The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-07-04
CALIFORNIA CORRESPONDENCE.
CONCLUDED,


District Court, for violating the Neutraliza-
ton Laws of 1918. The day Of trial has not
as yet been fixed upon.
The rates OF passage on the steamers that
left on the 18th inst, were as follows:-On
the "Golden Gate" for Panama. through
tickets, upper deck state.rooms, $3.50; main
cabin, 5000; second cabin, Sl25; steerage,
$40. On the "Brother Jonathan" for San
Juan, through tickets, upper deck, $500;
saloon, SITS; second cabin, Sl25; steer
age. $40.
Wednesday, oath, being the birthday of
Her Majesty, the Queen of England, the
residence OF the Consul, aud the British ves-
sells in the harbor, were gaily decked in ma.
tional colors in honor Of the day.
No less than three of those disgraceiul and
bloody Transactions, that have become SO
common in this country, occurred within the
past week in the vicinity of this city. Last
Friday meeting was had at the Presidio,
between Christopher Dowdigan, OF San
Francisco, and Jas. Hawkins, of Tuolumne.
The weapons used were rifles, and the dis
lance was forty PAGES. At the second shot
Mr.. D,wdigan received his adrersary's FIRE
in the arm; the wound, however, was slight.
Two gentlemen had a slight difficulty in the
Metropolitan Theatre in regard to the right
to seat, one evening last week; challenge
was the immediate consequence. Mr.. Hunt,
the challenging party, was legal gentle.
man OF this city, a native OF Engla Mr..
Hubert, his adversary, a member OF the AS
sembly. They fought with pistols at ten
PAGES, and at the third fire DIR. Hunt fell
mortally wounded and died in lew hours al
forwards. This occurred on Sunday MORN
ling last. The last Of those horrible affairs
occurred on Wednesday last. The names o.
the parties were Thos. l.. Benson and Rich'd
Menzies. 1t appears they had been connec-
ted in business, and having quarreled, chal-
lenge was sent by one Of the parties to fight
duel. The challenged party and his friend
were on the ground at the appointed time,
and after waiting an hour and half without
the appearance Of the opposite parties, con-
cluded to retire. Alter having gone some
four miles, however, they met the other prin-
cipal and his second afoot, making for the
ground as fast as they could, having walked
I all the way from the city, a distance of some
eight or ten miles. The whole party then
lretraced their steps, and after the prelmi-
naries had been adjusted and the grounds Sc
lected by the seconds, the principals took
their positions at twelve PAGES. No arrange
ment., it seems, had been made by the
seconds about the size of the weapons, one OF
the parties being armed with large navy or
dragoon pistol, while the other had one oil
the smallest caIibre of pocket pistols. tina,
would hardly carry twelve PAGES against the
strong wind that was blowing at the time
directly in the face Of him who had it. and
no appeared Stated the evidence before the
Coroner's inquest) to be totally ignorant o.
the use of the weapon. On the word being
: given to FIRE, the small pistol snapped, but
did not go off At the second fire the man
with the small pistol was again benin the
time, and before he could get his weapon
e ready, the ball Of his adversary had taken ef
e feet in the arm-pit, when he staggered ant
n fell. A person call ng himself physician
or surgeon. was presented. but not ilayln'
l t"in the depth OF the wound. In this coDdi
: ton the victim was allowed 10 remain on tn,
e ground, being without conveyance, ana
would in all probability have been lett to die
(even his second having deserted him. had i
not been for two gentlemen who rode for
ward and induced the second of the victor I,
o give him place in his carriage, in which hi
was brought to the city. The poor fellow
> died the next afternoon. The whole affai
I. was a murderous farce.
}, The man who will stand up in the oper
9 field to shoot his fellow, or be shot by him
for some petty malice which they have to-
wards each other, is called by this code
9 man OF honor and Of courage. This mean,
of settling differences Of opinion, or question.
Of varac!ty, is considered by some fair
e speedy and satisfactory one. | admit the
speed, but as for the fairness and satisfaction
must acknowledge my obtruseness; for, nc
matter which may be killed. the assailed OF
8 the assailant, the libelled or the lbeller, i,
0 proves not which was in the right or wrong
, And as for courage, there is none whatever
connected with such proceeding. Indeed
1t Is the want OF true courage, or in other
D words, cowardice, that causes nineteen.
n twentieths of the duels that take place. Men
n have committed certain disreputabe acts, oil
which they do not like to be told, because
they have not the moral courage to face the
: facts, resort to the towards subteriuge-the
q use of weapons. Rather than he exposed
' they would attempt to wipe out the disgrace
by adding ano her crime, even Of blood OF
:. get killed in the encounter, than suffer the
y just punishment that would be awarded by
an intelligent people. The following was
2 telegraphed from Grass Valley to this city
. yesterday:
On Thursday, man named Con was stab.
bed in the back while at dinner at The hotel
by youth of Is years, with whom he had
e some previous difficulty. The young man
Q escaped ard party in pursuit discovered the
d remains of man named Higgins, formerly
. OF this place, who had been missing from
4 Camptonville for the past two weeks. He
hid, while intoxicated, challenged man to
n duel, which was accepte-, with the agree.
nent of the seconds that guns should be
charged with blank cartridges. On the
r ground he declined f,uhtin0 and v,. ,old
{ that his second must then supply his place,
which was done and the guns disch arged, on
which the challenged party fell and feipned
J death. Higgins became alarmed aud fled for
3 the woods. II seems that he must have fal.
LEN over a nrecinice of sanna Cir fao