The Opelousas courier., 1897-08-28
FREAKS OF LIGHTNING.
THEY HAVE SAVED AS WELL As De.
sTROYED HUMAN LIVES.

| The Notion That Lightning Never Hits the
Same Spot Twice is Erroneous-Pun-
fsh1nent Melted Out to Lucky Law
son - Feud Settled by the Fluid.
A paragraph in an inland paper OF
.ecent date, says a Cedar Bayou
Texas letter to the st. Louis Globe
Democrat, calls to mind "Lucky'
Lawson, q well-known sea captain on
The Texas coast several years ago. He
vas a big, blue-eyed Swede, and about
he most profane man that ever trod a
ships deck. But the ship owner who
ould secure Lawson to run his vessel
vas considered fortunate, for 1t made
40 difference, 1t seemed, however hard
he wind might blow or In whatever
direction it might be, when he was
.eady to sail the weather was good
enough, and the wind had at least a
slant in it, If 1t was not exactly fair.
But Lawson was wiokedly profane,
md the thunder and lightning, espe-
,ially, called it forth in all Its hideous-
aess more often than anything else. II
vas no uncommon sight, when the
thunder pealed the loudest, when the
ightnings rent the black sky above
aim. and the water foamed with phos-
phorescent light all around him to see
him stand bareheaded, his broad face
turned upward, his clenched hands
uplifted, cursing everything, and roar-
ing defiance at the disturbed elements
and the rulers of the universe.
The newspaper paragraph men
toned gives the ending of "Lucky'
Lawson's life as follows:
peter Lawson, a resident of this
place for several years past, and
known far and wide as Lucky Law
son, met with a sudden death Monday
evening last. Mr.. Lawson had been
attending the big camp meeting and
at Elm Grove, where he was
converted last week, and was return
ing home. On his way home, during
the thunderstorm OF that evening, he
was struck by lightning and instantly
killed"
The accounts Of the notorious Dick
son-Burnham feud down on Big
filed many newspaper columns
. few years ago. It was said then that
It had cost the two warning factions
over twenty lives. 1t came to a sud
den end last summer. At that time
only two males of the factions re-
NAMED, the others having either left
that part of the country or been killed.
The last Of the Dicksons was an old
man, over seventy, and the only re-
naming Burnham a youth of eighteen.
week before the final ending of the
'eud these two had met at the store,
md only for the timely intervention Of
some mutual peaceful friends their
would have been settled
hen and there, and would perhaps
lave left n survivor to claim the vic
orY. As 1t was they were prevailed
lpon to part. and each went his way,
to kill the other.
1t was Saturday. Eark that morn
ag young Burnham 70 . across the
country to intercept old 9an Dickson
n his HsA to the store. TheEoad the
Id mar Sad to come lay partly
trough theGmber alonaBig Bushy.
The timber Observation-Disclosures
t twining vines and high palmettoes,
good hiding place, and there young
Surnham tied his horse and lay in
At his back was q tall cot
onwood tree, in front of him was an
among the vines and pal
1~ettoes, giving q good view of the
Dad, and across his. knees lay the old
rife which had been his
and which, it was claimed
ad slain nearly a dozen Dicksons,
for use. There were sounds of
istant thunder and faint flashes of
ghtning in the air, but as the time
assed both increased in volume and
ividness. Presently there came the
ound of a horses hoofs, then a horse
nd. rider came in view. It was old
Dickson. Young Burnham raised
10 Winchester TO his shoulder, waited
moment, and then pulled the trigger.
i%multaneous with the flash of the
IN there was q vivid flash of light
ing, and a clap of thunder that Jared
10 ground. Dickson's horse galloped
way riderless, while in the middle of
road the old man lay dead,
aot through the heart. With his
ack still against the cottonwood tree,
Dung Burnham was sitting, his face
lack and scorched, his eyes staring
and on the ground beside him
y the gun, its barrel bent and twisted
1t of shape by the lightning.
In n of the churches in Nechez
a few years ago there was a
ormy meeting between the members
I'd the preacher in charge. The
Getting broke up at last, and the
'eacher was the last one to leave the
lureh, and alone. When he reached
10 street, however, he was joined by
of the members, who had Jagged
'hind to try and persuade him to give
for the sake of har nony. But the
'eacher was obdurate, and would not
cede an inch from the ground he had
ken, maintaining that his cause was
st. Then the member became dis
'uraged land disguised. "Parson,"
exclaimed, lit would not surprise
e If the Lord caused q thunderbolt
strike our church and rend it from
me to foundation" The preacher
,iled d~isdainfully, but the next mo-
emit there came q binding fash of
and q deafening crash of
under, and when they looked back
the church which they had just left :
ey saw that the lightning had struck