Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-25

gentleman now in Richmond, who
Is ACQUAINTED with the personages wh6
figured In and with the conditions which
led up 10 South Cardinals recent de-
deplorable tragedy gives the Dispa tch the
fo.olwins interesting narrative relative to
the current exciting events in the Palmet-
TO State:
TAN and straight as an 1ndian--tower,ng
several inches beyond the six-foot
mark-with long, black hair falling to his
shoulders. and unlike an Indians only
in its propensity for curling: with large,
luminous. laughing eyes: cheek bones and
nose prominent in character and return
Ing again to the Indian type; mouth
large and made of suave caressins. mo-
bile lips. which. in conjunction with the
eyes. regard you almost lovingly when
he addresses you. whether you be his
most Intimate friend or the veriest stran-
Eer-these are characteristics which at
oroe attract and captivate the stranger
that first meets Jim Tillman. in despite.
even, as may readily be. of the most vio-
lent antipathies previously formed for
the man. Brilliant but cratic. gifted.
reckless, and dissipated beyond the mea-
sure allotted to and INDUCED in by the
average man; popular to degree in
epiie Of MS defects of character; an i'm
pressive and Imposing figure on the
stump; calm. deliberate, and incisive
n the style of his orarory-a style utter
II different from and opposed to the
vehement and imprisoned eloauence Of
his famous unclc-nnrivailed in his State
in the mastery of the weapon CT sarcasm
snd in readiness of repartee and effective
answer before mixed audience-or in
sdrot evasion. more crushing because I'M
BOXED Cor and surprising. than any at
Senrt at answer--sncn is the strange
coordination of conflicting elements, good
ard bad. of a man to Gwhom there is. or
rather was. no place of power or emil
hence in the State Of South Carolina to
which he could not easily have attained.
had fortune endowed him with moral
qualities to match those of his person
and mind.
Tillman,s Victim.
Standing in the foremost rank Of the
editors of his State In mental force and
aSisisy; upright in his own private char
acter. and fierce uncompromIsins re-
3entless foe and f1aggellant Of the short
comings of men in public life. degenerat-
ing unfortunately into personal feeling.
abuse and indebtedness. q trait. In
herted. possibly. with the Spanish strain
In his blood: stern and reserved among
his fellows. and personally popular 10 a
and influence for good which Narcissus
G. Gonzales might have exerted on pub
i,c affairs in South Carolina had he
qualified the power OF his pen with Ju-
dicial moderation and edited with mo-
6icum of CHARITY the columns of the great
paper which his brother and himself ere
ated by sheer force OF pluck and will In
She face OF the most .untoward and dis
4osrra ging. conditions, and brought to the
ltsge of assured success after prolonged
light with unexampled difficulties.
Such are the outline of the. two men:
whose inal and fatal encounter almost
within the week has agitated their State
from centre to circumference. sent a.
wave of sadness over the entire country.
and shocked the civilized world, while it
has consigned one of the actors to pris-
on cell and the other to the grave as
food for the worms
Enigma of Human Heart.
How true 1t is that, notwithstanding our
common brotherhood, the heart of anoth-
er. is. still an enigma to his fellownen.s
None who know the rollickinG. devil
rnay-care but withal kindlyhearted Jim
Tilln1an, would have credited him with
the deliberate and preneditated act OF
taking the life Of another in cold blood
Yet Gonzales. ca sually met on the street,
months after his last known proYocation,
vas given. is shot down without word
IF alteration. or movement on his part
% indicate the purpose of mutual com
aat Was it the sudden iaring UP on the
ave of retirement from public Office of
the lieutenant-governor of an uncontrol-.
!ah,e hatred. engendered by the belief
that 10 the uncompromising war on his
cllara cter. waged by this man. he owed
the defeat of the fair hopes OF ris-
ing to still higher place and power with
which he had begun the campaign Tor the
gubernatorial Office the year befores Or
was 1t prompted by some trait IN his
make-un akin 10 the character of the
North American Indian. whom the type
of this scion of 3. pure Ang1o-Saxo strain
strongly resembles in some OF his fea-4
tures-a trait which prompts the aoor-
riginee with tireless and unchanglns pLr
pose TO track his enemy to his deain
What was in his heart when ne nreo
that fatal shot In all probability the Worid
will never know but his friends VIII Ter
vently pray that he may make gooo ms
claim that he had reason to believe at me
least. that he was menaced by an at
tack from Gonzales
South Carolinians have been notorious
~ hot-blooded in the past, and QUICK 70
shed blood on a point OF honor, put5
assassination is an ugly word which the
world has not been wont to ASSOCIATE
with her nsne-
Inc SSO1c Ul Tue OA&A
In the days Of the old school, the code
was frequently rcserted to. and some.
times without sufficient cause or p-oVo-
cation by men who possibly thirstcd more
for blood and eclat than for the true de-
mands of ncnor. Doubtless the code.
yas ahnsed--it was not always the best
mr. least tlamcabie man who walked away
from the field-and often good blood was
unnecessarily shea. but it at least saved s
3 s,e state from the worser stain which
now seems to have been put upon her.
sI,,e.la~ to say. the first who fcll55a
victim to the conditions which obtained
~ this respect after the code was abol
ssi,ed ia South Carolina, was the man
nh, caused 1t 10 e outiawed, and who.
live the Ianented Gonzales. was an edi-5
Tar. For nearly two decades. extending
from 4l,e troublous times OF % 70 the
Tsi,nan era, Captain Francis ". Daw
son. the founder and editor OF the Charles.
tn News and Courier. dominated pubic
ana polIrical atfairs In South Carolina
p,sts, inc sway OF an uncrowped d!e. atet-S
~ -, t,estrods the State Ike colossus.
..,ss.,e smaller men. or men who had no1s
& s.. Anedne Of such power % wsAld as T.
~ esept bsneath his huge - g as'p