Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-20
CAsSIUs NJ. CLAWS FAMOUS FIGHT.
His bravery In the Face Of Almost
Certain Death.

From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
The story of Gen. Clays canvass for Con-
gress against Wickliffe gives one an insight
not only into the lighting character of this
fire-eater. but also affords a peep into that
phase of southern life hat is now happily,
extinct. He once told the story to a news
paper man in these words:
During the campaign Wickliffe intro
duced my wife's name into one of his
speeches. 1 challenged him. and we fired
at ten PAGES. Both ofrus missed and rails
ed my pistol up into the air and demanded
a second fire. The seconds would not per-
NIT this, and we left the grounds without
a reconciliation or an apology on either
side. AS l look over the matter now
don't believe our seconds had loaded the
pistols with balls, and l did not see how
could have missed.
We'll, Nickliffe here had the worst of
the fight, and daring the canvass for Con-
gress | vas making q very good opposition
to him. much TO the disgust of the pro-sla-
very party. He had hanGbill which he
read during his speech. We had our
speeches together, ana when ne brought out
this bill / always arose and asked If l
might interrupt him. He would politely
consent. and l would then say the handful
proven ~ srfH
The pro-slayery men got tired of this
and they decided to kill me. They sent for
Sam Brown, VINO was one of the most noted
DULLES in kentucky.s ii is said that he had
lad forty fights and had never lost d bat
tie. Brown came. and he and Wickline
fellow named Jacob Ashton and Ben Wood
d police bully, held a consultatio at which
they loaded pistol which Brown was to
use on me the next day. l knew nothing of
TINS, and L had not my dueling pistol with
me. l interrupted Wickliffe as usual, and
as L did so Brown struck me with his UNI
brella and told me that nv statement was
lie.
Il saw at once that it meant fight, and
when l recognized Brown. l knew it meant
fight to the death. 1 had long. sharp
bowie knife in tie breast of my coat, and
jerked this out, but before l could strike
Browns friends grabbed my arms from be-
hind, and hauled me back about fifteen feet
from Brown. Brown now pulled his revolv
err and told them to get out of the way and
let him kill me. The crowd got back and
stood alone. Brown had his pistol pointed
at me, and l started toward him. / could
see him looking along the barrel of the
revolver. He took aim and waited until he
thought L was near enough to give him a
sure shot, and then fired. I felt the ball
strike ne i'll the breast. and / thought it
had gone through me- ard l determined to
kill him if l could before / died. l came
down on his head with a tremendous blow
of the bowie knife, but did not split open
the skull. 1 struck him again and again
and stunned him that he was not able
to fire. With one cut of the knife l sliced
his nose right in two, so that it separated
in the middle, and came out as fiat as Il
pancake. With another blow / cut off his
ear. so that 1t hung by shred, and with
third l put out his eye The conspirators
now seized me, and l was struck with
hickory sticks and chairs, some of the
blows of which l still feel.
Il broke loose from my captorS and again
made for Blown, and they, to keep him
out OF my way, picked him up and threw
high, and this ended the fight. Though
was the assaulted party, they afterward
tried me for mayhem, and at his trial
Brown confessed the conspiracy, and Hen
ny Clay defended me. OF course. l was not
convicted, but l felt very friendly to Brown
and wrote him a note thanking him for his
evidence, and telling him l was willing to
be friends with him if he cared to be so. He
refused, however, to bury the Ratchet, and
when l remembered his &C ndition, did not
wonder at 1t. the doctors had patched him
ur pretty well, but he was horrible look
ing object, and / expected that he would
insist upon duel with me, or would at
tack me and have his revenge. 1 met him
several times afterward, however, and he
never touched me. L have no doubt that
ne stayed IN Lexington Intending to kill
me, but that the probability is that he had
not the moral courage to attack me-
Where did Browns hall strike Won pen
eral?'
1T struck me JUST 1overi the heart" re-
piled Gen. Clay, land I would have been
killed but for one thing. The scabbard of
my bowie Knife was tipped with silver. and
In jerking the knife, pulled this scahbard
up so that 1t was Just over my heart.
Browns bullet struck the scabbard, and
lnfbedded itself in the silver, and we found
the ball there. There was, red spot just
over my heart, and lfhe whole seemed al