The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-09-24
[From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.l
THE LAST OF THE CULKINSES-A DUEL
IN CLEVELAND,

IFrom the Cleveland Plain Dealer.l
THE LAST OF THE CULKINSES-A DUEI
IN CLEVELAND.
A few weeks since, q Young lrishman
named Culkins, wandered into CLEVELAND
from New York. He had been in Americs
only short time. lie overfowed with booi
learning, but was mournfully ignorant oi
American customs, and us innocent anC
contidug witbal, as the Babes in the Wood
He talked much of his family; their com.
mauding position in Connaught, Ireland
their immense respeo.abiiity: their chivalry
and all that sort of thing. He was the only
representative of that mighty race in thi:
country. "I'm the last of the Culkinses !''
he would frequently say, with tinge Of
romantic sadness, meaning, We suppose, that
he would be the last, when the elder Culkins
(in the admired language of the classics,
" "slipped his wind" Young Culkins pro.
posed to teach Latin, Greek, Spanish, Far
down Irish, and perhaps Choctaw, to such
youths as desired to'become thorough lin
gusts. He was not very successful in this
line, and concluded to enter the Office of q
prominent law firm on Superior street, as q
student. He dove among the musty and
pondsrous volumes, with all the enthusiast u
Of wild young Irisbman, and commenced
examining his head with law, at startling
rate. He lodged in the back room of the
Office, and previous to retiring, be used to
sing the ballads of his own Emerald Isle.
The boy who was employedsin the Office
directly across the hall, used to 20 to the
Irishman's door and stick his ear to the KEY
hole, with view to drinking in the gushing
melody by the quart, or perhaps pailful.
This vexed Mr.. Culkins, and considerably
marred the pleasure Of the thing, as witness
the following:
80 come to me when daylight sits,
What yez doing at that door, ye id
spalpane p
Sweet then come to me!
III twist the nose off OF yez, presently,
me honey!l
When softly glide our gondolets,
[Bsdad, III! do murther to yez, young
gin'lemin !
OF course, this couldn't continue. This,
in short, was rather more than the blood of
the Culkinses could stand, SO the young
man, through whose veins such powerful
lot of that blood courses, sprans to the
door, seized the eaves-droppiug boy, drew
him within, and commenced to severely
chastise him. That boys master, the gen
tleman who occupied the Office across the
hall, here interfered, pulled Mr.. Culkins off,
thrust him gently against the wall, and
slightly choked him. Mr.. Cu!kins bottled
his furious wrath for that night, but in the
morning, he uncorked it and threatened the
gentleman (whom, for convenience sake, We
will call Smith) with all sorts of vengeance.
He obtained small borsewhip, and tore
furiouSly through the town, on the look out
for Smith.
He sent Smith a challenge, couched in
language SO scathingly hot that it burnt holes
through the paper, and when it reached
Smith, it was riddled like an old-fashioned
milk-strainer. No notice was taken of the
challenge, and Culkins' wrath became ab-
solutely terrific. lie wrote handblls which
he endeavored to have printed, posting
Smith as a coward. He wrote a communi-
cation for the New Herald, explaining the
whole matter. (This wasn't very rich, We
expect.) He urged US to publish his chal-
lenge to Smith. Somebody told him that
Smith was intending to fee the city in fear,
on an afternoon train, and Culkins proceed
~ W eAS SSpONS nv oS"b'f w AAC
in wait for him. This was Saturday last.
During the afternoon, Smith concluded to
accept the challenge. Seconds and a sur
geon were selected, and, We are mortified to
state, hat at 10 O'Clock in the evening.
Scranton's Bottom was desecrated with a
regular duel. The frantic glee of Culkins,
when he learned his challenge had been
accepted, can't be described. Our pen
can't do it-a pig-pen couldn't. He wrote
a long letter to his Uncle in New York and
to his father in Connaught. At about 10
O'Clock, the party proceeded to the field.
The moon was not up, the darkness was
dense, the ground was unpleasantly moist,
and the lights of town which CLEANED in the
distance, only made the scene dcsolate and
dreary. The ground was paced off and the
men arranged. While this was being done
the surgeon, by the ligh, of dark lantern,
arranged his Instruments, which consisted
of one common hpndsaw, one batchet, one
butcher knife, large variety of smaller
knives and small mountain Of old rags.
Neither Of the principals exhibited any fear.
Culkins insisted, that as the challenging
party, he had right to the word fire. This
after q brief discussion, was granted. He
urged his seconds to place him facing to-
wards the town, SO that the lights would be
in his favor. This was done without any
trouble, the immense benefits of that posi-
tion not being discovered by Smiths sec
oDd.
.:lf | fall, said Culkns to his second,
g see me respectfully buried, and forward
the bill to Connaught. Believe me it will
be casheG.' The arms horse -pistols) were
given to the men, and one of Culkins' Sec
oBds said
Gentlemen, are you ready?'
Smith.-Ready.
Culkins.-Ready. The blood Of the Cul-
kinses is aroused!
Second.-One, Two, Three-Fire
Culkins' pistol didn'tgo off. Smith didn't
fire. ''That was generous in Smith, not to
fire, said second. sit was indade," said
Cuikins. 81 did not think it of the low ed
scoundrel -
The word was again given. Crack, went
both pistols simultaneously. The smoke
slow y cleared away and the principals were
discovered stock still. The silence and
stiffness for a moment were Gwful. No one
moved. Soon Smith was seen to reel. and
then to slowly fall. His SECOND and the
surgeon rushed toward him. Culkins made
a tremendous effort to fly from the field, but
was restrained by his seconds. "The honor
of the Culknses,' he roared, Sis untarnish-
ed-why the divil won't yez let me 60
H-ll's blazes, men, will ye be afther giving
me over to the bailifs? Docther, Docther,'
he shouted, sis he mortally wounded -
The docter said they could not tell--that he
was wounded in the shoulder-that car.
rage would be sent for and the wounded
man taken to his house. Here heart
rending groan came from Smith, and Cul
kins with Donny- brook shrek, burst from
his seconds, knocked over the doctors Ian
tern, and fed towards the town like CREASED
lightning, amidst chorus Of excited voices
s'Hold him ~
"Stop him! ~
"Grab him by the coat-tails !"
"Shoot himn'
"Head him off,"
and half of the party started after him a
an express train rate. There was some yer,
fine running indeed. Culkins was brough
to sudden stop against tall board fence