Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02

within mutual striking distance, sitting on O
log to which the stout leather breeches each
wore were securely nailed"
FUELS Of this character between men dashed
- together we're not exactly everyday affairs.
but the fact that they occurred at all bespeaks
the spirit Of the times-and the popularity Of
the Bowie knife. In the region Of Texas below
San Antonio they were called Helena duels,"
from the fact that the town Of Helena fostered
them rather frequently. Sometimes they were
known as Mexican fights"
More dramatic, perhaps, and certainly as
chilling to the imagination, was another form
Of duel that Bowie Is said to have ,.lsugurated.
He was challenged, 30 the story goes, and had
the privilege Of arranging the combat. He
stipulated that the fight should take place at
night IN q dark room into which the COM
batantS, stripped to the waist, barefooted-So
that sound would not reveal movement-and
armed with Bowie knives, were to be locked.
In the dead Of the night they were accom-
panied TO the appointed room IN q deserted
house. They entered. The door was locked.
The seconds outside listened for long minutes
without hearing . sound. Then they heard q
scufie, accompanied by q click Of steel. a moan
and voice crying, Come in" BY the light
Of . lantern Bowie was seen standing in a
pool Of blood the other man dead.
Bowie must have lain awake nights thinking
mp novel ways m which to exercise his knife.
It is huniliating to record that in all hkeli-
hood he did not think up what might be de.
nominated the grave duel"-the most exquisite
form that hand-to-hand combat with knives
could assume
While the noted Clay Allison "of the
Washita," one Of the swiftest, bo,dest most
bizarre and humorous gunfghters of the South
west, was in Texas along in the early 7Os he
became embroiled, 80 old-timers tell with q
neghborng ranchman. The two men agreed
to fight 1t out. and the GOODNESS and originality
that Clay Allison displayed In planning the
details Of the Tight would have delighted Jim
Bowie.
1T was agreed" Maurice G. Fulton relates
the story, that grave should be prepared Of
the usual length and width but to the excep-
uonal depth Of seven or eight feet. The two
men were to strip themselves to the waist and
then seat themselves inside the grave at the
two ends, each grasping IN his right hard
Bowie knife. At given signal they were to
rise and start fighting. This they were to keep
up until one or the other was dead. A final
stipulation required the survivor then and
there to cover the dead one with the earth re-
moved in digging the grave
Clay Allison Of the Washita threw in the
dirt. r.. 49,
Bowie still had his knife at the Alamo-at
least Bowie knife. Dallas T. Herndon Ar
kansas historian, says that he died IN the
Alamo with the knife made by James Black
around Bowieis cot-for he was m-was a
heap Of Mexicans whose ribs had been tickled
BY the knife. Among the relics In the Alamo
itself at present = Q not very formidable speci-
men Of cutlery that some man by the name Of
Bowie donated q few years ago as the original
Bowie knife. The Witte Museum, in San An
tonic, has another knife that is supposed to
have been owned by Bowie and presented by
him to . friend. (Bowie seems to have been
fond OF making presents Of the knife, very
AtHrR .ke I.
One tradition Is that Bowie gave the original
knife to the great actor, Forrest. No doubt
Bowie admired actors. Another report has it
that one Of the louisiana descendants of Rein
p. Bowie lost the original knife in a boggy
river some 20 years ago.
JAMES BOWIE died before the knife that
- bears his name was supplanted by the six
shooter. It Is generally said that Capt. Jack
Hays Of the Texas Rangers at the battle Of
the Perdanales with Comanche Indians about
1912, first fully demonstrated the superiority
Of the Colts revolver over all other weapons
in close combat. It was about this time that
Robert NJ williamson lawyer and one of the
most singular characters among the highly in
dividuali1ed men Of Austin's colonies, made q
gesture that signif1ed the waning dominance
Of the Bowie knife.
The president of the Republic of Texas COM
missioned Judge Williamson to 60 to certain
county and there hold q term of court. No
court had been held IN the county for years;
the citizens were principally engaged in feuds
and wanted no legal meddling. Just before
court was to be convened a mass ~eeting of the
feudists adopted q resolution declaring that no
court should be held. When Williamson took
his seat on the bench q lawyer who had been
deputized to set forth the resolution arose and
read It aloud. The court room was crowded
with armed men. After the lawyer had con-
cluded and taken his seat the judge asked him
II he could cite any statute to warrant the adj
journment of court for any such reasons as he
had set forth
Cody enough, the lawyer again rose, pulled