The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1844-07-04

| not pluck them as brands from the burn
ing! My spirit was in tumult of anxiety
in moment, and Just as the principals
were taking their positions, was again
on the ground. Standing on the land be-
tween them, exclaimed, In the name of
God adlure you to stop this murderous
work | must not, cannot proceed
Knock him down. cried the elder duellist,
with fearful imprecatian. Sir excaIm-
ed the younger, Il appreciate your motives,
but ] demand Of you to interfere no more
with our arrangements The seconds
seized me by the arms, and compelled me to
retire. But warned them at every step,
Never before did feel deeply the value
and hazard of the human soul. My re-
remarks were without effect, except on one
orthe friends of the younger principal
This is horrible place. said he, 4 can
no, endure it, and he turned with me from
the scene.
Now, then, for it, cried one of the sec
onds, as they returned. Take your pla-
ces,' ShudderingIy fastened my pace to
| escape me result.
One-two'-and the next sound was
lost in the explosion of the pistol! % God!'
shrieked a voice of agony. | turned round
The younger principal, with his hand to
his face, shrieked again, quivered, and fell
to the ground. rushed to him With
one hand he clung to the earth, the finger
penetrating the sod, while with the other
he graspcd his left jaw, which was shat
tered with horrid wound. turned with
faniness from the sight The charge had
passed through the left side ofthe mouth,
crossing the teeth; ser,ering the jugular,
aud passing out at the bac part of the
head, laying open entirely one side of the
face and neck, In this ghaslly wound,
amid blood and shattered teeth he had fiX-
ed his grasp with tenacity which could
not be removed Bleeding proiusely, and
convuIsve with agony, he lay for several
minutes, the most irighllul spectacle |
the spectators expressed conscious relief
when it was announced BY surgeon that
death had ended the scene. Meanwhile
the murderer and his party had left the
ground.
| One of the company was despatched on
my horse to communicate the dreadful
news to the family The dead young man
was cleansed from his blood, and borne
Immediately to his carriage | accompa-
MED it, 1t stopped before small but ele-
giant house. The driver ran to the door
and raped An elderly lady opened it
with frantic agitation, al the instant when
we were lifting the ghostly remains from
the carriage, She gazed for moment
as if thunderstruck and fell ialnling in
the doorway A servant removed her in
to the parlor, and, as we passed with the
corps into 4 rear room, | observed her ex-
tended on sofa, as pale as her helpless
| son.
We placed the corps on table, with
the stilIened hand still graspng the
wound, when young lady, neatly alfred
in white, and with face deicatcly beauli-
full, rushed frantic into the room, threw
her arms around it, weeping with uncon-
trolablc emotion, and eyclaiming with an
agony of feeling, My brother! my dear,
brother! Can it be-O, can it bel
the attendants tore her away. | shall
never forget the look of utter wrctchcd-
ness she wore rs they led her away, her
eyes dissolving in tears, and her bosom
stained with her brothers blood
The unfortunate young man was of
New England origin. lie had settled
in the town of N, where his business
had prospcred so well he had invited his
mother and sister TO reside with him.
His home, cndeared by gentlcncss and
love, and every temporal comfort, was a
scene of unalIoycd happiness, but in an
evil hour he yielded to IA local and absurd
pre- JUDGE, sentiment of honor falsely
so called, which his education should
have taught him to dcspise. lie was less
excusable than his malicious murderer.
for he had more light and better senti-
mcnts. This one step ruined him and
his happy family. He was inferred the
next day, with the regrets Of the whole
community.
His poor mother never left the house
till she was carried to her grave, to be
laid by the side of her son. She died al
ter n delcrious fever of two weeks
duration, throughout which she ceased
not TO implore the attendants, with tears,
to preserve her hapelcss son from the
hands Of assassns, who she imagined,
kept him concealed Tor the murdcrous
purpose. His sister still lives, but poor
and broken-hearted Her beauty and
energies have been wasted by sorrow,
and she is dependent on others for her
daily bread have heard some uncor-
tain reports Of his antagonists, the most
probable Of which is, that he died three
years after, of the yellow fever, at New
Orleans, raging with the horrors of re-
morse. Such was the local estimatin of
this bloody deed that scarcely an effort
was made to bring him to justice. Alas,
for the influence of fashionable opinion!
1t can silence by its dictates the laws of
men and of God and cxalt murder to
the glory of chivalry!
When we consider how many hearts of
mothers, sisters, and wives have been