorbed in
an obscure town of Oklahoma. The sim
pie announcement of this vagahondish
characters passing away probably
created no interest outside of his imme-
diate family connections, and yet re
member the time when Al Dickenson's
name appeared IN the columns OF every
daily newspaper of the United States,
and nearly all the papers thought the
tragedy with which he was associated of
such Importance that immense and sensa-
tional headlines preceded every article
bearing upon the subject.
To make the story Ineligible, it is
necessary to dive down into western
history of twenty-four years ago. AT
that time the supposedly fertile repubh
can valley, covering a vast area in South
ern Nebraska and Northern Kansas, was
receiving an influx of settlers from every
section of the civilized globe, and, as in
all instances of a similar nature there
was general distributing railway point
from which all supplies were drawn and
from which emanated enough CORY en-
counters each month TO build up a dime
library on the blood-and-thunder order
that would net the founder OF the same
an unlimited fortune.
lnlS7O to 1874, however, Lowell was a
typical western town, more like Lead
vile of a few years later than any town |
recall The United States land Office
was there, and it was the jumping-of
place for the land of promise some sixty
miles away. Half million head of Texas
cattle were shipped from there every
season, and from two to dozen herders
bit the dust almost every month.
1t was one of this number of the genus
homo that was responsible for the
wild and reckless career and final death
| of Dickinson and it was all about wo-
! man.
Lowell, Neb., started by the Burlington
! and Missouri railroad and named in
! honor of PercivaI lowell, then a promi-
nent ohicial of the corporation, was the
base of supplies for the valley. Lowell
| was III miles west of Omaha, and To-
| Gated Just at the foot of the great sand
| hills district. Lowell at present is
| scattered over the wide world, and as
| town is entirely obliterated, nothing re
| naming to remind the traveller of life and
| activity, sorrows and joys, crimes and
worthy deeds, but a water tank from
! which freight engines draw the neces-
| sary article to create steam.
| Dick" who was an educated fellow. a
|
| lent family, fell in love with Helen Graf
| ney, the beautiful daughter of the post
/ mistress of Lowell, and rumor had it that
| the young couple were to be married. in
| the meantime Asa Love, a Texas cattle
! king appeared upon the scene and offered
! both hand and fortune, including a herd
| of 10000 Texas steers, 10 the fair Helen.
! Dick" had no money, but he was dash
| ing, handsome chap, and he won the day
| Love pursued the usual course ofhis class
| and got beastly drunk, after which he be-
| came very violent, and threatened TO
| shoot Dickinson on sight.
The latter's friends, including the dis
| trict Judge. half dozen lawyers, all the
county oficials and number of leading
| business men. persuaded the successful
| sutton to take trip home. But Boston
was not Lowell, and Dick" couldn't give
| up the wild life and the dark-eyed beauty
OF the plains. So he returned and de
! clared himself.
The intervention of friends, however,
patched up the trouble, and the two in
! terested parties consented TO meet in the
| Gratney parlor one morning, shake hands
and allow the unfortunate damsel who
had caused all the trouble to make an
irrevocable choice between the men-the
unsuccessful one to go away forever and
leave the happy couple unmolested. A
minister, the mayor of the city" an
editor of local paper, the district Judge
and one or two more outsiders were pres
emit to witness the nuptials that were to
follow.
Both men surrendered their six-shoot-
ers to the postmistress, and the reconcile
alton was effected. Helen selected the
Boston boy, and apparently everybody
was satisfied, when an alteration be-
tween Love and Dickinson broke out.
Love, who had concealed pistol in his
shirt, first attempted to pull the weapon
and kill his successful rival. But Dick"
had seen enough of western life not to be
caught mapping, and to the astonishment
of everybody in the room. reached down
in the leg of his right boot, pro-
duced short "A, fired quickly and awaited
results.
The shot struck Love in the mouth. but
it did not floor him. He frantically
endea vored TO pull his gun, but failed.
Dickinson fred the four remaining shots,
two of which penetrated the cattlemen's
heart, and the balance striking him in the
abdomen.
Now comes the most startling part OF
this melancholy tragedy. Love made a
lunge Tor his slayer, and grasping the
empty revolver from his hand, struck him
over the head. and repeated this unheard-
of onslaught until both men were com
pletely exhausted. Then, with a gasp,
Love fell dead, the post norton CORE
spending with the above details.
Dickinson recovered from the dreadful
shock IN the course Of time. but he never
married the girl. Instead, he became a
wanderer. drunkard, gambler, yaRabond
and frightful example 70 the world
His death doubtless relieves has friends.
and certainly removes a man VINO must
have prayed for the destroyer million
times.
A little Tioga bog, who is much inter