The record-union., 1894-02-22
ONLY ONE SHOT.
How Old Hickory Jackson Fought
a Duel.

The Meeting Was the Outcome of a
Plan to Murder the Famous States
mana Tennessee Romance and a
Deadly Insult at Nashville Race
Course.
When Andrew Jackson was in Tenn
essee practicing law-or trying to do so,
for his success was not yet marked-he
boarded with the mother of the beautiful
woman whom he afterward married.
The daughter was already welded, her
husband being a drunken cur named
Robarts, who conceived violent dislike
to the young lawyer. He even tried time
and again to get Jackson to agree to a
duel with rifles, but the future President
always refused, and Robarts earned the
distinction of being the only man who
couldn't coax fight of him who subse-
quentIy became the hero of New Orleans.
At last Robarts went back to Kentucky,
his native State, says the Baltimore Her
aid. He and his wife were separated.
Then came the news that Robarts had
achieved a divorce. Jackson led his
brown-eyed young friend to the altar.
After many months as happy man and
wife came other news from the blue
grass. RohartS had not obtained a di-
vorce. On the heels of this blow came
the facts in the case of the corn-soaked
ruffian Robarts. He had obtained a di-
vorce, but something like four months
after Jackson and the former Mrs. Rob-
arts had supposed they were wed. jack
son and Mrs. Robarts again sought the
preacher and this time they succeeded in
marrying each other. OF course, these
four dubious months when they thought
they were man and wife, but weren't,
must be admitted as irregular. But the
country was new, sentiment was liberal
and slander slept, and no one found the
slightest fault with Jackson and his bride.
1t was the fault really of an imperfect
postal system, and this the world readily
admitted. The admission came all the
more easily as Jackson at once invested
every dollar he had in a brace of splendid
pistols, and solemnly destined them to be
the death of the first man who blew upon
the stainless reputation of his wife.
These pistols he had when he died. Only
one of them realized its purpose.
A TOOL OF MERCILEsS ENEMIES.
About this time there lived at Nash
vile a lawyer named Dickinson. He was
only 25 and as handsome as the Admir-
able Crichton, and with it all Dickinson
was called the best pistol shot in the world
This last of itself ennobled him in the
day in which he lived. Jackson had
grown to towering popularity. He was
consequently and correspondingly hated
in certain quarters. a coterle Of his
political enemies resolved he should die.
A duel was the natural Anglo-Saxon sug-
gestioD, for your Saxon is a citizen by
whom poison is never used and assassin
alton but seldom resorted to. Dickinson,
as the quickest and surest OF living pistol
ers, was put forward to do the red work
of death. How could they get Jackson to
fight? That was the question. One
would not suppose that to be difficult.
But Jackson was aware of their design;
that they knew. He might avoid their
trap unless such lure was used that he
himself, rage blind, could be made as
bloodily eager as themselves. They con-
cluded to bait their deadfall with the
stabbed honor of Jackson's wife. Dick
inson was willing for his foul part. To
kill Jackson, TO a man OF MS tribe, ap-
peared a romantic and honorable ad-
venture and one to clap fame on his
shoulder. So he put himself forward at
a Nashville race meeting. Jackson had
race borse. It cantered in the scrubby
winner of some scrub race. Mrs. Jack
son was there, and in the usual feminine
raptures over the victory, exclaimed to
some friends:
"Ohl our horse is running away from
them !"
Dickinson hanging about, the arrow of
premeditated insult laid ready on the
bow and, only awaiting the opportunity,
was ready to say:
"Yes. and about as the horses owner
ran away with another mans wife"
4 NASHVILLE whole race-course heard the
insult. Public sentiment opened but two
gates to the situation. One swung to
Jackson's passage to the field of honor
and certain death. The second opened
for cowardice to seek contempt and
ostracism.
PLANNED THE DUEL FOR A YEAR.
Yet Jackson didn't fight Dickinson for
almost year. He looked into his grave
for one whole year. He was bound to
fight, and expected Dickinson to kill
him. His two purposes were TO so focus
his affairs as to give his wife a competence
and to so manage the meeting as to kill
Dickinson while he died himself. He
called to him Major Overton, and old
friend and Indian fighter. Each looked
at this Dickinson insult as part of plot
to kill Jackson. OVerton was of the same
inveterate. temper as Jackson, only
slower. Night after night Overton and
jackson considered his coming fight.
They worked on plan as if it were
campaign against the English. The time
came when Jackson was ready to die.
The cartel found Dickinson agreeable,
but whimsical. He put the tight off thirty
days. Jackson was already celebrated.
Dickinson must send for a certain re-
markable and well-known pistol where
with to kill him. The pistol was away
back in North Carolina. 1t would take
month in those slow days to get it. But
jackson must wait. And he did wait.
Jackson and Overton planned this way.
They agreed that Dickinson was so quick
that ne was infallibly TO fire first. That
he was so deadly sure he was certain to
hit Jackson. They decided, therefore, as
the best programme, to have jackson re-
ceive Dickinson's fire, and they hoped he
would stand and live long enough to Sc
cure absolute aim and take Dickinson
into the darkness of death as a travelling
companion. Rather a grim outlook. But
SO Overton and Jackson figured it out.
They made Jackson a long black coat,
much too full and wide tor his meager
frame. When on, his slim proportions
Awarded Highest F