The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-03-24
SOME FAMOUS FIGHTS.
Two Notable Duels Recsiled-The
Inventor Of the ''Bowie.Knife."

Two NOt9D3e DQe4S NoCAllc0-Ihe
Inventor Of the ''Bowie.Knife."
Even men Of peace admire men Of
distinguished courage who have en-
gaged In personal combats. Achilles
and Hector and David and Goliath
wfll excite interest and admiration as
long as there are children in the
world. Then Hercules. the first
knight errant, who went forth as a
champion Of the people. Horatius and
LAneelot will be remembered for
ever. Even, II they were all
myths they are still admirable. The
fact is after two thousand years
myths and realities are about the
same.
But there were two notable duels
In this country which were real
bloody fights. although q thousand
years from this date they may be
ranked with ancient fables. Men
had been fighting kid glove duels
with seconds and surgeons from Co
lonial days. but It took cool. .deliber-
ate Southern men to enter into q
combat that would equal any feats Of
ehivalry. At Natchas. Mississippi.
there was . fight which showed the
greatest courage. skill and endur-
anea Col. Jim Bowie and Major
Morris Wright were the actors.
They fought With modern weapons In
August. 1897.
z The alIaif started @ q duel b.
tween Dr. Maddox and Samuel Wells,
boGk prominent men. In which two
shots were fred with no damage.
TAsn the adhsrents Of the principals
got MIXED up In . general row, in
Which Bowie was wounded. But he
sinsled out the man who had shot
him. . Major Wright. and. though he
AAA no gun himself, went at the lat
tsr With . short knife that he had
made With his own hands from .
hlacksmiths file. The Major emptied
Ais revolver and then grabbed q
sword and they went at t. They cut
and slashed each other numerically.
ald both Bowie and Wright we're
bissdins terribly from thsir wounds
belore Bowie could do fatal work
With his short knife. Finally he
plu1ser It up to the HIT In Wright's
heart. Wright fell dead. The bat-
tie had lasted for moro than IN hour,
s1a had bean fought outdoors and in
. she'd BY the side of the ilsld.
The eMcacy ef thu short knife was
- well known IN this light that It was
put On the market and called the
Bowie knife" after is inventor.
Bewis vas afterwards killed in the
massacre In the Alamo. In Texas.
One Of the greatest fights In his
tory was that hsewesn John Pleas
sats ana Col. Richie. Of Richmond.
Va. In that city In 1886. Richie vas
To- editor u . nswspapsf that had
eald some unkind things about Pleas
ants. . politician. which only blood
wenld vips cut. An ordinary duel
tANa would not sualce. They decided
20 60 the Geld OF battle, armed In
ssss3 way possibis. ana their vsa-
poas inelsdsd four pistols each. while
rleasants took . sword cane and
Richie AAA . short knife in hiS pock-
et.s Thsy began firing at 39o PAGES
and snptied their pistols - they
drew near each other. Richie IVES
struck several times with Pleasants'
huIlets. bat kept on firing. and the
nea drew doc 70 each other, Final
II thar pistols we're smptied and It
boane . matter Of personal combat.
Flaasanta drew his sword cane. and
tAav vent st t. They fought covered
Win blood. giving tsrrib,s wounds to
sasA etAst. Richie had . horrible
ea1A across his lace from Peasants
swee6 cane, and the bullets In his
BODY weakened him tsrribly; but he
fought On and finally managed to
Thrust his knife into . vital spot IN
Ploasants' anatomy. The latter fell
ese6. Tho duel had lasted nearly
tvo hoars. and Richie barely sur
vivsd his wounds.-Capt Charles
Pst&y, h spsrtanhurg Journsl.
Ghostage Reported In DispensaEy.
Aiken. March 1s.-Dispensarx No.
; In this city has been closed BY the
seosnty dispensary board. pending an
investigation Of Q reported shortage.
The amount Of the alleged shortage
= not known, but, % the dispensary
ooao Z, small hu6ineo0, it can not be