Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1910 — A NERVY SHOT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A NERVY SHOT.

A Man Took Big Chances on His Life. By F. A. MITCHEL. [Copyright. 1910, by American Press Association.] “Speaking of nerve,” said the Confederate veteran, “1 Saw a bigger instance of it before I went into the army than during the whole four years of my term of service. I don’t mean a case where a man excited by the booming and the volleys of battle goes in like a lunatic without realizing what he’s doing, but where he coolly calculates on an advantage the failure of which will cost him his life. “1 was living at the time in my native town in Virginia. Abraham Lincoln was the Republican candidate for president, and we were all watching for the result of the election, for it was generally known throughout the south that in case the man nominated on a platform of ’No slavery in the territories’ was elected our political leaders were going to take the southern states out of the Union.

“Virginia at that time was a Union state. At any rate, there were a lot of Union people In it. and I was one of them, though afterward I went over when the fighting began. When we beard that Lincoln was elected, you bet everybody looked serious. Some were hot for secession right off, some were opposed to anything of the kind, while the rest didn't know what they wanted. 1 was one of those who were on the fence, and it was our kind the leaders were laying for to make secessionists of. When a man was an out and out Unionist it was pretty hard to move him, though lots of us that were strongly opposed to seceding fought hard enough after the Old Dominion seceded. "But what I started in to tell you about was the way Ben Hewson, a strong secessionist from the first, tried to drive Ed Miller, as strong a Unionist, out of the Union and into the Confederacy. They were both plucky enough, though they were of different kinds. Hewson was aggressive, always

having a lot to say and thinking that •very one should see things as he saw them. Miller was retiring, said very little and never forced bls opinions upon others. 1 reckon an excitable man is more easily irritated by one of these fellows who when you go for them shut up like a clam than any other kind. Hewson knew that Miller was straight Union and Insisted on arguing the point with him. When he found that Miller wouldn't talk he loet his temper, called him a traitor to the south and wound up by saying that if he wasn’t with the south he’d better get out of it. "It was easy to see that all this was very annoying to Miller. We were all surprised that he didn’t resent what Hewson said, and some set him down for a white feather man. Possibly Hewson thought so, too, and that's the reason be kept on adding one Insult after another, vowing that he would drive the black Republican out of the state or into the Confederacy. All this happened half a century ago and is now pretty nearly fdrgotten. The Issues that then were of such importance are now buried. Human slavery was not extended; it died. “The day news came that Lincoln was elected separated us pretty much on to one side or the other. Those who were inclined to secession before, but didn’t avow their sentiments, now showed their colors, and as they were in the majority the rest kept quiet. Some of the secessionists were mighty hot against those who wanted to throw off the Lincoln yoke four months before Lincoln would be in a position to put a yoke on to them. They weren’t •ven willing to wait for the state to secede. Among these was Ben Hewson. He talked to knots of men and to individuals, being far more bitter against what be termed the renegades of the south than the northern people. “When the ordinance of secession passed tfae legislature every vestige of restraint vanished from the secessionists. Ben Hewson Immediately set about performing bis promise- to drive Ed Miller out of the state or into the

Confederacy. He put up a notice on a wooden tree box directly in front of Miller’s door written with his own hand: ’Those who are hot with us are against us. Let them go.’ Every one who passed it read it and looked up at Miller's house. All looked grim, knowing that it was a thrust of Hewson against Miller add might be serious.-' . ■' ' ■

“Miller sent ..for one of his Intimate friends and told him to go to Hewson and say he proposed to remain where he was and that If Hewson wished to drive him out he would have to do so at the point of a weapon. Hewson wished to know If this was a challenge. Miller’s second said It was not Then Hewson said that he would begin shooting the next time be and Miller met Miller’s friend persuaded Hewson to refer him to a second. The two seconds, anxious to make the affair as bloodless as possible, arranged the following terms: At 10 o’clock in the morning each principal should leave his house armed with a 42 caliber 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 and fire at will.

“Hewson was very much put out at this arrangement, which, he believed, would result In nothing serious to either party, and refused to abide by IL But his second told him that if he did not he (the second) would have nothing further to do with the matter, and Hewson reluctantly consented. “When this prospective affair got out we were all very much surprised—first, that Miller bad decided to fight, aud, second, that a single firing should decide the Issue. But as Hewson was known to be a dead shot it was expected 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 it was not supposed he was much of a marksman.

“No effort was made to keep the affair, the terms and the time a secret A duel limited to one shot was unique and Interested every one. The night before the tight all the men in town were discussing the probabilities concerning it. Most people believed that Hewson, having but a single chance to get rid of bls opponent, would let him empty the chamber of his weapon, then walk closely up to him and kill him. Others figured that Miller would find some method of drawing Hewson’s ball at a moment when he would fire at a disadvantage, which would leave Miller at liberty to take a deliberate alm. All 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 I took position on the sidewalk between the two disputants’ houses. I noticed knots of men and boys gathering, the Union sympathizers taking position not far from Miller’s house, and the secessionists mostly congregated in the direction from which Hewson was to advance. Within a few minutes before 10 o’clock the street was lined with people, expectantly waiting to see the fight. “When the town clock struck the appointed hour Miller emerged from his bouse and walked to the middle of the street. It was now seen that he had the advantage of the sun on bls 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 paces, turning my eyes In the other direction, I saw Hewson coming, also In the middle of the street, a quarter of a mile away. At this moment Miller drew. Hewson, probably either thinking the distance too great even to make ready or Intending not to open fire until bls antagonist should be at close range, did not raise his hand to his hip. “But suddenly Miller stopped and brought bis pistol to an alm. The people lining the street were puzzled, not dreaming that be would risk wasting his shot at such a distance. Hewson 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 a crack and a puff of blue smoke were heard and seen. The next moment all eyes were turned toward Hewson. He was seen to pitch forward and fall tn the street. He was picked up dead. Miller’s bullet had struck him between the eyes. “Never did a man more successfully take time by the forelock to prevent bls enemy from killing him. The space over which Miller sent his bullet was measured with a tapeline and found to be 456 feet and 8 Inches. The remarkable 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 marvelous shot could do It. and. third, that any man bad the nerve tp expend his only shot at such a 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. “I asked Miller bow be dared fire at such a distance and to what be attributed bis success. He said that at the moment be fired a spark of sunlight struck one of a pair of glasses Hewson wore on his nose. It seemed to Miller that his whole being was concentrated in bls alm. which be directed in a line Just above the reflected rays, and be was sure he would hit his mark. That was all be knew about It. though he thought there was some luck in it. But this can hardly be so. for when the. war'came on Miller went ndrih. became a sharpshooter and was considered the crack shot in his regiment. He possessed a- faculty of which he was probably ignorant at the time of bls duel.”

BROUGHT HIS PISTOL TO AN AIM.