True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young. Page: 92

92 TRUE STORIES OF OLD
into Prewit. "It's a good thing he did not do so," said Prewit.
"Why, what would you have done?" asked Andrew.
We were near the corner of Main and Prairie Avenue now
and Prewitt did not answer at once. Just as we reached the
corner Prewit turned to Andrew and said:
"If he had run into me I would have cut his d -
heart
out, that's all." He turned the corner abruptly and walked down
Prairie Avenue.
That night I met Brown on Main Street and had a long talk
with him. He seemed much depressed and was low spirited at
first, but this gradually wore off and before we parted he seemed
to be as bright and happy as. ever. He explained his low spirits
by saying that he had seen a ghost the night before and that he
was either haunted or going crazy, he did not know which. He
said this half in fun and half seriously. He denied emphatically.
that there was any trouble between Prewit and himself and
laughed at the idea of my thinking there was. Of course I said
nothing to him of Prewit's remark, merely giving as the reason
for my asking the question his and Prewit's conduct on the street
that afternoon.
The next day I did not come down town until late in the afternoon
and the first thing I heard was that Brown and Prewit had
killed each other on the corner of Fannin Street and Congress
Avenue on the northwest corner of court house square.
The particulars as I learn them were as follows: Prewit, in
company with Mr. Waldo and another gentleman, was coming
toward Main Street along Congress Avenue, while Brown, with
a companion, whose name I forget, was going in the opposite
direction. Neither would give way and they collided. Each
jumped back, Prewit drawing his knife, a big butcher knife, and
Brown his pistol. To my mind, Brown did not want to kill
Prewit, for he could have done so easily, as he was an expert
with a six-shooter. Instead of shooting Prewit. down he tried
to shoot the knife out of his hand. His first ball went through
Prewit's right wrist, completely disabling his right hand. However,
Prewit quickly changed the knife to his left hand and began
advancing on Brown, moving in a zigzag course, so as to disconcert
Brown's aim as much as possible. Brown fired at Prewit's
left hand, but missed, and instantly fired at his arm. The
ball passed through the arm, but did not break the bone. Prewit
kept advancing like a cat, preparing to jump. The gleaming
knife and the cool, cat-like movement of Prewit evidently got
on Brown's nerves and disconcerted him. He fired point blank
at Prewit and missed him. Prewit, with his knife, was uncomfortably
close by now, so Brown stepped back to gain a better
position. As he-did so his heel caught on a wooden bridge that
spanned the gutter and he fell full length on his back. The next
second, like a wild tiger, Prewit made the long delayed leap
and, landing astride of Brown's body, he drove the butcher knife
through his heart. Prewit was about to strike again when