ry has ever invested its heroes with a nobler
spirit than his, which was more than equal to that of the bravest
of his traducers--for who of them all would have faced the
dangers that he was facing?

He resided about a quarter of a mile from the Yanceyville court
house, within plain view of it. His house was veritably his
castle, where he had fortified himself. He was besieged at home
and was under obsession everywhere; yet he seemed to hold danger
in contempt.

On this occasion he wore a sack-coat of medium length, with
side-pockets. He said he had been warned by anonymous letters to
leave the State. "But," he said simply, "I have a right to be
here and can't be scared away from my home and family."
Continuing, Stephens told me how well he was prepared for
emergencies; and he displayed two single-barreled, breech-loading
Derringers. He showed me how rapidly he could load them and
seemed expert in handling the weapons. He carried a pistol in
each side-pocket of his coat, within easy reach. He said he never
permitted any one to approach unless he knew him to be a friend;
that he always carried the Derringers, but that on "public days,"
he also had with him what I understood to be a seven shooter.

In his estimation this was a public day, because a crowd was in
town, attracted by the cases before his magistrate's court.
Yanceyville was but a small village, with a court house and a few
dwellings, stores and shops, and ordinarily not many persons were
on the streets. There was no hotel. Throwing back his coat,
Stephens, displayed to me his other weapon. With his temper and
dangerous surroundings, he was a man to be dreaded by his foes,
for he meant to kill any assailant. He could be overcome only by
treachery, as will be seen hereafter.

To me, his words had peculiar significance, when considered in
connection with the occurrences of the next few days; for it
should be noticed that he declared he never suffered any one to
approach, unless he knew him to be a friend. "But," he added, "I
think the worst is now over and they," (meaning the Kuklux) "are
becoming frightened at their own acts." Alas, how little he knew
or understood the venom of his enemies! Our conversation was on
Monday. The next Saturday, May 21, 1870, Stephens was murdered