as a second Oscar Wilde, and stating the facts
as far as decency and the law allowed. H.'s friends came to him
and gave him one of two alternatives: if guilty, either to kill
himself or leave that section forever; if not guilty, to slay his
traducer, E.H. affirmed his innocence, and in company with two
friends, C. and J., took the train for ----. Learning there that
E. was at a town twelve miles east, they hired a fast livery and
drove overland. They found E. at the station, awaiting the
arrival of a train. H., with a pistol, strode forward and in his
excitement said: 'You exposed me, did you?' Being near-sighted,
his aim proved wide of the mark. E. sprang forward and grappled
with H. for possession of the pistol, and was fired upon by C.
and J., who shot him in the back. He expired in a few minutes,
his last statement being to the effect that H. was guilty as
accused. H., C., and J. were sentenced to the penitentiary for
life. During my six years' acquaintance with H. I knew of nothing
derogatory to his character, nor has anyone ever come forward to
say that on any other occasion he ever displayed this weakness.
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