Calvin Harris & Leander Crowell
Submitted by Donnie PickardClinton Banner, August 17, 1882
Leander Crowell Dangerously, if Not Fatally Wounded.
We have been unable to learn the full particulars of the difficulty between Leader Crowell and Calvin Harris on last Monday, in which the former was dangerously, if not fatally wounded. There was no person present when the difficulty occurred, except Crowell and Harris. Mr. Crowell was thought to be in a dying condition on Monday night. Magistrate Wm. Hardy being present for the purpose of taking his dying declaration. We are told that Mr. Crowell stated that he and Harris met early in the morning on a mountain road, near where they both reside, and passed some common place friendly conversation, and that several hours afterwards, Crowell returning home by another road overtook Harris, who was sitting on a log near the road with a gun in his hands and appeared to be adjusting the lock or triggers of the gun. Crowell asked "What are you doing now?" to which Harris replied "Fixing my gun; and if you will wait for me, I will go with you." Crowell waited and they walked on together three or four hundred yards when, without any notice or provocation, Harris turned upon Crowell and inflicted a blow upon him with the butt of his gun, striking him upon the back of the head, crushing in the skull, and felling him to the ground.
After some time Crowell recovered sufficiently to attempt to rise. He saw Harris not far off, but being unable to maintain himself, he again sank to the ground. Harris, seeing him fall, ran away, and has not been seen since.
We have no ______?______ to the cause of the difficulty, we only give what we have heard to be the circumstances.