It began just after sunup on a fall morning at Alvies store in the Bigbee Fork community, just north of Liberty church. A Lee county deputy sheriff stopped to buy a plug of tobacco and was talking to two other customers when a wagon loaded with cotton passed by. The deputy said with a laugh, "There goes old Archie trying to get that bale of cotton to the gin before the dew dries off so it will weigh more." The others looked at him quickly but didn't say anything in return. After the deputy left Alvie told the men not to say anything to Archie, who was his brother, because the deputy was just joking and there was no need to stir up a ruckus because of a joke. Archie didn't joke, or take anything as a joke, and Alvie knew if he found out what the deputy said there would be trouble.
As is usually the case, in less than a week Archie was told what the deputy said. He went to Alvie and asked if the deputy had made the statement. Alvie said yes, but that it was meant as a joke and should be ignored. Archie said, "You know me Alvie. I don't like jokes anyway but there's some things you don't joke about. A mans family or his honesty is no joking matter and I will talk to him and set the matter right." Alvie tried to talk him out of it, telling him no harm was intended and that he didn't need to get mixed up with the law but Archie wouldn't listen.
The deputy owned a farm close to Shannon and that afternoon just before dark Archie rode his mule up to the house. The deputies wife answered his knock on the door and Archie inquired as to the whereabouts of her husband. She told him he was down at the barn feeding the livestock and if he would like he could come in and wait until her husband got through. Archie thanked her but replied that he had some business with her husband that wouldn't take long and probably would be better handled away from the house anyway so he would just go on down to the barn.
A few minutes later Archie knocked on the door again and the deputies wife answered a second time. Archie told her that she should see about her husband, and probably should get some help, because he was in pretty bad shape and likely needed medical help, then got on his mule and rode away.
She ran down to the barnyard and found her husband had been beaten severely, in fact he was almost dead. She ran up the road to a nearby neighbor and they loaded the deputy in a wagon and ran the horses all the way to the doctors house. The deputy almost died, and was several months in recovering fully. Archie was lucky the deputy never filed any charges against him, but that wasn't unusual in the Bigbee Fork area because most men felt they should handle personal problems themselves.
As soon as the deputy was able to resume his duties he made it known that he was going to kill Archie. He carried a pistol and rifle as part of his deputies job and made it known he was going to shoot Archie on sight. As soon as Archie heard what the deputy said he started carrying a rifle in addition to the pistol he usually carried, if there was going to be a killing he wanted a fair chance.
Within a few days everyone in the Bigbee Fork community knew the two men were carrying guns with the intention of shooting each other, and a lot of the people were concerned they would meet where other people were gathered and bystanders could also get shot. Some of the wiser men in the community met at Liberty church and decided that if there was going to be a shooting it should be done at a time and place to insure no one else would get shot. Some of them approached both the deputy and Archie about the possibility of setting up a duel. Both agreed, and it was decided that the duel would be in the Liberty churchyard at 9 a.m. on the next Saturday. Alvie was selected as a second for Archie and Mr. Marvin Berriman was to be the second for the deputy. No one else was to be present.
Saturday morning dawned clear and cool and the deputy rode up to Mr. Berriman's house just after 8 o,clock. It was only a few hundred yards from there to the church and by 8:30 they were in the churchyard. According to Mr. Berriman, the deputy appeared to be nervous and repeatedly asked if he thought Archie would show up. Mr. Berriman told him if Archie could walk, or even crawl, he would be there. At 8:45 Archie hadn't arrived and the deputy told Mr. Berriman that it was stupid to get killed over a joke so he was leaving. He got on his horse and left at a run.
Archie and Alvie arrived at the churchyard at ten minutes to nine and was told the deputy had left. Archie got on his mule and also left at a run trying to catch the deputy. When he got to the deputies house, both the deputy and his wife were gone. Archie spent the rest of the day looking for them, but to no avail. They had left the country, leaving all their belongings, including clothes and livestock, behind. The deputies farm and other belongings were later sold by a lawyer from Tupelo and the proceeds mailed to an address in Arkansas.
Archie wanted to go there and see if he could find them, but his family convinced him of the futility of such a search. He continued to carry a gun for several years in the hopes of encountering the ex-deputy, but neither the deputy or his wife ever came back. At least as far as anyone knows.
