The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-22
Breckinridge's Son Slabs Jas. d.
Livingston at Lexington.
Livingston Wanted to Shake
Hands Over the Election.
DESHA GREW FURIOUS.
Called Him a Liar and Made a
Vicious Stab at Hin.


cation with James Duane Livingston,
formerly Of New York city in the
Phoenix hotel at $50 last evening
Livingston was standing in the news
and cigar stand reading an afternoon
paper when Desha Breckenridge came
Ia and bought q package of cigarettes
Livingston spoke to Desha and ex-
tended his hand, saying, 1T is all
over now, we ought TO be friends
Shake hands"
Breckenridge, with an angry look
on his face, replied, mo, you one
horse scoundrel I will not take your
hand You profess to be a mans
friend and then stab him in the back"
Livingston replied to this by saying
that he had done nothing of the kind.
when Breckenridge called him a -
liar. Then Livingston struck at
Desha and knocked his glasses of,
following this up with a blow on the
neck Desha reached for his hip
pocket and instantly flashed in the
air long, bright blade of big dirk
Both men were pale as death Liv-
ingstOn, in a moment OF esperatiOn,
era bed at the glltterlng blade which
Breckenridge had aimed at his heart.
The knife went between the second
and third fingers of Livingston's
right hand, cutting the third finger
to the bone. The cold steel sent a
and he grasped his right hand with
mis- left ina order to stop the terrible
flow of blood that was dyeing the till
ing Of the lobby. Desha Breckin-
ridge seemed to desire no more blood
and gave Livingston two strong
kicks The hotel clerks and several
bystanders rushed in and seized
Breckenridge, and at the same instant
Matt Lane, strong breckenridge
man, ran up and said he would take
q hand in helping Desha
Two witnesses say that Lane also
hourished q big knife, but Lane
denies this Livingston was hurried
into the wash room where his wounds
were bathed, and he was then taken
to the Office of a physician. where his
hand was dressed. A friend then took
Livingston home in buggy, and
Desha Breckenridge went to his rooms
across the street.
Just before the trouble occurred
with Livings ton, Desha and Lane,
who were walking up Main street, in
front Of the Breckenridge headquar-
ters, met Judge George B. Kinkead,
who made several speeches during the
campaign, denouncing Colonel Brock /
inridge in the most scathing terms
Desha Breckenridge said to Judge
Kinkead that the election was over
and he wanted to tell him that he /
was a id liar. He also applied |
several other vile epithets to the !
Judge. who replied that he was un-
armed and did not want to have any
difficulty on the open streets Desha I
told him to GO arm himself aud he I
would meet him anywhere at any !
time. He repeated this Sc veral times. I
Then Lane, who is a comparative
stranger In Lexington, having recent /
ly come here from Mount Sterling, /
said, addressing the Judge: This is /
Judge Kinxead. is it? When you said /
decent people would not entertain Col
oDel Breckenridge you lied. Ny sister /
entertained him in WOodford county, |
and 1 say to you that you are a
Judge Kinkead again said that he
wanted no trouble on the stree Is. that /
he was not armed, when Lane threw /
his coat back and said that he was not /
armed either, and then repeated the /
language that he had previously used \
to the Judge.
Kinkead then walked out the street
toward mis- home. When seen by a \
CORES pondent Lane said:
Yes. i called him
and I will fight him any way he wants /
to fight, and what's more, if any one /
of his friends wants to take it up. 7 /
will fight them, too. -
By this time a number of strong /
Owens men, at least, one OF whom /
had already killed his man, began to |
crowd into the lobby OF the hotel. /
One Of Colonel Breckinridre's friends, /
fearing there would be trouble with |
Lane, got J. BreclxinridRe Wiley, a |
strong breckenridge supporter, to 60 /
In and persuade Lane to leave the I
hotel AT FIRST Lane declined to 20, |
but after taking a drink with Wiley. |
he listened to the latter's advice and /
went home.
Then the Owens men began to talk \
and one of them, who has the reputa-
ton OF not knowing what fear is, /
said: IF Desha Breckenridge and |
friends intend to exterminate all the /
men who worked fer Ovens as they /
seem to want to do they will have to /
enlarge the cemetery. This sort of 1
thing won't do, no matter how sore
they are They may just as we'll take
their medicine"
j. Duane Livingston is a man of
about so years Of age and is the hnan-
cial agent of j. Kennedy Tod, owner 4
cf the Kentucky Union railroad. He 4
night and day for the victorious can
didRte- He Is from New York city \
and it il said he there belonged to Il
TRmmany. When seen by a reporter,
while hiR wound was being dressed, /
he said: Il took Desha's abuse and /
made no attempt to resent it until he i
called rae q liar. Then I had to hit /
him I think I saved myself from q
fatal stab by gra bling his knife
Judge Kiukead is grandson of 1
Isaac shelby, the first governor of /
John II. Shelby. Colonel Brecxin- 4
ridges law partner, who slapped Il
Attorney johnson in the face during 4
che lannon's Pollard trial Judge Kim
kead ID about AZ years old He has
always been eonsidered a man Of the