Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-10-21


hand: Those who are not with us
are against US. Let them CO. Every
one who passed It read 1t and looked
up at Miller's house. all looked grim.
knowing that It was thrust Of Hew-
son against Miller and might be sert.
Gus.
MILLER sent for one Of his intimate
friends aud told him to 60 to Hewson
and say be proposed to remain where
he was and that IL Hewson wished to
drive him out he would have to do 30
ut the point Of weapon. Hewson
wished to know IL this was chat
lenge. Miller's second said 1t was not
Then Hewson said that he would be-
gin shooting the next time he and NIL
Ter met. btil;er's friend persuaded
Hewson to refer him to a second. The
two seconds. anxious to make the at
fair as bloodless as possible. arranged
the following terms: At 10 o'clock In
the morning each principal should
leave bis house armed with q call
Der revolver. only one chamber Of
which was to be loaded. Both lived
on the main street of the town, and
they were to walk toward each other
aud fire at will.
"Hewson was very much put out at
this arrangement. which. he believed.
would result 10 nothing serious to ei-
I Their party. aud refused to abide by It.
But his second told him that If he did
| not he the second, would have 10th
ing further to do With the matter. aud
Hewson reluctantly consented.
when this prospective affair got out
we We're ali very much surprised-drst.
that Miller had decided to fight. and.
second. that a single firing should de-
eide the issue. But as uewsou was
i; known to be dead shot it was ex.
pected that the affair might not be
blood!ess after all. Nobody knew
what Miller could do With gun, but
he had always been SO peaceable that
it was not supposed he was much Of
marksnaG.
NO effort was made to keep tae at
fair, the terms and the time Il secret
A duel limited TO one shot was unique
and Interested every one. The night
before the fight all the men il. town
We're discussing the probabilities con-
corning it. Most people believed that
Hewson, having but a single chance to
: get rid OF his opponent. would let him
empty tile chamber of his weapon,
thea walk closely UP to him and kill
iiu.. Others figured that Miller would
find some method Of drawing Haw
sons bal! at {; moment when ne would
fire at disadvantages. which would
leave Miller at liberty to take Il de!ib
crate aim. All agreed that if one or
the other WAS not seriously hart the
matter would come up again later.
Shortly before 10 O'Clock Oh the
morning Of the fraras 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 Mi|ler's house. and the Seces-
sionists mostly congregated in the d.
rection from which Hewson was to ad-
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 ap-
pointed hour Miller emerged from hts
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.
I saw Hewson coming, also in the
middle Of the street. quarter Of q
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
I 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
r ing his shot at such distance. Hew-
: son continued to walk slowly forward.
r still evidently not thinking it worth
! while to draw. Miller's pistol had
e been raised aud sighted perhaps ten
t seconds when crack and puff Of
9 blue smoke were heard and seen. The
{ next moment all eyes were turned to-
r 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
q take time by the forelock to prevent
his enemy from killing him. The space
e over which Miller sent his bullet was
! measured with tapeline and found
to be 456 feet and 8 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 1t, and. third.
y that any man had the nerve to ex~
pend his only shot at such a distance.