Archie Brown was my Grandfather, and the story is true. It happened in the fall of 1915. My grandfather died 7 years before I was born so I never knew him, but my father said he never talked about the incident at all, not even one word, which was true to his character if what I've been told about him is true, but Uncle Alvie and Mr. Berriman told and retold the story many times until they passed on in the late 1950's. I wrote it just as both swore it happened.
As is usually the case, in less than a week Archie was told what the deputy said. He went to Alvie and asked if the deputy had made the statement. Alvie said yes, but that it was meant as a joke and should be ignored. Archie said, "You know me Alvie. I don't like jokes anyway but there's some things you don't joke about. A mans family or his honesty is no joking matter and I will talk to him and set the matter right." Alvie tried to talk him out of it, telling him no harm was intended and that he didn't need to get mixed up with the law but Archie wouldn't listen.
The deputy owned a farm close to Shannon and that afternoon just before dark Archie rode his mule up to the house. The deputies wife answered his knock on the door and Archie inquired as to the whereabouts of her husband. She told him he was down at the barn feeding the livestock and if he would like he could come in and wait until her husband got through. Archie thanked her but replied that he had some business with her husband that wouldn't take long and probably would be better handled away from the house anyway so he would just go on down to the barn.
A few minutes later Archie knocked on the door again and the deputies wife answered a second time. Archie told her that she should see about her husband, and probably should get some help, because he was in pretty bad shape and likely needed medical help, then got on his mule and rode away.
She ran down to the barnyard and found her husband had been beaten severely, in fact he was almost dead. She ran up the road to a nearby neighbor and they loaded the deputy in a wagon and ran the horses all the way to the doctors house. The deputy almost died, and was several months in recovering fully. Archie was lucky the deputy never filed any charges against him, but that wasn't unusual in the Bigbee Fork area because most men felt they should handle personal problems themselves.
As soon as the deputy was able to resume his duties he made it known that he was going to kill Archie. He carried a pistol and rifle as part of his deputies job and made it known he was going to shoot Archie on sight. As soon as Archie heard what the deputy said he started carrying a rifle in addition to the pistol he usually carried, if there was going to be a killing he wanted a fair chance.
Within a few days everyone in the Bigbee Fork community knew the two men were carrying guns with the intention of shooting each other, and a lot of the people were concerned they would meet where other people were gathered and bystanders could also get shot. Some of the wiser men in the community met at Liberty church and decided that if there was going to be a shooting it should be done at a time and place to insure no one else would get shot. Some of them approached both the deputy and Archie about the possibility of setting up a duel. Both agreed, and it was decided that the duel would be in the Liberty churchyard at 9 a.m. on the next Saturday. Alvie was selected as a second for Archie and Mr. Marvin Berriman was to be the second for the deputy. No one else was to be present.
Saturday morning dawned clear and cool and the deputy rode up to Mr. Berriman's house just after 8 o,clock. It was only a few hundred yards from there to the church and by 8:30 they were in the churchyard. According to Mr. Berriman, the deputy appeared to be nervous and repeatedly asked if he thought Archie would show up. Mr. Berriman told him if Archie could walk, or even crawl, he would be there. At 8:45 Archie hadn't arrived and the deputy told Mr. Berriman that it was stupid to get killed over a joke so he was leaving. He got on his horse and left at a run.
Archie and Alvie arrived at the churchyard at ten minutes to nine and was told the deputy had left. Archie got on his mule and also left at a run trying to catch the deputy. When he got to the deputies house, both the deputy and his wife were gone. Archie spent the rest of the day looking for them, but to no avail. They had left the country, leaving all their belongings, including clothes and livestock, behind. The deputies farm and other belongings were later sold by a lawyer from Tupelo and the proceeds mailed to an address in Arkansas.
Archie wanted to go there and see if he could find them, but his family convinced him of the futility of such a search. He continued to carry a gun for several years in the hopes of encountering the ex-deputy, but neither the deputy or his wife ever came back. At least as far as anyone knows.
Archie Brown was my Grandfather, and the story is true. It happened in the fall of 1915. My grandfather died 7 years before I was born so I never knew him, but my father said he never talked about the incident at all, not even one word, which was true to his character if what I've been told about him is true, but Uncle Alvie and Mr. Berriman told and retold the story many times until they passed on in the late 1950's. I wrote it just as both swore it happened.
