The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-05
PASSING OF JOE BLACKBURN.
How the Kentucky senator Once
Failed to Fight "A Duel.

How the Kentucky senator Once
Failed to Fight a Duel.
Washington Cor. Cincinnati Tribune.
The passing of Joe Blackburn. alons
with Brice, Gibson and Don Cameron,
three other picturesque, If not loquacious.
United States senators, awakens new
interest in him. As is customary with
funeral orators to speak well Of the dead,
the Kentucky senator is being handled as
gently as possible. Up around Joe Cham
berains, perhaps, after cups have been
freely passed. some one may refer to
little unpleasantness he has had with the
fiery Kentuckian, but, as a general thing,
the stories you hear there are told by his
friends. They may have lively interest
and lead you to believe that the man who
took Chandler by the ear and called him
the miserable mosquito of the Senate,
after the latter had stung him to MAD
ness, was a daredevil. iire-eater, and
holy terror. For all that, he wasn't
Senator Blackburn has as many friends
as any other man in the Senate and an
regret to see him relegated to private
life. They Will miss his ear-splitting
clothes, his bull-baiting neCkties, his ges-
lures and vigorous English, and, above
all, his apt stories. While 1t has been
the case quite frequently that this Ken
tuckian thought with his lungs and SAID
things which he ought not to have said.
no one will deny that his heart was in
the right place That is why the slips
of his tongue were always forgiven.
One of the stories which came to my
ears was originally told, ! believe, by
Mr.. Blackburn himself to a fellow mem
Der when he was in congress back in
the '70s. Anyway, 1t illustrates that he
thad a heart full of affection for his
family at a time when his heart was
filled with anger toward an enemy whose
blood he was wiHlnghto shed on the field
of honor
Knowing full well her husbands dis
position, Mrs. Blackburn, when Joe left
Kentucky to serve as representative
IN IN congress, induced him to take take his
daughter along for company. Her wo-
manly instinct told her that If there
was anything i'm the world that would
keep Joe Blackburn at home aud out of
bad company it was this little one of
whom both were ardently fond. So the
child accompanied her father and many
weary evenings when he returned home
after participating in the tempestuous
debates of the House she comfOrted him.
One afternoon Blackburn returned
from the capitol in an exceedingly bit
ter frame of mind and accompanied by
a bosom friend, whom IL viii he better
to refer to simply as Tom. though be
it known Tom was not without fame on
the duelling ground. He was an uner-
ring shot and had killed his man. Black
burn, during the day, had engaged in de-
bate with another representative, and the
exchange of language was so personally
hateful that challenge to a duel was
sent and accepted. Tom was to be
Blackburn's second. As the two discussed
the details of the meeting, which was
next morning, they were utterly unmind-
full of the little girl in the adjoining room,
who undoubtedly overheard the CONVEX
That night. after his second had de-
parted to make final arrangements for
the meeting, Blackburn sat absorbed
in deep, brown study. Reaction follow
ed rage and his thoughts turned from
his enemy to his wife in Kentucky and
the little daughter that was cheering
his lonesome moments. His thoughts
reverted to little scene at the capitol a
few weeks previous, when bully had
stood in the path, with deep snow on
either side refusing to step aside for the
little girl. He remembered that he planted
his fist under the bullys ear and tumbled
him into the snow bank; and that the
child, looking up, with, gratitude, said.
suddenly disturbed by the appearance of
the little lady herself at his side As he
bent over and smoothed her curls, she
chung to him with greater fondness than
usual. Then she went to the closet, as us
ual, and took out her night robs. smoothed
the wrinkles and laid it across the bed.
That duty dome she gave him a good night
hug and great big tears welled from her
eyes. AS they cOursed down her cheeks,
Joe Blackburn's heart beat like a trip
hammer, and the awful thought that came
across his mind: what If / should be the
one to fall? What would become of hero
With goodnight, papa" the little one
went from the room, only to return and
''Are you going out early, papa?"
yes, dear" he replied.
rs it very important"
yes; very important"
''Then l mustn't keep you; but come
back as soon as you can, papa. and I'll
have cup of hot coffee for you. You'll
be back in two hours?"
Eyes, dear" and the farewell, perhaps
the last, he thought was over.
In the early morning Blackburn stole
out to find his second and repair to the
field of honor. But the duel did not come
off. The second as was his privilege, sub
stituted himself for his principal, and thus
explained to him;
Joe, l am not much good to any one,
and you are valuable to your country.
Your country can't afford to lose you
and don't mean it shall. What I've done
is for the best"
In vain Blackburn protested, but the
matter was in the hands of his seconG,
and he could not alter it. When the
other party learned that tom, the Dead
Shot" who had already killed one man.
was to take Blackburn's place on the
field, there was a hasty conclusion that
the affair after all, was not too serious
n ba Matched I'm nv acer1a kcre