The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
THE FIGHTING ALSTONS.
GRIM STORIES or THE DUELLING
DAYS ~ GEORGII.
A Family whose Principal Members Died
with Their Boots On-A knire Duet
with Left Uands strapped ToGether-
The wager" IA Fnvorlte wcnpon.

From the Courier Journal
ATLANTA, Ga., March 21.- The great prob
lem OF the future in Georgia will be the dispo-
sition Of the convicts of the STATE. There are
now over $500 persons under sentence. OF
these fewer than 200 arc white.
The excitement attendant upon the DISPOSE
ton Of the convict question has been sharpcned
by an investigation which was held by the
Governor into the treatment Of the c%onvicts.
IL was during the military Governorshlp Of
Gen. Thomas II. Ruger In 1868 that the con.
victs OF Georgia were first farmed out. The
leading lessee Mt that time was Chief Justice
Jos. f.. Brown. who had served four terms ms
Governor of Georgia and who afterward served
two terms In the United States SENATE. 1t
may well be imagined that the convict lease sys.
tenn. placed upon the State by the military arm
of the United states. In which the beneficiaries
were leaders in the Democratic party, was be-
yond the criticism of ordinary people, and that
IL would require u brave man to raise his voice
against II.
This man, however, came to tho front In the
Georgia Legislature of 1874 in the person OF
Col. Robert A. Aston. who In his place charged
upon the system the yilest of crimes and abuses
and raised such u howl that 1t set the lessees
by the ears, ana threatened for a time to break
up the entire system. The enemies which Col.
Aston made by this fierce denunciation fol-
WV IVA AiiAA dllNlAN h'N cA'hbhN hihh ~ A'' NNNha
IN II manner Is tragic as sensational.
One Of the men VINO was strongly attached to
Gen. Gordon was Capt. Ed Cox. Cox was "A bluff,
hearty, read fingered man-one whose friend
ship was without limit, but whose readiness to
avenge an Insult or to resent a slight made him
considered dangerous. Between Col. Aston
and Cox there arose IA feud which tho public
never understood at the time or since. There
came q day when both men met in Atlanta,
armed to the teeth, and yet each pursuing a
Diplomatic avoidance of the other. They
would pass on opposite sides of tho street, or
perhaps enter the same building by opposite
doors. but so evident was the danger of a
tragedy during the day that prominent citi-
zens became aware of it. and Instead of placing
the parties under arrest, watched their pro-
ceedings with curious interest.
1t was well toward evening when the two
men met suddenly In Gov. Colquitt's Office in
the State Capitol. and without a word. pistols
were raised and the firing began, which result
ed in the death of Col. Aston and the supposed
mortal wounding Of Capt. Cox. The tragedy
occurred in the very presence of the Governor.
with all the State House officers called to the
spot by the firing.
In time Capt. Cox recovered. was tried, and
convicted, with a recommendation to mercy,
which saved his neck, and gave him q life sen.
tence in the penitentiary. Gloomy indeed did
his future seem to be, for the Governor was the
ardent friend of his victim, as was also the late
Henry W. Grady. who was at the time swing
ing the influences which controlled the poll
tics of the State.
The unexpected entrance of Nice-President
Alex. II. Stephens of the late Southern Confed-
eracy into the campaign for the Governorship
of the state upset most Of tho alliances which
had hitherto controlled affairs. and his cleo
t;,, b,,,,pb, b,,a iptn thn rriSop of Cant Gov
GOV. Stcphe lis was very anxious to get the sigma
ture of Mr.. Grady to the petition for Cox's
pardon. A local political leader undertook To
secure It,, succeeding in obtaining it just as
such signatures are usually added, for Mr..
Grady Immediately sent word to toy. stephens
mediation TO his friend, and not that he really
wanted the pardon granted. The message came
too late, however. for Mr.. STEPHENS held Mr..
GRADY to his written signature rather than his
verbal message. and Capt. Cox became free.
This Capt. Cox. by strange fate. has been for
nearly three years superintendent Of the very
prison in which he was once n convict, and the
many grave changes against the treatment of
the c~onyicts are placed AT his door; lie estab-
lishcd a punishment known ns durking of pris-
oners. and was accused OF h%elittling their
efforts at religious exercises, referring to their
dcvotions as prayers to wooden gods. II was
II highly sensational moment when this man
was brought before GOV. Atkinson and his
curt to answer to the charges thus made. HIS
@IIow eSHii | do such thing, when l was
There was n difference of opinion as to the
full truth OF all that was told before GOV. At
that tho convict lease system is damned.
The, appearance Of Capt. Cox, after having
supreme control over the prison house IN
which he once served without n ray of hope for
the future. recalls interest in the sad tragedy,
lease system, and makes the whole story read
more Ike romance than reality.
able family in North Carolina, known as the
Fighting Alstons OF Halifax, 1t has been for
men died with their boots on. For generation
after generation this has proven true, and the
t usrv" q NJ with the history of those aays When
gentlemen, fought at the dropping of a hat,
and a slight move of the pisto! finger was the
The Al,tons were gallant men of gentle
blood and unusually large fortunes. They
were free livers and utterly reckless lighters,
and frequently became involved in difficulties
feitures. Probably the best, known of them,
Col. Ben Aston. had several affairs Of honor
and wounded. his antagonist every time he
went to the field. lie was an impctuouS, inn
perious man, and was as cool under fire as he
would he in his own, drawing room. His most
notable duel was with the great Ilayne of South
Carolina, whom he wounded in the knee. ON
one occasion he was visiting in Augusta when n
gentleman. mistoking him for an acqngint
with. u riding whip. Aston wheeled as quick
A. ,Io ' i66t, ,mnlo TEE lsrm Een'l SIg,Hn " ,d"k ibn Mn n
AAS h'A'' 'fl'' hNA N'f' AA' ~
from his hands, dashed him across the shoul
ders, and said: Now, sir, your apology i
accepted OF course, n meeting followed,
Ii IL Said that Aston once fought Il gentleman
who disputed the age of some wine OF which
Aston had been boasling, throwing some III
his face That he might gct the fun flavor.
The Halifax A,lstonS' estates lay about Hall
fax, ~. C., and they dominated that whole
section for years. They were enormously
wealthy, and travelled from one of their rs
tates to another in almost regal style. IhrS
had hundreds of slaves. and always travelled
with n coach and four and a small army NJ re-
tatners. The men were p%rinCrly in their hahit,
of expense, and put the code above the Bible
The women We're high-strunE and spirited.
Col. William Aston, known AS Honest
Willie Aston fought u dozen duel| in one
winter, numnrrless guarrels having sprung ~
from his attack on the state Treasurer. II,
killed two men and WIS himself frequently
wounded. His favOrito weapon was an old fash
toned wager which was n sort of hlUndcr
hiss, carrying n double handful Of buckshor
and Of fearful exc 'ution. \ volume might h,
filled with tho bloody exploits of these TIVE
brothers, hut this article will deal only with tn,
sons of Col. Hob Aston.
Old Col, Aston, who was himself killed in
duet, had three sons, Willis, Gideon, and An
Tustus Wills Aston was the father Of Got
X. A.. Aston, late Of Atlanta. Each of thrs,
brothers came To his death by violence, or died