The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-02-18
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING.
A TERRIBLE DUEL.

A few years since, as New England
gentleman, whose name we shall call
Brown, was passing few days at Hotel
in one of our western cities, he had the
misfortune to unintentionally offend the
susceptible honor of d tall militia colonel,
who was one of his fellow-boarders. His
apologies not being satisfactory, a chal
lenge was sent to him, which, however, he
declined, upon conscientious scruples.
The Colonel, who, by the way, had won in
two or three encounters quite a reputation
as duelist, at once conceived the idea
that his opponent was coward, and re-
solved to disgrace him, by aogging him
in the face of all the assembled wisdom Of
the house. Accordingly, the next day,
at dinner time, in marched the duelist,
armed with cowhide, and, advancing to
Browns chair, proceeded to dust his jacket
for him In the most approved style.
Brown was astonished. Luckily, he had
been lieutenant of militia in his native
State, and knew the Importance of in
commoding his enemy by diversion.
So, seizing gravy tureen, he tossed the
contents into the face of the belligerent
Colonel, and before he could recover from
the drowning sensation thus occasioned,
he sprang upon the table and began to
shower upon him with liberal hand the
contents of the dishes around.
You are an Internal -
"Coward ~ the colonel was about to
say, but at that moment plate of greens
stuck full uron his mouth, and the word
was blockaded, lost forever
"Ha!" cried the New Highlander, whose
blood was now sp, "fond of greens, are
you? Take potato?" and he hurled a
telling volley of hard potatoes at him;
excellent eggs. here, capital with calves
head;" and crash came a plate of soft
boiled eggs against the side of his era
mum.
The blows of the cowhide, which had
hitherto descended upon the Yankees
head and shoulders, now began to fall
more weakly and wildly, and it became
evident that the assailant, half stunned
choked, and partially blinded, was getting
the worst of it, His courage was oozing
out
"Take turkey?" shouted Brown, as
noble old gobbler descended fairly upon
the Colonel's head. and bursting, filled his
hair and eyes with delicious looking stuff
fng; here's the fxings," he continued
as the squash and jelly followed after.
By this time the Colonel was irretriev
ably defeated; and as his merciless oppo
nent seized huge plum pudding, steam
ing hot, and holding it above his head will
both hands, seemed to bury him beneath
it. he quailed in terror, and throwing
down his cowhide, turned about and made
a rush for the door.
"Stop for the pudding, Colonel; stol
for the pndding," shouted Brown. "Pud
ding, Colonel, pudding!" screamed all hi
-boarders, amid convulsions of laugh
ter. But the colonel was too terrified
and did not cease running until he hat
locked himself in his room.
But although the Colonel escaped iron
the pudding, he did not escape from tn
ridicule which the affair occasioned. II
subsequently, challenged four persons
against whom his ire was particularly ex
cited, and they all consented to fight, bu
availing themselves of the privilege of tn
challenged party, appointed pudding bag
for their weapons. At length the un
happy duelist finding no one who wa
willing to shoot or to be shot at, wa
obliged to quit the State.-PorJoho.