The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-23

from the bowie knife I struck again
and again and stunned him SO tnat ne
could not fire.
with one cut I sliced his nose in
two; with another 1 cut Off his ear so
that it hung by a thread, and with
third I put out his eye The eonspira-
tors seized me. and / was struck with
hickory sticks and chairs, some OF the
blows of which I still feel.
Again made for Brown. and they,
to keep him out of my way, threw MN
over a fence about seven feet nlgns ana
this ended the fight
Browns bullet was DETECTED from
Clay's heart by the scabbard OF MS
bowie knife Browns evidence cleared
CLAY at his trial and he never sought
to renew the fight
Another desperate duel in which Gen
eraI Clay was nearly killed was WIN q
man named Turner. That was IN 1873
At a speech in Foxtown, Iurner
son told Clay that he lied Clay drew
his knife, but was again seized by con-
federates of his enemy, and Whlle ne
struggled someone passed a knife
through his lung
Again General Clay determined to kill
his man before he died. Faint from loss
of blood he wrested the knife from his
assailant and rushed upon Turner.
stabbing him in the abdomen. Then
Clay tainted from loss of blood just as
his son ran up with his pistols, which
he had left in his carpetbag at the
hotel.
The crowd thought Clay was dead or
they might have carved him up more
painstakingly. This carelesSness saved
his life. His vast physical strength, in
spite of his wounds and the lingering
effects of fever and captivity in Mex
leo, brought about his recovery.
A magnificent man, physically and
mentally, was Cassius NJ Clay in those
days-six feet tall, a fiery orator. Il
magnetic presence, fine dark eye.
pleasant smile. boundless vitality.
dauntleSs coura ge.
With the coming on of the rebellion
wider duties than electioneering in
Kentucky claimed him. He became
United States minister to Russia, did
much to keep that nation friendly to
us during the war, and negotiated the
sale of Alaska to the United States in
1857
He was recalled by Grant, and for a
time thereafter became Democrat,
supporting Tilden in 1876, but later re-
turned to the Republican party.
In early life Clay married an aristo-
cratic young woman, from whom he
afterward obtained a divorce Then
for years he lived alone until a memo
rable incident changed the color of his
Hsa.
Living near Clay's house was a
Widow Richardson, with her two girls.
Dora, aged IL, and a younger sister.
aged 8. One day the widow and her
girls were walking over a long trestle
at Valley View. near Richmond. when
a train overlook them. Crazed by the
danger the woman stood still as if to
check the engine with her very body
and screamed to the children to- run.
Then Dora proved herself heroine,
indeed. Selling her sister by the waist
she started to jump into the water. Her
skirt caught on a crossbeam. she chung
to her sister with grim resolution until
the slowing train had Numbered by
Then the trainmen came back and
rescued the two girls The mother was
past help.
Mrs. Richardson had been a house
keeper for General Clay, and he under
took to care for her daughters. He
planned to make Dora a lady; in the
end he married her when she was Is
about their relations.
Although he engaged teachers for her,
all his efforts were futile The girl pre-
ferred the rough cabin in which her
relatives lived to the stately mansion
of her decreDit husband.
General Clay was devoted to her, in
spite of the fact that she often ran
away. Finally he got a divorce. Dora
at once became the wife of Riley Brock,
worthless young mountaineer, who
often was cruel to her. General Clay
presented a well stocked farm to them
and sent some of his most valuable pic
lures TO their home Brock sold the
pictures and the farm, and General
Clay sent for Dora. She went to White
Hall. but took her husband with her
The general ordered him away Brock
went, but his wife went with him After
that Brock wandered over the country.
He once was arrested on a charge of
counterfeiting. He was killed by a train
in Illinois.
/ General Clay's fine old mansion is
now stripped almost bare of its furnish
ings- His life was much like that of an
old feudal baron. The once palatial
house is like a fortress, and the brick
walls are loophoIed for double-barreled
4 shotguns. Armed guards challenged all
callers Their employer had long been
under the hallucination that his life
was sought by members of a mysterious
vendetta" Although he was so nearly
/ blind that he could no longer shoot with
accuracy. revolvers were always within
/ his reach. The old cannon that fifty
years ago served to protect his newspa-
per office is planted to command the
entrance to the grounds.
/ The one passion of his life was his
| love for Dora. the child-wife whom ne
divorced. She has one child,a boy about
I 3 years old.
4 A few days ago. General Clay, at the
/ instance of his children, who had long
! been Danish I'd from his home, was de-
clared insane. but his end was then
so near at hand that he was not remov-
I'd 70, ae-rrlrf