Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-08-02
COLONEL JOHN SMITH T.
4 REMARK ABLE CHARACTER OF
EARLY MISSOURI HISTORY.
lie WAS y Famous Dueiist. Something
of III outlaw "a shaved the
white Feather lint Once
Ills Daring Encounters.

Ills Daring Encounters.
Among the carly settlers OF Missouri
were many rough and lawlcss characters.
men OF wild habits and natures. who had
been born and raised among the scenes OF
bloodshcd and crime. always incident to tho
settlement OF a new country.
Among these. perhaps. there was none
more conspicuous or more widely known.
and none whose name carried with 1t so
great a sense OF fear. as that OF the sub
Joct OF this skctch-Coloncl Jack smith I.
Colonel Smith was "a Georgian by BIRTH.
but when a boy removed with his parents
to Nashville. Tenn. where he grew to
manhood. This was In the latter part of
the last ccn,ury-a hundred years ago
when tho territory now known as the state
of Missouri was n part of the French prov
ince OF Upper Louisiana. Smith subsc-
quently removed to Kentucky. and settled
on the Ohio river near the mouth of the
Cumberland. where he laid on the town OF
Sinithland. called for him: by which name
1t Is known to this day. He
removed to what was then called Upper
Louisiana. and located near the old town
OF Ste. Geneyicvc, where he improved "A
fine plantation, built II handsome home.
and lived In princcly style.
While here he was engaged In farming
and lead mining. adding largely TO his al
ready immense fortune. which had been
accumulated In land speculations, He was
n man OF great shrewdncss and enterprise.
and besides his varied interests in lands
and mines. extending all over the West.
owned u great many negro slaves.
The name John Smith T." Is a peculiar
one. There were so many John Smiths in
the country that to distinguish himself
from the common herd OF Smiths, he added
a capital ''T'' to his name: 1t was also
added to Indicate the state from which he
camc--Tennessee. The title of colonel was
given him as n compliment. as was the
custom In that day. He always referred
to himself as John Smith T.. SIR and so
signed his name to deeds and other docu-
ments whenever he had occasion to sign 1t.
Colonel Smith was an eccentric charac:
ter IN many respects, and what would
sessed refined and polished manners. and
S was a IN Eis aS when ua so6 nnd Ssn,ls@nn ,y ana "a
his department. In fact. he was as mild
owns mSdinm mp Size. but 5" S 'posses.e Cd a Sa hand:
s ni,sr f %ISa,s a h fifs' S SrIiss,i Eye; wP Sns hG II:
Ing shirt. heavily frinsed and ornamented-
ishci boots. Thus attired. he presented a
traet.d attention wherever he went.
But ii was not the wealth. the intclli-
sSssnScs oI n9r 'h sm psGhu' thst pe rs : dpf him tSs
MISSOURI, bp, his record for crime and
bloodshcd. He had n most violent temper,
n revengefnl nature. was a dead-shot with
n pistol and withnl a man utterly without
ryins, two pistols under n belt in his hunt
Ing shirt; Two derrringers n n, his side peck
He had n negro man named Dave, a body
servant. who accompanied him wherever
a hs Men1 us and had T 4 sh gaf bn iii s ssar hIs house Snae
for Dave to work in and the only labor
he was required to perform was TO Keep
his masters rifles. guns and pistols in or
Colonel Smith. in the course OF his event;
no less than fifteen men, although 1t Is but
justice to, say that many, of his victims
IN M0d aan nii.F" Such INV WERE the ssndislo9f of Sq,
Sis,E at , ns.n day syy,,em 1sqt w al, s ait-
be wiped out except with blood. Such he
came, from his numerous dmels ana mHf.
desperate man, that even his presence
caused a cheek to blanche with fear. and the
to tho restless child. caused Its little voice
to he hushed into silence: ,
Ste. Genev.eve he was appointed u Judge OF
ont, Of the courts and assumed; without
'tlon Of the country. which he continued to
rule with the scepter of a tyrant' no man
About This time Aaron Burr organized his
expedition and went down the Mississippi
for the, purpose OF Invading Mexico and es-
afterwards United States senator from
Wisconsin. at that time lived at Ste. Cen
friends. dd."Ht'ermined 10 loip Riurr, For his
rarPois they proese1sa aowp the N Miirii-
Were I" they sS'o found President JeG@rson's
proclamation denouncinE Burr as & traitor
nna nis ",Sarndone 4 their purpose and re-
turned home.
on their return. they learned that, the
them for ireason. Smith went at once TO
his homG in the I rn u ap pa aTmsa hinmnsd,fn;
Ing, what he wanted. met him at the gate
II know what you have come for; you have
a writ to arrest me. Il you S a. !. you
tinued: MIR, Schneider. dinner Is about
with me-. but mark me, II you attempt to
m sshn vii put not 4 o sR'l his 'hhG opss aS SIG" wen, in
and Colonel Smith pointed TO a chair at the
table. which the n sheF b4fo tool S3, he . sn' n, ,Gek
out q pistol from his belt and cEckins L
chi m'1f FL t hSS,n'e ente arfehtsS iImafin IN gene enc
eral conversation, treating him, with the
meal 'eseorted him 70 the gate; bads him
good-by and invited him to call again. II
Is needless TO say the sheriff forgot to
serve the writ.
Lionel Browne. a nephew of Aaron Burr.
lived In Potosi, not far from Ste. Gene
We've, and for some alleged remarks of
Colonel Smith, challenged him to fight II
duel. Smith promptly accepted the chal-
ienge and they repaired, with their sec,
onds, to the dueling grounds. on the banks
OF the Mississippi. According to the code.
one OF the seconds said. when the prlnci-
pals were placed In front of each other
with their pistsols:
'Gentlemen. are you ready? II so. I
will count one-two-three. Neither party |
will be permitted to fire before the word
one is pronounced. nor after the word
three"
Colonel smith. with the rapidity of light
ming, as soon as the word ''one'' was pro-
nounced, put a ball. with his unerring
craftsmanship. right into the center OF
Browne forehead and he was a dead man |
before the word three" passed the Sec
ond's lips,
In 1920 Colonel Smith went to Nashville |
and challenged General Sam Houston, then |
"a conspicuous character In Tennessee. and
afterwards governor. Houston had heard
OF Smiths reputation as n dead shot, and. |
while q man of unquestionablo nerve and |
courage himself, did not care to risk his
life In such an unequal contest. and offered
some sort of an apology, remarking that
she did not care to quarrel or tight with
Colonel Smith, OF Missouri" |
On another occa siOn Jnhn Smith n gan- |