| Show PIGMY AND THE GIANT A RENCONTRE ring cing mr stephena stephenb Ble phena concree L 11 I 1 service and pending the earni cami camm m of 1848 1849 he ro turned returned from ington to georgia he was from the great debates on the of california and new ico as united states territories for ron having tallen taked against the e ea of a ma majority j arity of the southern berf bers a most moat prominent part in tin ution to such acquisition he was with much adverse criticism e cone who was wab at the time of the leading politicians of cf gia was particularly F severe fevere in comments upon mr stephen n and wais way reported as having loly ley l denounced him as a traitor ae e south i adly had mr stephens reached iome lome when these and similar ta were conveyed to him at he did not credit them but as lind cind friend after another in ed him that cone had call him 11 aitor tor ton and adai cd in the true nun bun spirit that he owed it to elt eit elf if to demand what is called ef action the fires of pugnacity lis kis nature J which are always hissed up and he ded that if judge cone would ad laving called him a traitor to houth couth he would bisp slap alap his hib we raco ong after this he be met the judge numerously attended whig bring aring and going up to him ily lly a baid said ll 11 id aag adge e cone I 1 havo have been told nou jou for reasons of your own denounced me as a traitor to i louth outa and I 1 take this of asking YOU yon it if euch ewh reports rue ue 1 0 sir wab was conea cones reply they I 1 ot os true nm am very wlad g iad ind to hear you bay buy isaid laid mr stephens cordially in n the same friendly tone cond of course I 1 do not desire to anny alny way way leneive offensive of to you cone but in order that we no further misunderstanding agh agh the misrepresentation of tp t p I 1 think it right to tell you I 1 have said I 1 would nap slap your if you sou admitted having us used zed language attributed to you pon ron on this the judge again disi ad d having spoken d far lar espee tru I 1 mr stephens and so sefor for the the affair ended it was the gat gai ret set of discussion all over the j how everand the general ver was waa that judge cone cono a very irful man by the way had vu n the white feather to little bstephens kS hS ll 11 in such a comity no public naan nan resting un uch a charge could hope either toli pleter ment or popular eed ct cone of course coarse knew this very much heated and annoyed lle lie comments cm ments which were being belag e upon him wrote to mr nir sto ste a demanding an immediate public bublic retraction of the threat ply aply mr stephens wrote trat tint tsat I 1 threat of clapping the judges ahad had been made contingent con coa upon t truth ruth of the reports regarding si pi he mr cone bad had pronouns p 3 be untrue and that euch buch being pase ase ate there could be no cause for ise or angry feeling on either unfortunately that letter jotter was ir r received by judge cone ae Q or four days daya nf after atter ter it was writ however he met mst mr stephens t 6 piazza plazza of a hotel in atlanta 4 dime dine disregarding garding that gent lemans s adly aly gre greeting gredung eUng blaid klaid in a very of live Uvo lout tout vir lir mr nir stephens I 1 demand that I 1 make anake an retraction our threats regarding me ck and weak wt ak though he war al AJ adal adai ff S rephena i dallow oui no to reak freak to him in the fashion ribe d judge cone wab was wa a very tt it in size and muscular mue rone cular culan develop ii yet tho the frail man whom ho essed eseed with polita I 1 V nesa laces and without hesitating a mo ment replied 66 pardon Fardon me sli sil I 1 have already written you on that subject I 1 must decline to discuss it further am I 1 to tako take this for your sni welt asked cone excitedly it is the only answer I 1 have to give you was the calm reply then I 1 denounce you yon aa w a miserable little traitor cried coteman Cot emad with excitement the last words had hardly left his lips when a light cane wielded by the quick hand of t the man be lad insulted ift itt is red scar bear across ills his cheek wild with pain and out uttering a word he draw a keen pointed dirk knife and made one urious arlous thrust at his weak little ad vers vere aryl arya s heart instantly as he did so eo however howe vers verg stephens seizing a stout umbrella which he held in his left band interposed it as aa a defense and was able for a moment to hold hoid him at arms length the knife fell short of its mark once more it was thrust at stephens cutting a deep gash in his arm but reaching no vital point eighteen times it cut deep into his breast arm and body but still he did hot fall then he could hold out no longer no courage no spirit however firm and un eiding could long withstand such an attack cone was determined to udah his work he threw all his great weight against the umbrella which held him away from the man he intended to kill it broke stephens half fainting fell upon hi hh back the giant cone was at hs fits throat in a moment we head by a grip rf iron was held heid against the cruel fl flor or the ken and blodi dropping knife wat was held aloft before him ready for the last atal atai thrust but still the poor pale face of the little hero was set and defiant his black eyes still flashed undauntedly 61 detract or ill uli out your cursed throat ati Ill hissed biased cone cut ill lii never gasped the almost lifeless stephens lmke imke a flash the knife came down with an almost superhuman effort the prostrate man caught it 14 1 in hib his right hand clan through the muscles tendons and bones vt of the hand it cut then stuck fust and reached no vital part with do desperate a strength cone tried to wrench it freo free with a grasp almost of death the horrible mangled and mutilated hand still idill held it fast in the struggle was once more dragged to his feet the blood was rushing rubbing in streams from his many wounds ris nis hold upon the knife which sought his brave heart to relax he was dying but even when he bellei believed ed the next moment would be his last strong men came to bis his relief the madman cone was secured and held fast then quickly the wounds which mr stephens had received were ex it was found that one of the theitis had penetrated to within a sixteenth of an inch of his heart an artery haa had boen boon cut the doctors declared that hat he would surely de die happily their predie eions were not verified his ila iia life ilfe le wab was saved by the unremitting care of a surge hurge euleon eu reon ou his devoted friend who as good fortune would have its it happened to be in atlanta at the time when he be recovered 1 with I th a magnanimity of which few men are cpa ble bie even of understanding he refused to prosecute cone and that person instead of getting his deserts in the dark cell of a state prison rhon was fined 1000 and with ris kis his honor vindicated was allo silo allowed W to tog i free to the day of his death mr stephens spoke of him in terms ot of consideration and forgiveness gi veness not long ago referring to the terrible struggle I 1 Ibave have attempted to describe and showing me the gre great grent athole hole hoie in his mangled hand he be eaid bald with a quiet quiel 1 and faraway far away look in his deop deap dark eyes poor conel im fm sure hed herd be borry if he knew what trouble I 1 have to write with these them stiff fingers of mine mi neGin cincinnat commercial gazette |
