Litchfield enquirer., 1831-09-22

CT him cOnGemptble in the eyes ol nls coust'1u- ents. To this Mir. Pettis replied q was sorry to see it) in a strain equally OnsnslVe; a@u closing with demand for the name O1 tno author. This was refused unless MT: feuaS would bind himself beforenanQ' 10 GeIlanu the personal satisfaction rsuai on Sucn USc: one of which. Mr. Pettis set forth that he had been shamefallv and wantOnly traduced; that the author. whoever he might be, was har' a scOundrel. &zc. Szc. that he had falieo' al- fer. .reneated demands on his part, and prom ises or, the other, to obtain his name' except m conditions. such as, conveying astney did an Imputation on his character, he could not ac- cede to: and adding that he believed tne au- thor to be Thomas Biddle; and . so make inc charee:D thus perhaps endeayorinS 70 throw the responsibility of challenging upon Mai. Riddle.
 Biddle's reply to this, was an application of inc cowskin, about daylight in the morn ing, as Mir. Pettis lay asleep on tne PtD.1n ade of the third story of this Hote'' wni'4Ss the warmth of the night had drlven nun. ne was of course unarmed, ana neaFly unuress' ed. On being awakened in this rude m manner he fled to his rooms for weapons. !hat ns was overmastered by Riddle. IS certa'n-ano m ,vonder-being a man of slender constitu- t;on and at the lime much reduced by sick
 ness and the fatigues which all candidates
 must undergo, to obtain the suifrages of a Western people.
 Other inmates being awakened now inter
 fered: Mr. Riddle was taken before Just'ce' and bound over to keep the peace m the sum
 of I think, S9OOO, and here the affair rested until after the election had terminated. >There was no longer any fear that his death would break up the arrangements of his party--the charge of cowardice was coming in upon him OnSali sides,-and to make escape -from the fearful responsibility ofshedding mans blood absolutely impossible, notice was given nun by those whom it concerned, that the bonds of recognition with which the magistrate had encompassed Mr. Riddle, should be no 0bsta- cle to a meeting!! :,
 They met on Friday afternoon the 26th In- stant at 5 o'clock on the Island opposite St. Louis. The time, the place, the order of ar- engagement, the Seconds, the Surgeons, all the details of this honorable slaughter, were pub licly talked of throughout the day. Hun dreds, or rather, it is believed, over 20O0 peO- ple. were collected on the shore an hour be- fore the time, casting their eyes across the
 Mississippi in fearful anxiety for the result They fought under cover of some bushes, so that the deed of death was not seen. But the
 distance was SO trifling, that the snapping oi inc pistols, believe, was heard, and the form of Mai. Riddle was readily distinguished be- fore taking shelter in the bushes. They fought,-and will it be credited? yes,-ow- ing to an impcrfection in MT. Blddlc's vision, they fought only five feet asunder. At this dis tance,-so near, as you will perceive if you try it, that extending their arms in battle their pistols must have overlapped each oth. CT, and extending them in amity they could have given the right hand of fellowship, with out stirring from the spot. Five feet they sfaalL hack to back. Are you ready Fire
 liberty 10 fire as he pleased, at one, fwo, Q. three, taking the longer time for cool and deliberate aim. if he chose to risk being shot down by his antagonist at one. At the word, Fire they wheeed-at the word One they fred-and both fell, it is suppos&l, mortally wounded. In this position Riddle called for a second shot. His seconds. however, did not communicate the wish-but both were soon removed to town.
 ! called in the evening to see MT. Pettis, but did not speak to him. He was in great pain and faintly groaned at every breath. He did not speak except when requiring assistance, and when Gov. Clark came in, he extended both his hands towards him without saying a word. The ball entered his right side near the hollow of his back, or rather at the point where the elbow ordinarily rests. and passing through his body, came out on the other side a little in front. assisted in raising him up once, when I saw that his body linen was completely drcnched with blood. He fingered in great agony until 9 o'clock yesterday after noon, when death concluded the scene. MT. Riddle received the ball much in the same place. but it lodged in his body. At first the surgeons thought it lay against the back bone but have since supposed it to be in the neigh borhood of the left hip bone. His wound is said to be worse one than MT. Pettis' though having rather more strength to sustain himself, there is a possibility of his recovery.
 Iattended Mir. Pettis' funeral this afternoon --the largest procession, 1t is said, ever seen in St. Louis. His coffin, as it is the custom here, was covered close with black velvet, nailed on at the edge with brass nails. A broad frili. of black crape. closely plated, and pinked at the bottom, falls from the ton half way down the sides. A lady's coffin would have been covered in the same manner, with white muslin and crape.
 Monday Morning, Aug. s9.--The agony is now over. Major Riddle died last night. I cannot ascertain the particulars, nor have timO to enlarge.
 The following additional circumstances are given tn another letter:-
 It appears that Mr. Pettis had fully made up hls mind to die, and that like man. Having practised from three feet to any dis tance, he became a good shot at any distance. MaJor B'ddle always said that Pettis' friends