The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-10

GrdnQe river, but the men saw aim ana
prevented him. He was afraid to fight,
but he was not afraid to commit suicide
Had we fought with swords I would
have carved him up like pancake"
The story Of General Gays canvass
for congress against Kicliffe gives one
an insight not only into the fighting
| character OF this fire-eater. but also af-
fords a peep into that phase Of southern
life that is not. happily, extinct. He
told the story in these words:
During the campaign Wickliffe intro
| dueed my wife's name into one OF his
| speeches. challenged him and We fired
at ten PAGES. Both Of US missed. and
| raised my pistol UP into the ria and de-
manded a second fire.
"The seconds would not permit this,
and we left the grounds without recon-
ciliation or an apology on either side
As I look over the matter now. l don't
| believe our seconds mad loaded the pis-
| tols with balls. and I don't see how
| couldhave missed.
"WeH, Wicliffe had the worst Of the
| fight, and during the canvass for con-
gress was making very good opposi-
| ton to him, much to the disgust of the
| pro-slavery party. He had :iandbill
which he read during his speech. We
| had our speeches together, and when he
brought out this bill always arose and
asked is ] might interrupt him. He
would politely consent, and would then
cay the handbill ne had read was untrue
and mad been proven so.
1o cgo srrs<f 49, n
and the ydecided to XIII me. They sent
for Sam Brown, who was one Of the
most noted bullies in kentucky. It Is
said that he had had forty fights and
had never lost battle. Brown came,
| and he and Wicliffe, a fellow named
Jacob Ashton and Ben Wood, police
bully, held consultation. at which they
loaded pistol which Brown was to use
on me the next day. I knew nothing OF
this. and 1 had not my dueling piston
with me. I interrupted Wicliffe as usual
and as did so Brown struck me with
mis- umbrella and told me that my state
ment was lie.
II saw at once that It was fight, and
when I recognized Brown I knew it
meant a fight to the death. had a
long, sharp bowie knife in the breast Of
my scat, and jerked this out, but be-
fore could strike Browns friends grab
bed my arms from behind and hauled
me back about fifteen feet from Brown
Brown now pulled mis- revolver and told
them to get out Of the way and let MIN
kill me. The crowd got back and I
stood alone. Brown had mis- pistol
pointed at me and started toward him.
II could see him docking along the bar
rel OF the revolver. He took aim and
waited until ne thought I was near
enough to give him sure shot, and
then fred. I felt the ban strike me in
the bf east, and / thought 1t had gone
through me, and determined to kill him
IL could before I died. / came down
on his head with tremendous blow Of
the bowie knife, but did not split open
his skull. struck him again and again.
and summed him 90 that he was not
able to fire.
with one cut Of the knife sliced his
nose right in two, so that IL separated
in the middle and came out as fiat az
pancake. With another blow 1 cut off
his ear. SO that " hung by shred, and
with third put out his eye. The con-
spirators now seized me, and I was
struck with hickory sticks and chairs,
some Of the blows of which still feel.
'Ibroke loose from my captors and
again made for Brown, and they, to keep
him out Of my way, picked him UP and
threw him over a stone fence, about seven
feet high, and this ended the fight.
Though 1 was the assaulted party, they
afterward tried me for mayhem, and at
his trial Brown confessed the conspiracy
and Henry Clay defended me.
''Of course, was not convicted, but I
felt very friendly to Brown, and wrote
him a note, tllanking him for his evil
dence. ard telling him I was willing TO
be friends with him he cared to be so.
He refused, however, to bury the hatchet
and when remembered his condition I
did not wonder at II. The doctors had
patched him up pretty well, but ne was
horrible looking object, and expected
that he would insist upon a duel with
me, or would attack me and have his re-
venge. I met him several times after
ward, however. and he never touched me-
ington, intending to xii me. but that the
probability is that ne had not the moral
courage to attack me-"
"where did Browns bah strike you.
general?"
at struck me just above the heart"
replied General Clay, ''and I would have
been killed but for one thing. The scab-
bard Of my bowie knife was tipped with
silver, and in jerking the knife I pulled
this scabbard UP 50 that II was just
over my heart. Browns bullet struck
silver, and we found the bali there. |
There was red spot just over my heart,
and the whole seemed almost providen-
tiai.''
Although General Clay never travelled |
without brace OK pistols in bis satchs, !
bis favorite weapon was bowie-knife |
which he always carried concealed under !
his coat During q fight at political |
meeting once he was stabbed in the |
lung.
He drew his bowie-knife and rushed |
upon the man who had been responsible. |
for the outbreak The crowd got out os !
his way, and he found 4 ciesT path to /
the man who had melted the riot. With 4
a shou. OF anger, ne plunged the knife i
into the mans abdomen. and then. ex- 4
claiming, "T die for my country" ne fen /
fainting TO the floor. He was carried /
home, and for many days hung between 4
lift AMI death Upon the day taat he /
was able for the first time 70 leave his /
bed the man whom ne AID stabbed died.