The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-04
FREAKS i OF Ii LIGHTNING
How: Lucky Lawson Met His Death At,ef
DefJlHg The Element foE Years. ii55
ON HIS WAY HOME FROM A. REvIvAL
Thc Notorious Dtckerson BurnhHsn
fend-Hoth Men Wore Killed. one
by shot Gun ma tho other ny
IightenIng-AI.m Lucky tstroko for a
Mother md Her Child.

Mothcr and Her Child.
(From the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat.)
1 A paragraph In an Inland paper Of re-
cent date calls to mind Lucky" Law
son. we'll known sea captain on the
Texas coast several years ago. He was
| a big. blue-cyed Swede, and about the
most profane man that ever trod ships
deck. But the ship owner who could So
cure Lawson to run his vessel WIS con-
sidere1 fortunate. for It made no differ
ence. It seemed. however hard the wind
:llg,lt blow or In whatever direction 1t
might be, when he was ready to sal thu.
weather was good enough. and the wind
had ut least slant in It, If It was no; OK.
actly fair. But Lawson was wlckedly
plUfaEe and the thunder and llghtntae.
especially. called It forth In ali It's hide,
ousCess more often than anything else
| II was no common sight when the hun
der pealed the loudest. when the light
nlngs rent the black sky above HIN. and
IN me water foamed with pho5phorcscent
iight all aound him, h's b; Dad face urr-
ed upward. his clinched hands uplifted
curs:hs everything and roaring defiance
" he disturbed elements and he rul-
| ets of The universe.
The newspaper paragraph mentioned
| life rs follows. ', q
| Pee: Lawson, resident Of this place
.or seVera! years past and known lar
anu wide aA:Lucl5y' lawson. met with
sudden death Monday evening last Mr.
Lawson had been ATTENDING the big
eaE'p meeting and revival at Elm Grove,
where he was converted las wesk and
was r turning home. On his ,a5 tome,
during the thunder storm or that even
.ng. nc was struck by lightning and in
stlntly killed."
Tho accounts ct the notorious Dickson
burnham feud down on Big Busky filed
many newspaper columns a few yeRrs
ago. 1t was said then that It had cost
two warning factions over twenty lives.
It came to sudden end list summer
4 Az mat time only two males OF the two
factions remained. the others having Ell
sher left that part Of the country or been
Killed. The last Of the Dlckson, was
an old man. over seventy and the only
remaining Burnham, a youth Of eighth
Teen: week before the final ending OF
the teud these two had met al the store.
ana only fer The timely intervention OF
some mutual peaceful friends their die-
te:enccs would have been settled then
snd there, and would perhaps have left
ono SURVIVOR. to ella i'm the VICTORY AS
y vas they were prevailed upop,to part.
a ah each went his way. vowlng to kill
~ was Saturday. Early that, liornins
try 10 intercept old man Dicksciii on hIa
WY % INC store. The road The old man
n ,,au 70 Genie lay partly through the tim
per along Big Bushy. The timber had a
aense underground OF twin.ng vines ana
nigh Ealn ettos. a good hiding mace and
thc:e young Burnham tied his horse ana
ta:u N waiting. at his back was a tan
one e,, y 'see: In front of hlmwas an
opening amcrG the vines and palmrttor
eiN.ns good view Of The road, and
across his Enee lay the old Winchester
RTE which had heen his fathers. and
wEicn. WIS claimed. had slain nearly
a dozen Decisions, ready Tor use Tha-o
We're sounds of distant thunder and fain,
flashes Of lightning In the air but as me
tlEe passed both increased in volume
ana viF.dneEs Presently there came the
sum- Oh horses hoofs. then horse
. a ao ridcr came In view. I. was old mn n
nlckson. Young Burnham r,ised the
N!nchcAter TO his shouldcr. waited a mo-
.hent ana then pulled the trigger. ST.
multaneous with the fash Of the gun
.'Gle was vivid flash of lightning and
clap OF thunder that Jared the rronnd
DECISIONS horse galloped awav riderl,s.
Nh.le IN the middle Of the road tho old
,nhn l,y dead, shot through the heart
VII h!s back still against the cotton
h hoor iee, young Burnham was sitting.
sthT!ng wide and on the gscuud hos.do
! . .,!,n 10y me gun. its barrels bent and
, :" 'S'ea oot or shane ty the Ugh. ming.
w.. ~ me churches in Nechez CITY
lew years ago there was (, storr,1
meeting between the memben, and .It ny
preacher IN charge. The meeting hroits
, ~ az 'ast. ana the preacher was the lasf
w. ~ ieaNe inc church, and alone
W., ns!, ne reached the stree, however, hr
, MaS IpInea by one of the members. who
nad Jagged behind to try .perslaIn h;r IN
20 give IN for the sake Of harmony I,',t
ING preacher was obduratc and uo,,Ih
= ~, 'eeEne an inch from the ground he
no. l .' maintaining that his cause.
AIS Just. Then the member bec,m:.
o~nInias eo ana disgusted "Pa: SON." he
eSc!2lmcd IT would not surprise mo 80 ,f
me Lord caused a thunde, boil IN ctr;,,,.
nui Chnrch and rend ii from dome ~
inuhuatinn.' The prca cher smiied a..
oa!nfully: but the next monle,t thnro
Inc Ia binding flash OF lightning and .
thew si ino1ed gfhsh n, Of thunder. and when
Inc, nnGy mad lust left they saw thai no
nin .'.,'ns mad struck 1t and that lis stee-
PIC ana roof hal been demolished.
.r,i. SAVING that lightning never
ra,u 100 vice vice III the same place" must b.,
/; revised, because It does. Numerous ~
, stances could be quoted but nno -, -,
su,,.ce The schooner Primrose !, don
Win iumher from Louisiana y Irt ana
'"i'.i ior Mexico. was caugh. In n thnn
W., Storm IN he Gulf. and Tie forcmas.
n.y., - :" ueh by lightning and shattered
pretty badly. One Of the mpn ran. fo r4
: ward TO lower the forcsall. when ~
nEninlng struck the mast onre mor,
, sha''crlng II completely. and ki;j;,, ~,
d ~ ~. me time between the two linn.
o's was hot over two minutes.
lightning and blackberries como -
gether In the coast region ~ Tcxa. .'e ~ 70.
people there, as rule arc more marital
10 ne former than to the la,in- A.