The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-15


families and his place as principal In
the sand-bar duel may be briefly stated
as follows: When Louisiana was bought
by the United States the terms Of pur-
chase included a provision that old
Spanish or French titles to land should
hold IL they could be established. This
caused a wonderful lot of trouble. A
settler having taken up. league and
labor" Of land and improved 1t, was apt
to find at any time that he had no title
to 1t. Fights and deaths were FREE
quent. Bowie went to Louisiana from
Maryland. in which state he was born,
and Immediately assumed his proper
prominence as killer. A half-dozen
brawIs, always resulting in the death
of his antagonist, commended him to
the notice of the planters as man
who would do their fighting for them in
case Of trouble about land titles. He
was ready enough and greatly distin-
gulshed himself. His brother, Bezin p.
Bowie, a quiet man enough, had come
to Louisiana with him, gone into the
Interior Of the state. and taken up a
plantation. When wounded or when
the officers got too inQuIsltlVe, James
Bowie retired to Bezln's plantation as
to a haven. On one occasion he was
sent by company OF planters to HH-
vana, where the Spanish records were
kept. Returning with trunk full OF
papers, he established his employers In
their holdings and received handsome
sum In payment. This led to more
sighting, and his money being all gone
to the gaming table, he made his usual
trip to Bezlns place and lay dark for
while.
On this plantation was negro black
smith of much ability named Manuel.
One day, having nothing better to do.
Manuel took a large file, which had
been lying about the shop, and fashion
ed 1t into hunting knife, which he
gave to his owner, Bezln P. Bowie. Its
length was fifteen inches with the ham
die; the blade about nine inches. This
was the original bowie knife and Its
purpose was to cut the throat Of deer.
Jim Bowie took 1t to New Orleans with
him and at a quadroon ball killed a
man with It. Utterly disembowellins
him. The wound was SO terrible that It
attracted expert attention, and George
wilkins Kendall. then editor of the
PIcayune, wrote an article about 1t,
also printing picture OF the weapon.
Bowie was not satisfied with the knife
which Manuel made, thinking 1t could
be improved in some. particulars; so he
called In man named Pedro, then a
celebrated cutler of New Orleans. Pc
dro fashioned knives of marvellous tenn
per. He would not sell one which could
not be driven through the thick Span
Ish dollar of silver alloy without in any
way marring the edge or point He
made Bowie q knife modelled upon the
Manuel product, but lighter. keener,
with a thinner blade and somewhat
longer point. This is the model OF the
bowie knife as 1t is to-day.
When Bowie was drinking and fight
ing in New Orleans, politics between
Wings and Democrats was at white
heat. In Rapides parish. on Red river,
there had been much trouble, The peo-
pie were about equally split between
the Wells and Overton families on the
one side and the Cranes and Maddoxes
on the other. Bowie went to Rapldes
on invitation and allied himself with
the Wells Overton faction, who were
Wings. He was strong card and
things began to go the Wells-overton
way. The Crane Maddox people sent
down to New Orleans and imported a
professional dueIist named Wright.
His especial business was to kill Bowie.
The latter was waiting for him when he
got of the steamboat, insulted him.was
struck by him, and shot him with a
single barreled pistol, infllCting, how
ever, only u flesh wound In the arm.
Wright was laid up for month or two,
then reappeared on the street and chal-
lenged Bowie. They fought on a sand
bar in the Mississippi river, opposite
Nntchez, the object being to get out Of
the Jurisdiction both OF Louisiana and
Mississippi. Five men from each fac
ton were present, Bowie fell ut the
first fire shot through the abdomen.
Some one of the Overflow Wells faction
1T will never be known who-shot
Wright through the head, killing him
instantly. A Crane sprang at Bowie
with a sword.cane. Bowie, PROSTATE
on the sand, grnsped the cane with his
left hand and, holding his Pedro knife
in his right, cut his nssaIlant nearly In
two. Another OF the Maddox faction
rushed up, thought better OF It when
within two feet and turned to retreat.
AS he did 80 Bowie slashed Mt him VIC
Iously and cut OF his coattaIls Just us
the waist as cleanly as It could have
been done with pair of scissors. To
the day OF his death this man suffered
under the opprObIous epithet, Bob-tall-
ed Crane. Bowie was In bed for SIX
months after the snnd-bNr fight, and
when he got well. Louisiana having
grown to hot to hold him, went ia
Texas. where he fought for Nveyearsbc-
fore meeting his death with the nag Of
1924 the nag OF the infant Texas repub'
lie waving over him.
The testimony OF Nine. candelarin
who was hls nurse in the Alamo sets
Mt rest all stories OF Bowie's bOinR