Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-08-23
BILLY PATTERSON
UnSOIVed Mystery Of a Famous
Blow. >
HISTORIC INCIDENT UNDER REVIEW
Billy Patterson Was a Very Real Per-
sonage, OF Considerable Importance
in the World; But Who Struck FlIn'
Remains Unknown. -.rt-.,, ,s..
By Larry CAN'T.


One of the Oldest and best known
unanswered conundrums in America is
who Struck BILLY Patterson?7
The recent death Of Charles Jerome
|. Borapartc, of Baltimore, Md., and
who was Attorney General under
President Roosevelt, has brought to
my memory fact thar is not gcner-
ally known. Billy Patterson, the man
who gave this inquiry 10 the world,
was grandfather or grcat-graadrathCr
of this same Bonapartc, and his will
containing that clause is on file in the
historic old town of GAINESVILLE
Franklin county, Georgia, and | have
inspected the document.
Eilly Patterson was the father OF
the beautiful Betty Patterson, thc
wealthy daughter OF "a Philadelphia
capitalist, who married Jerome Bona
parte, a brother of Napoleon, and who
at the time was sojourning in the
United States and leading an id'e and
vagrant life. At the time of his mar
I
riage 'to the American girl his brother
while exercising great power in France
and winning victories under the Direc-
torate, had not achieved the eminence
and fame he afterwards won.
Billy Patterson, father OF Mrs. Je-
rome Bonapartc, was not only a
wealthy man for those times, but he
had acquired large bodies of land in
, the South. Among his osSossioGs
Was a tract OF wild or thirty settled
land in what is row the counties OF
Franklin. Hart anC upper Ebert, in
the state of Georgia. 1t WIS while :aid
Billy Patterson was visiting that sec
ton, to inspect his real estate holdings
that he chunccd to attend a public
gathering Of the settlers in what is
now Franklin county. The meeting
was around Il still-hoUsp near spring
and the entire crowd got blind drunk
and which ended, aa such carOusaIS toe
often did in those days in Il general
fight It is not known how the troub'o
started, but Billy Patterson got mixed
up in the melee and '#Cmc unknown
bclliGcrCnt hi linn a blow behind the
burr of IN" car and sent the visitor
stem winding. But Billy WAS game
and on gaining his feet began u search
for tho pugilist. Gul no one could ba
found who would confess that he had
delivered the blow, in spite of The fact
that Billy, the assailcd man, raging
with Indignation. paradCd among the
crowd demanding t. somc one to point
ont to him the fellow WHO struck
Billy Patterson"
IT is said that the longer Billy
thought over ;hc blow the angricr he
got and that he prolonged his visit 10
that section to try to discover his
aSsailaut. Finally he departed unSatis-
fled, but with vengeance in his heart.
Before his death he had drawn up a
'ast will and testament. hclucathing
his property in Georgia, which accord
ing To- the law rad 10 be placed on
i''''" III ! D '''Nl'al ''Ni'N' NiNl' ~
held large possessions. I'm said will he
spoke Of the lick he received ut that
gathering ana added clause. setting
aside n certain sum to bc expended IL
fcrrctting out and prosecuting the man
who delivered tn" blow.
This old will, l,'writton the latter part
of the eighteenth century, is stil on
f'c in TN" clerks office in Gainesville.
Ga, and while the ink has somewhat
faded it is perfectly leg.blc.