Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-11-16
Frank SkeltOn's Remarkable Duel
with the ExciSeman.

|
Garryhinch, about the year 1888, took plac
the most curious duel of any which hav4
occurred within my recollection. A Mr.
Frank Shelton, one of the half-mounte'
gentlemen described in the early part o
this work-a boisterous, joking, fat youn;
fellow-was prevailed upon. much agalns
his grain, to challenge the exciseman OF th'
town for running the butt-end of horse
whip dow his throat the night before while
he lay drunk and sleeping with his moutl
open. The exciseman insisted that snorin!
at dinner table was personal offence t.
every gentleman in company, and would
therefore, make no apology. Frank, though
he had been nearly choked, was very re-
luctant to fight; he said che was sure tt
die if he did, as the exciseman could snuf
a candle with pistol ball : and as he hlra
self was as big as hundred dozen Of can
dies, what chance could he have?" We
told him iocosely to give the exciseman nc
time to aim at him, by which means he
might, perhaps, hit his adversary first, ano
thus survive the contest He seemed some.
what encouraged and consoled by the hint
and most strictly did he adhere to it. Hun
dreds OF the towns people went to see the
fight on the green of Mary borough. The
ground was regularly measured: and the
friends of each party pitched ragged tent
on the green where whIskey and salt bee
were consumed in abundance. Shelton
having taken his ground, and at the same
time two heavy draughts of whiskey from
bottle his foster brother had brought, ap'
peared quite stout until he saw the balls
entering the mouths Of the eXciseman's pis
tolls, which shone as bright as silver, anc
were nearly as long as fusils. This vision
made palpable alteration in Skeletons SEN
timents he changed color, and looked a
bout him as if he wanted some assistance
However, the seconds, who were of the
same description, handed to each party hi:
case of pistols, and halt beloved to them
'Blaze away, boys! !"
Shelton now recolecting his instructions
lost no time he cooked both his pistols a
once; and as the eXcisemsn was dellbe
rately and most scientifically coming to {
dead level" as he called it, Shelton let fly
"Hlloa % said the exciseman, dropping
his level, 'Tm battered by -!'
"The DEVILS cure to you," said Shelton
instantly firing his second pistol.
One of the exciseman's legs then gave
way, and down he came on his knee, ex
claiming "Hiloa hilloa you blood-t thirsty
william do you want to take my life :"
"Why, to be sure | dol" SAID Shelton
ha ha have sti6rmed you, my lad 3'-
Wisely judging, however that if he stayed
till the exclseman recovered his legs, ht
might have couple Of shots TO stand, ht
wheeled about, took to his heels and got a
way as fast as possible. The crowd shout
ed but Skelton, like hare when started
ran the faster for the shouting.
Jenny Mofit his own second, followed
overlook, and tripped up his heels, and cur
sing him for dlsgracefuI rascal, asked why
he ran away from the excisemani'
Cough thunder" shouted Shelton, will
his chastest brogue, how many holes dit
the villain want to have ridded in his car
cass? Would you have me stop to make
riddle Of him, Jenny ?"
The second insisted that Shelton shoulc
return TO the field, to be shot at. He re
sisted, affirming that he had done all tha
honor required. The second called him "'
co,card !'
"By my sowl," returned he, "my dea
Jenny Mofit, may be sol you may cal
me coward if you please bur did it al
for the best"
"The best you blackguard 7"
eyes" said Frank: "sure it's better tt
be coward than corpse and must have
been either one or t'oiher of them"
However, he was dragged up to th'
ground by his second, after agreeing to fgh
again, if he had another pistol given him
But, luckily for Frank, the last bullet hat
stuck so fast between the bones of the ex
ciseman's leg that he could not stand. The
latter then proposed to strap him TO tree
that he might be able to shoot Shelton bu
this being positively objected to by Frank
the exciseman was carried home: his frs
wound was on the side of his thigh. anc
the second IN his right leg: but neither
proved at all dangerous. The excisemar
determined on haiing Frank as he calec
it, and on his recovery challenged Skeltor
in his turn. Shelton accepted the chal
lenge, but said he was tould he had righ
to choose his own weapons. The excise
man, knowing that such was the law, ant
that Shelton was no swords-man, and no
anticipating any new invention acquiesced
'Then," said Ske;on, "for my weapons,
choose my fists; and, by the powers, 20,
gauger, I'll give you such a basting tina
your nearest relations shan't know you
SHELTON insisted on his right, and the eX
ciseman not approving of this species o
combat, got nothing by his challenge: th'
affair dropped and Shelton triumphed.-
BarriagtOn'S Sketches.
Truth AND COMMON SENsE.-A write
in the Philadelphia North American give
utterance to the following truthful and com
mon sense sentiments. The thought ough
to be freely impressed upon the mind o
every teacher and parent in the country:
"ChildIen nova, days, carry to and from
school loads OF Books, and recite from then
daily, without understanding even th,
meaning of the subject they are studying
the basis, the elements of knowledge, ar
overlooked, ), while high sounding names Gal
the ologies) are paraded before the mind
Of ambitious parents, through the medium
of promising circulars. Meanwhile the goo'
old-fashioned arts of spelling and reading
and understanding what you read, are neg
ected as too common place for classes tha
have reached geology, astronomy, and nat
ural phllosophy!'
CAUSE OF THANKFULNEss.- minlste
was once speaking to brother clergyman
of his gratitude for merciful deliveranc
he had just experienced.