The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-23
Picturesque Character.

s <. = Il b Z . =. a r.
General Clay was one OF the most pic
turesaue of the many characters which
Kentucky has produced.
II used to he said Of him that he was
the best friend the coroners and surgeons
in Kentucky had He either killed ms
man for the one. or put nun ln.o Sery ,.s,
serious need Of the other. He was born
yninety-threc years ago. His ancestry
lived and died where he passed away,
owning at one time stretch OF 2.aO ier-
tile acres. His education was the pest
that could be had and he was graduated
50 long ago that many q the 3 aaio !. p prort
fessors cannot eNen RENE member the dats OF
anything that happened ut the time.
mob red to lynch him in Lexington
for printing an aboliuorist paper away
back in the forties. This Is where he
first became known as an unsafe man
foI an opponent. He decorated his edito-3
rial sanctum with two small cannon load
ed with nails, and arranged keg OF
powder go that he could touch the whole
arsenal of at a moments 8 notice. he
freed his own slaves sooner than any
one else, and took up the cause Of free
dom SO terrlfcally and desperately that
some OF the Northern men declared that
1t would have been better thing for the
movement had he stood still on one oc-
aston and suffered martyrdom rather
than have shot his antagonist in his
tracks.
His First Encounter.
Clays arse encounter was with DR..
peclarey, who lived in Louisville and
wanted to marry the girl Mr.. Clay had
picked out. The Doctor thought to better
his own case by writing disparagingly OF
Clay to the mother of the sweetheartl
The mother gave the letter to Clay, ask
Ing an explanation. Clay got to Louis
yille as soon az he could and took n sec
ond along, He found DR.. Declarey and
pounded his head with hickory stick.
Flo thought this would lead to a fight
with pistols It did not The Doctor was
SO much alarmed by the courage OF the
rival that he took his own life. The
woman of this flrst duel became his first
wife.
Clay next had a feud with TON" MAJ
shall They went to the Mexican war
and by n strange coincidence commanded
two companies In the same regiment.
Clay by that time had learned to carry
two pistols In his clothes and long bowie
knife In case of emergency, He tells that
he knewfit was only a question of appro-
prate3 meeting when one or the other
would die. He challenged Marshall while
they were In camp down on the Rio
Grande, but Marshall had way OF al
ways fegning drunkenness whenever
Clay wanted to talk duel TO him. They
I1ldUb u udle lOT Liz SllobtiHet cts "'SA'
Marshall came on the field he ran away.
The very same night Marshall tried to
drown himself In the river and was saved
only under protest by his men.
General Clay's canvass for Congress on
an anti-slavery ticket was exciting IN
the extreme. IT was made with two more
guns and a bowie knife, lie mad most
frequent use for all of them.
II was in the other phase OF his life
that he was power among the men OF
the North. He was sent to Russia IN the
cause of the Union by President Lincoln.
It Is said that he did much to keep
Russia favorable to the cause of the
North North and by holding Russia there kept
France and England from making any
open declarations In behalf of the South.
He returned home from Russia In 1859
He prden stpppSser q &c ffrsesy
on the third term question The latter
agriculture at Whitehall, not a great way
ron MARRIRD "A DOMESTIC.
1t was on November 9. 1894. that General
Clay. after nearly thirty years Of solitude.
Years old. Her home was at Valley view.
in Madison county, and she had performed
herself and little brother on a railroad
trestle by letting herself down through |
the beams while holding her brother in
General Clay was always peculiar. and |
he wrote for the children to the brought |
10 whitehall. whore he placed them In the |
care Of shepherdess to be raised,
hall during her short stay there as firm
iy as Genera! Clay, had ruled the place
before che came and after she, left.
In September, 1897, General Clay d. |
yorced tho girl who had fallen In love
with Riley Brock, and gave her home
In Pirkardi up In Woodford county.
General CLAY fancied that his life was |
being sought by sorne secret foe,
He said 1.-The vendetta" was after him. |
and he Allied his house with bowie knives |
On the upper floor he had two field |
pieces, and these protruded through thaa
Windows overlooking the approach to the |