The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-09-13
ESTABLISHED 1876

eide the issue But as Hewson was
known to be a dead shot it was ex-
pected that the affair might not be
bloodless after ALL Nobody knew
what Miller could do with a gun, but
he had always been so peaceable that
1t was not supposed he was much Of a
| marksman.
mo effort was made to keep the af-
fair, the terms and the time a secret.
A duel limited to one shot was unique
and interested every one. The night
before the fight all the men in town
were discussing the probabilities CON
corning it. Most people believed that
Hewson, having but single chance to
get rid OF his opponent, would let him
empty the chamber of his weapon,
then walk closely up to him and kin
him. Others figured that Miller would
find some method of drawing Hew-
sons ball at moment when he would
fire at disadvantage, which would
leave Miller at liberty to take DELHI
crate aim Ali agreed that If one or
the other was not seriously hurt the
matter would come up again later.
shortly before 10 o'clock on the
morning of the fracas l took position
on the sidewalk between the two dis
putants' houses noticed knots of
men and boys gathering, the Union
sympathizers taking position not far
from Miller'S house, and the seees-
sionists mostly congregated in the d.
rectiOn from which Hewson was to adj
vance Within few minutes before
10 O'Clock the street was lined with
people, expectantly waiting to see the
fight.
When the town clock struck the APP
pointed hour Miller emerged from his
house and walked TO the middle of the
street. 1t was now seen that he had
the advantage of the sun on his back,
though as the morning was generally
cloudy this made but little difference.
he walked slowly down the street, and
before he had gone twenty PAGES,
turning my eyes in the other direction,
l saw Hewson coming, also in the
middle Of the street, quarter of a
mile away. At this moment Miller
drew. Hewson. probably either think
ing the distance too great even to
make ready or intending not to open
fire until his antagonist should be at
close range, did not raise his hand to
his hip.
"But suddenly Miller stopped and
brought his pistol to an aim. The
people lining the street were puzzled,
not dreaming that he would risk vast
ing his shot at such distance Hew-
son continued to walk slowly forward,
still evidently not thinking it worth
while to draw. Miller's pistol had
been raised and sighted perhaps ten
seconds when crack and puff Of
blue smoke were heard and seen The
next moment all eyes were turned to-
ward Hewson. He was seen to pitch
forward and fall in the street. He
was picked up dead. Miller's bullet
had struck him between the eyes.
"Never did man more successfully
take time by the forelock to prevent
his enemy from killing him. The space
over which Miller sent his bullet was
measured with a tapeline and found
to be 456 feet and inches The re-
markable features of his feat were,
first. that any revolver could be made
to do such accurate work at such long
range; second, that any one except a
marvellous shot could do it, and. third,
that any man had the nerve to ex-
pend his only shot at such distance
Indeed, so great was the admiration
for his coup that secessionists and
Unionists forgot the momentous issues
of the times. crowded around Miller
and congratulated him.
81 asked Miller how he dared fire at
such distance and to what he at
tributed his success. He said that at
the moment he fred a spark of sun
light struck one of pair of glasses
Hewson wore on his nose 1t seemed
to Miller that his whole being was
concentrated in his aim, which he di-
fected in a line just above the reflect
ed rays, and he was sure he would
hit his mark. That was all he knew
about it, though he thought there was
some luck in it. But this can hardly
be so, for when the war came on Mil
Ter went north, became a sharpshoot-
er and was considered the crack shot
In his regiment. He possessed fac
ulty of which he was probably ig-
norant at the time of his duel"