The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-09-07
BEAUTY SEES v SHOT
Favored Suitor is Killed in Duel
With Pistols.
Two Rivals For One Maid w F~ernbauk,
=
Friends For Years Suddenly Turn.

Cincinnati, Ohio. Their Friendship
turned into implacable hate by rivalry
in love, Georg, Bacon, eighteen years
old. of Mickey, and Henry Knapp. nine.
teen, of Fernbank, fought a duel with
pistols in the presence Of Miss Leila
Peak, seventeen. of Fernbank. the oh.
iect of their affections. Twelve shots
were exchanged. and Bacon was killed
by two bullets through the body n
one in the head. Knapp was arrested
when he was hiding in the home of the
girl, who was found unconscious over
the body of the dead youth.
Knapp and Bacon were reared Close
together, and were educated i'll the
same schools. They were ~inseparaole
companions. and not until when Miss
Peak smiled on Bacon did thu slightest
i'll feeling arise between them.
Miss Peak is a tall. graceful! girl.
with beautiful brown hair, fair COM
plexion and dancing brown eyes.
Knapp had paid her devoted attention
for two years. and their friends Inc
relatives CAME to look upon their mai.
rage as the natural outcome Of their
tender courtship. Word. Of. their Ell
gagement was whispered only 4 month
ago. and then came the news that the
girl had suddenly centred her affection
in Bacon.
The change of heart which now has
led to murder took place at a picnic OF
the congregation Of st. Joseph's
Church, in Home City. Knapp took
the girl to the picnic and insisted that
Bacon should spend the afternoon with
them.
Then there was a dispute. The two
youths stood apart in a quiet corner
of the picnic ground and asked Miss
Peak to choose between them. with
tears streaming down her face she told
Knapp that her love for him had died,
and then she turned to Bacon.
Knapp rushed from the spot torn
with bitter jealousy. He returned at
once to Fernbank. and soon after his
arrival there Bacon was warned to
guard himself against violence. Bacon
bought a revolver OH MS way to Miss
Peaks home on the outskirts Of the
village, and then arm in arm with the
girl ne walked into the spreading fields
of the country.
At a turn in the road close to the
Peak homestead Knapp crossed the
path Of the two lovers. He asked the
girl if she still persisted in Spurnlns
him, and when she answered in the
affirmative he told Bacon he would
have to fight. Despite the afrighted
cries of the girl, the two young men
stepped ten PAGES apart and began to
shoot. ...
The first bullet fired pierced Bacon's
breast, and as lie staggered Miss Peak
ran 10 him and caught him in her arms.
She screamed in terror to Knapp to
stop shooting. but pulling himself free
Bacon again leve:ed his weapon at his
rival and on the instant both pistols
rang out. The shots went wild, and
as Bacon staggered away from Miss
Peak he fred four more shots at
Kuapp. Not one of the shots struck
Knapp, who. keeping cool, fired slowly
and struck Bacon twice more.
His fifth shot caught Bacon close to
the heart. Bacon went to his knees,
and with a .despairirg effort raised his
pistol and clicked the hammer on an
empty shell. The boy let the revolver
drop from his fingers, and then as he
c!aSped his hands to his bleeding
breast Knapp stepped closer and sent
a bullet into his brain. Bacon's head
was :icrked backwards. and as the
youth fell on his back with his arms
outstretched Miss Peak a forward
and fell faintinG III his body.
Half IN hour later Knapp was found
hiding in the parlor of the Peak home.
He was taken b. Constable Hickman
to Home City. where he is now in the
lookup. Talk Of violence on the part
of the villagers resulted in his removal
TO this city. AS he was being led into
the county Jail he said:
II am sorry George is dead. 1 didn't
mean to kill linn. We We're the best OF
friends. but he took Leila away from
me, and that was more than I could en-
dure."