The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-10
HIS FAMOUS DUELSI
GENERAL CASSIUS N. CLAY has
FOUGHT MANY OF THEM.

FOUGHT MANY 0F THEM
He Faced the Whole Hot Hooded South
in tho Cause of Hu mau Liberty But all
the Same He Talks as Cold Bsoodediy
of SlIctnG mp N Adversary AZ tia Most
Coasummxte Villain Couid-Men VIII
Suicide Who Won't Fisht-Desaiis of
Many Encounters in Which the vsteran
Once Engaged.
Lexington, KY, Dec. 9.-Generai Cas-
sius Marcellus Clay-statesman. thinker,
duelist. minister to Russia during the
first administration Of Abraham Lincoln,
relic OF the days that are past-whose
recent troubles with the child-wife that
left him alone in his fortified castle,
White Hall. in Madison county, KY, has
cold-blooded way Of abiding to the
numerous bloody affrays in which he has
been principal.
An old friend Of his said ne met the
battle-scarred warrior not long ago, after
long separation. He congratulated
General Clay on his robust health.
YES" the sage Of White Hall replied,
81 have not been confined to bed for over
thirty years, except once, which was
from a slight indisposition .occasioned
by recounter with aman named Turner,
at Foxtown.'
General Clay killed Turner with
10 g., kr-
Slight indisposition" was caused by six
teen knife wounds, his antagonist hav-
ing repeatedly driven his bowie to the
hiTt in Clay's breast and side Turner
died in an hour, confidently believing
that his foe had preceded him to the un-
known beyond.
"My first duel" General Clay said,
occurred when I was % yearsold-
nearly sixty-five. years ago-and termi-
mated without either party firing asnot.
I was engaged to be married, and rival
suitor, who had been disappointed, wrote
letter to my sweetheart's mother. The
man was doctor, and his name was
Declarey. I went to Louieville to find
MIN, and took my friend, James S. Rol-
the war, with me. AS soon as 1 went
there I Ipt good tough, hickory cane
about as thick as your finger.
"Well. sir, 1 saw Dr.. Declarey on the
street. I went up to him and asked him
il his name was Declarey. He replied
that 1t was, and then I told him that
1 would like to nave talk with him.
This was on one OF the main streets Of
Louisville, and although I intended to
cane him did not intend TO DO it where
crowd would rush in and prevent my
giving him the punishment he deserved.
So 1 quietly turned our promenade off
into side street.
'In the meantime my friend walked
along the other side OF the street and
watched me. When We reached q side
street 1 said: 'Dr. Declarey. am
taken the trouble to write in this letter,
and would like to know IL you can give
me an explanation Of your action
she said nothing. SO raised my cane
and began to strike him He cried out,
and a crowd soon collected, but Rollins,
by spreading out his arms and running
in again and again, pretended to sepa-
rate us. actusly kept the crowd book
until was able to give him good cam
ing.
"a few hours latter got a challenge
from him. We fixed a place in Indiana,
just over the river, and the next day I
was there on time. A gfeat mob Of De-
clareys friends were on the ground, and
General Rollins refused to allow the
fight to go on. We tiiereupon choose an
othe rplace, but Declarey's mob followed
us there.
"Tne next day was to be my wedding
day, and 1 had to be on hand. Deciarey
wanted me to come back after I was
married, but 1 had decided objections
to breaking UP my honeymoon in that
way. He afterwaId said he intended to
cowhide me the next time ne saw me,
and I went to Louisville to give him
chance.
II went into the dining-room Of his no
tel and leaned against a pillar to wait
for him As 1 stod trere I heard some
one behind me rise. I turned and saw
Declarey. He was as pale as death. ana
saw the coward in his eye. He walked
out OF the room and did not return. A
man who acted like that could not, In
those days be respected in Kentucky,
and Declarey committed suicide the next
morning by cutting his arteries.
that man will nave the bravery 10
commit suicide and still not have enough
physical courage to fight?
II have had anumber of such instances
in my life. 1t was so with Ton Mar
shall. who was so famous a. an orator in
Kentucky. There has been for years a
feud between the Gays and the Mar
shalls. Henry Clay, you know, had q
duel with Humphrey Marshall and Tom
Marshall and myself were enemies for
years My first trouble with him was at
the time was editor of the Ture Ameri-
can, and Marshall headed the mob which
was raised to XIII me and demoiish the
paper Well. the mob attacked me. but
was not killed.
'.Soon after this I went to the Mexican
wa. as captain OF another company OF
the same regiment. and I decided to set
dle my trouble with him before We got
through the war. He was drunk about
half the time, and believe ne often cul-
tivatei drunkenness. in order 10 say mean
things and not be called to account for
them. / expected TO have a duel with
him, and got q stone and sharpened my
sword until K shOne like siiverand had
an edge like razor. I gave MIN one or
two chnces to challenge me. but ne did
m. 40 a and st last one day when We
were pitching camp. Marshall rode into
my quarters. He may have been drunk
and he may have mistaken my company