Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-04-29

taking his beer too, ard proposed to him &c
join with him in accommodating the gen.
tlemen duellists with pistols, and in seeing,
as seconds, fair play between them; at he
same time fixing on The yard behind HE
house for the place of deadly meeting. Ia
wing settled this to the satisfaction OF toe
! combatants, the two seconds returned ia
prepare and charge the weapons, which
having done in ten or fifteen minutes, thew
gave notice 10 the others 10 come forth and
take their ground. Every thing was done
in the form, which, according to the inior.
nation they had received, was done b.
great gentlemen dueliists in such clrcum.
stances. The ground was measured at te,.
yaros-they took their respective stands
the word fire was giyen-each pulled his
trigger, and the barber, feeling something
touch him, looked down, and seeing with
horror his white clothes besmeared with
blood, roared out with dismal yell. ST am
dead man." and fell upon the ground..--
The valet, seeing his advesary's plight.
cryed out in terrible CONSERVATION, God
deliver me, have killed man, and shall
be banged as round as juggler's box
and was preparing TO take to bis heels,
when the parish beadle, who lived oppo.
| site, and whom our landlord had sent to in.
wife over on the occasion, rushed into the
yard, and in the kings name made them
all prisoners. The fact was, that mine
host, who much relshed joke, and loved
mischief still more, had, witha view to tor.
ment the wretches, and at the same time
cast ridicue on the practice OF dueling,
which he heartily despised, tomented the
quarrel, and with the help of the butcher.
instead OF leaden bullets, put clotted blood
into the pistols. The valet was the better
shot of the two. and hit the poor conlber of
hair. After enjoying their terror and con-
sternation for some time, during which one
of the combatants was firmly persuaded
that he was on his way to the other world,
and the other, that he would inevitably be
hanged-the landlord urging the supposed
wounded man to repent and prepare for
death, and the valet Offering all he had
about him to the beadle to let him escape
the two seconds joined in beseeching the
latter to let the wretch escape:-the fellow
pretending to relent, let go bis hold, and
the miserable culprit disappeared. Butthe
most difficult thing of all was to persuade
the barber that he was not wounded 10
death of which, when he was assured,
he paid his reckoning and departed, pro-
missing the others, in which they readily be-
lieved him, that he never would attempt
again TO play the gentleman in duel, but if
he should have quarrelwith any one, COLI
tent himself with boxing it out as well as he
should be able.
The story went abroad, and was soon
rendered more widely useful by being re.
presented in an excellent caricature print,
which was supposed TO have prevented ma
ny a coxcomb from making fool of him
self.
Ridiculous as this story seems, it is not
an atom more so, or more contemplate or
degrading to the parties concerned than
ninety nine in hundred of the duels which
pass off in our newspapers without COM
ment.-lndeed, in my opinion, man bear
ing the name of gentleman, and having
pretensions to education and intelligence,
is thousand times more contemplate Tor
flashing away as duellist than valetor
barber, or man of bad education and low
breeding can be.
To conclude, my advice to my duelling
fellow citizens is, to dismiss powder and
ball and pistols altogether, and if they mre
fight, to fight in manner more becoming
them and in conformity to the suggestion
of Dr.. Smo!let, to smoke assafetida agans!
each other, or any other more sinking mat,
ter they can lay their hands upon.
THE ONTARIO.
The United States Ship Ontario, from
the north west coast of America, and last
from Pernambuco, % days, anchored al
Anp,pol;c C,t,.J,,, Anr;i