Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-06-26
From the New York Tribune, June II.
THE SHAKESPEARE CLUB DUEL.

We are at last enabled to lay before the pub
lie perfectly authentic account Of the circum-
stances attending this duel. and in so doing, we
can only express our regret that an attempt
should have been made to conceal facts which,
from their nature, must sooner or later, come
to the greatest publicity. The difficulty at the
Shakespeare Club occurred on Thursday, the
3lst, when the challenge was substantially Civ
en- and the seconds named, as we have AREA
dy stated. AS our readers are aware, Mr..
Breckenridge, the person who gave the insult,
is Kentuckian, and as far as we can Judge
from our knowledge Of the circumstances, al
though we have no direct testimony on the
point, Mr.. Leavenworth was animated through
out by a sense of unwillingness to suffer what
he supposed to be Kentucky syrtem of bullying
Northern men.
However this may be, both parties were firm
throughout in the determination TO settle the
quarrel at the pistols muzze. In the course of
the preliminary communications between the
seconds, thre may have been overtures looking
to an amicable settlement; on that point we have
no information, but in the course of our inQui-
rieS we have not been able to learn positively
that any such overtures were made or suggest
ed. Friday, the LIST inst, was spent in cores
pondence between the seconds, and so was Sat.
urday.
Before noon on Sunday the arrangements
were in every respect completed and the rem
devious of the party fixed at Niagara Falls, the
precise locality for the duel remaining to be
settled according to circumstances after their
arrival there. Breckenridge and Middle ton
his second, left on Monday morning, and Lea
wentworth and Pendleton on Monday afternoon.
1t was then expected that the duel would take
place on Tuesday afternoon; but the train in
which Leavenworih and Pendleton travelled
was thrown off the track somewhere on the way
by running over cow, and detained so long
that they did not arrive in season to fight on
that day.
AS We have previously stated, the meeting
actually took place at IL l-2 o'clock on We'd
nesday. The place selected for the purpose
was Navy Island, which is within the Canadi-
an territory, about two miles above the Falls,
and almost, if not entirely without inhabitants,
the greater part Of it being covered by dense
forest. This island is famous as the scene of
the protracted but unsuccessful patriot invasion
Of the British dominion by Mckenzie and Van
Rensselaer,, in 1887, when the steamer Caro-
line was burned and the whole frontier thrown
into state of disturbance. For the purpose
Of duel more favorable spot could hardly
have been imagined, and thither the party re-
paired on Wednesday forenoon. 1t is rather
singular circumstance that they were all taken
across in the same row-boat, the principals then
meeting for the first time since the beginning Of
the quarrel.
AFTER reaching the island and selecting the
precise locality for the combat, the distance, ten
PAGES, was marked off by Mr.. Middleton, the
second Of the challenged party. AS he is of
small stature his PAGES are short, which gave
rise to the original report that the distance was
eight PAGES only. Lots were drawn for the
choice of positions, which fell TO Middleton
but as the men were placed with the sun be-
tween them, this choice gave no advantage
The word was given by Pendleton in the usual
manner: "fire, one, two, three" Both pistols
were discharged at the word two, so simultane-
ously that it seemed like single shot. Leav-
enworth Immediately fell; Breckenridge remain
ed standing two or three seconds, and then fell
also.
The surgeon approached Breckenridge first
was in the negative, and that Leavenworth
needed his services more, for he feared that he
was seriously injured. Both parties had to be
carried from the field. Breckenridge, with his
second was brought instantly to the American
side, where his wound was dressed, after which
he took the first train of cars for New York.
We are told that the wound was from the be-
ginning so painful that he could not bear his
foot on the ground. This being the case, the
report that he has been seen in this city walk
ing in the street SINGS the duel must be errone-
Gus.
The weapons used were ordinary duelling
pistols, carrying small bullets, but from some
inexperience OF inadvertence on the part of the
seconds, they were loaded with excessive charg-
es of powder. Otherwise it would have been
impossible for one of the balls to pass through
one thigh Of a man and break the bone of the
other.
The first positive intelligence of the result
was received here about o'clock on Wednes-
day afternoon, in telegraphc dispatch receiv-
ed from Breckenridge himself. A despatch in
cipher was also received from Middleton. Both
these dispatches stated that Leavenworth was
severely wounded; but it was not until a late
hour that night that his friends heard from PEN
dleton the exact nature of the injury he had re-
ceived.
The advantage Of going to Canada is not ap-
parent. The laws there are quite as stringent
as our own, and should Leavenworth die. the
parties, if found in the United States, must be
surrendered to take their trial for murder.
Bsy In the New York Tribune we find the
following very interesting sketch of the progress
making to extend telegraphic communication
with Europe. The account, which will be read
with deep interest, exhibits the wonderful spir-
it of enterprise that characterizes the age, and
DEVELOPS the wonders of science, enabling us
to encircle the world with zone of thought