The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-07
PARSoN, THE FIGHTER.
STORIES OF PARSON BR0WNL0W'S
CAREER AT J0NESBoRO.
The Lively Times He and HE Rival Caused
In Purely Moral wsy-why He
He Had to Go Armed.

q. Brownlow, afterward Governor Oh the
state, and Landon c. Haynes.
"Parson' Brownlow than by any other
title. lie lad engaged III regular work
MS minister from 1876 to ls5o' ana was
local preacher all the resi- OK NE. ms
,bat he seams 10 have feared that his
clerical Character would be lost sight OF,
and so In his autobiography ne set down
eis iy INV lever been arraigned In the
Church for any immortality. 1 have never
played a card. / never was proIane
swearer have never tasled dram OF
lbauor. - never had cigar or
q cbev If tobacco in my mouth, | never
WAS in attendance at tEeatre. i never
courted but one woman. and her mar
ried." ,,,o. .,,.ao,s .
nrettv clear moral cha racter; moreover II
is doubtful If any one could be founn 10
question any OF his statcinehts' unie e,,,. ~
be the one in regard TO pro'ans s-aLo,,
and If such epithets as Soui9 ,,,,.,
scoundrels'' and "hell-deserving villlans
are not classed as profanity, BrownioW
could clear himself OF even thls accusA
ton. His contemporary; T., y, NM,
only trihe less fortunate III hliil,seen,ai
standing. 1t is true that Haynes quor-
terly conference had taken ms nSsnse
away on account OF some siisnl i,Ies"l@ ,.
ity against him; but after II had invesli-
oSsted matters mere fully 1t offered to re-
store the license, and would nave noht 20
had not Haynes himself refused 10 tanS
ID. The Jonesbor0 people We're ava VA al a.
tors; this was fortunate; Tor they Ger
fainiv could have never nave hierre" IL
from their editorial columns; O..
Brownlow, who edited tne W his' n mn9 40
fearless as a, wildcat, about as p ugttia
cious and a master OF the art OF inVeSunke
and Vituperation. Haynes, VINO eIiteo .to
Democrat, is consiaerssq1 STATE Of tennessee
ever produced. IL his edltoriaI counts NE
were hardly as strong as broWhl0W . .ns
spell OK his personal IlasiieslS ., ,'eii
greater, 50 that the TWO were pie''' W."
For two perfectly moral editors tney
managed to keep things around the Oh,
town lively. Their meeting AT tne oIu ~
| House on one occasion Is still reierreu 70
nv old citizens as an illustration OF TINS
fact. There had been a pohuSal ma ,,a
ing OF some kind In the Dullolns, aiar
both editors attended. Ai.tr y w, 81 he
stairway. when Brownlow appeared AT
the top and shouted some uncOHpilIien.,,
ary remark at him. Haynes replied' am am
then Brownlow shouted s Th littie
more .incomplimentary Ihen d n,Ino
group of excited partisans began 20 satsn-
or around each and the war OF "eIus oss
gan In earnest. For over an hvul ~
went on. the atmosphere DelnR thlck WIN
CONGREGATIONAL birthstone. The speaker
of the day has been forgotten long ago
but many men still describe TINS COVE
sational battle as surpasslhg any , rrn,,ls
else they ever heard. Brownlows ihVec,
tive was like a sweeping whrlWlnu anu
Havnes's reply would come SWIFT ana ue-
strilctive as a flash OF tightening; Eacn
OF the combatants mad the habit or SUCK,
inc hls tongue out while speaking ana
licking his lips snake fashion; IL was ,,oe
a momentous battle between two opposihis
principles by any means: !. was vas i niants
each in blind fury hurting masses o.
words at the other, as the giants OF Ola
hurled masses Of earth ana stone
Strange TO say according TO the TEST,
mony OF those who heard II, not word
Of actual profanity was used by e.tne,
speaker. The whole scene may be c'ted
as an illustration OF what NAV De
achieved by artists In the use or vigorous
Eneiish without resorting to profanity.
on the occasion referred TO, hostilities
STONED with words, but such was not
always the case. Haynes printed some
thing that reflected on Brownlow's wlie'
and Brownlow thought that was carry
ing things too far. The next nornlns
he came down the street with big pis-
tol i'm one hand and a heavy walking
cane in the other. As he turned the cor
ner he suddenly came face to face with
Haynes. A.. ur,.,. "A,
tor
Brownlow then changed his pistol 10 his
left hand and his cane in his right lie
was just on the point or giving ms op-
auick enough While Brownlow was
changing his weapons Haynes pulled from
his own pocket and shot Brownlow IN the
thigh BrOwnlow fired, but missed ms
aim. Haynes had told fib I'm denying
that he was armed, but had saved hlmset
from a thrashing.
Haynes was generally mild in his edi-
torial utterances ana ana nence was ra win
RroWnlow The latter was as Impartial
in his unpleasantness as is a chestnut
burr, and have more personal ulnlcul to
than an ordinary man would know wnat 10
do with. The normal condition Of his IT,
tellectual weather was mat OF tOrnauo.
while an annual Conference OF his church
was in session at JonesDor0. one n'tnt
during the session he invited eight or ten
of the visiting preachers TO take supper
with him. After supper, Just as they
we're all getting ready to start ior churSn
ne astonished his ministerial brethren Dy
nutfine a large pistol under his cloak and
taking a sword cane In his hand. 49,,
''Why. Brother Browniow. exclaimed
one lean IL be possible that MINIS
ter of the Gospel needs such weapons as
mo ''SNo." answered Brownlow. The minis
ter doesn't need them. but the editor
as further safe guard, Brownlow In
structed one OF his printers, j. y. X. Lyon
now editor Of the Greenyille, kepuDiIcan
to walk few steps nehn Oh nm in,o i tpe
darxness on the way TO church every
thing went well, and at the conclusion
~ he service. Mr.. Lyon, who was
voune man at that time. went home with
. vo,,ng lady. Brownlow walked arm-ln-
arm with the Rev. Mr.. Catlett, well
Inovn Methodist minister; who died only
Zen months ago. Suddenly some one
| ssiinne3 I'M i'm the dark behind aim ana
| struck him on the head with a crownar
The skull was fractured, ana the par
neraivsi. from which ne suHeren IN tn9
| is,ter wears of his life was attributed
~
t,rono these In ia ants II may be inferred
J that even 50 able an editor as BfoWHlON
| waS moi universally beloved ny his read
| ers AZ additional evidence o. this fact,
news was once brought 10 JonesDOrO tndt
n dcputation of citizens had started LOT
| the Town froin Sullivan county 70 ASA 'sl,
| nate him Brownlows friends resolved
not to inform him OF the plot, Dut 10
| guard his house on the night in question,
| and make things interesting for the
| Syou,d-he assassin when he should ar
! rive IL happened that the assassin came
! earlier than was expected, and the oniy
| guard who had then arrived was lying
| Under A rose bush on the opposite side
| of the house. II was after supper, and
| Trownlow was sitting at table writing,
willie his wife was clearing of the supper
| dishes The first he knew OF the matter
was when he. heard q pistol fnot Just out
| side the window. and bulltt came wniz-
| zing through. barely grazing mis- forehe I'd,
| csi1ins his eye ready pistol. he rushed
| out OF doors and fired at man JUMPING
| over a high board fence Next norninf:
IL was reported that a certain man had
! ,nent the night before. The limb was
| carefully dressed by a physician. who
! reused 10 talk about the matter. bat
| Rrownlow always claimed TO know what
rad become OF the bullet fired from his
| r,1.v.,o,r,s v>o,ftfcar career began fust