Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-25
The - DneIIIal erauna.

The Philadelphia Ledger gives some rem
miscences Of this spot, which are at once in
teresting and sad. Here, upon the duelling
ground. in a beautiful little-grass plat sur
rounded by trees, forms, made after the image
Of God, come to insult Nature and defy
4 Heaven.
! InIsi4, Edward Hopkins was killed here
/ in duel. This seems to be the first fash
ionable murder Of which this place was the
/ theatre
In1sl9, AT. Mason, United States Sena-
tor from Virginia, fought with bis sisters
husband, John McCarty, here. McCarty was
Averse to fighting, and thought there was no
necessity for il; but Mason would fight
McCarty named muskets, loaded with buck
shot and so near together that they would hit
heads if they fell on their iaces- This was
changed by the seconds to loading with bull
lets and taking twelve feet as the distance
Mason was killed instantly, and McCarty,
who had his collar-bone broken, still lives
with Mason's sister in Georgetown. His hair
turned white SO soon after the fght as to cause
much comment he has since been solicited
70 act as second in a duel, but refused, in ac-
cordance with q pledge he made to his wife
soon after killing her brother.
In 1920. Commodore Decatur was killed in
duel here by Commodore Barron. At the
first FIRE both fell forward, with their heads
within ten feet Of each other; and, as each
supposed himself mortally wounded, each
fully and freely forgaye the other still lying
on the ground. Hef-.
Decatur expired Immediately, but Barron
eventually recovered.
In 1921, two strangers, named Lega and
Sega appeared here, fought, and Sega was
instantly killed. The neighbors only learned
this much Of their names from the marks on
their gloves left on the ground. Lega was
not hurt.
In 1922, Midshipman Locke was killed
here by clerk of the Treasury Department
named Gibson. The latter was nor hurt.
In 1926, Henry Clay fought (his second
duell with John Randolph Just across the
Potomac, as Randolph preferred to die, if al
all, on Virginia soil. He received Clay Is shot
and then fired into the air. This was in ac-
cordance with a declaration made to Mr..
Benton, who spoke to Randolph of call the
evening before on Mrs. Clay, and alluded to
the quiet sleep of her child and the repose of
the mother Randolph quickly replied
AZ shall do nothing TO disturb the sleep Of
the child or the repose of the mother"
General Jessup whose funeral l attended
last week, was Clay's second.
When Mr.. Randolph fired, he remarked:
az do not shoot at you, Mr.. Clay" and
extending his hand, advanced toward Clay,
who rushed to meet him. Randolph showed
he boI gfr,,,lr ,ooF ov,1 cid
facetiously: "Mr Clay, yOu owe Inc coat"
Clay replied:
"Thank God the debt is no greater -
They were friends ever after.
In 1882, Martin was killed by Carr Their
first names are not remembered. They were
from the South.
In 1888, Mr.. Key, son of Frank Key, and
brother to Barton Key, Of Sickles notoriety,
met Mr.. Sherbern, and exchanged a shot,
when Sherborn said:
Mr.. Key, have no desire to kill you"
"No matter" said Key, q came to kill
you"
Very well, then, said Sherborn, &c will
kill you. And he did.
In 1888, W. J. Graves, Of Kentucky, as
suming the quarrel Of James Watson Webb
with Jonathan Cilley, of Maine, selected this
place for Cilley's murder; but the parties
learning that Webb, with two friends, Jack
son and Merrell, were armed and in pursuit,
for the purpose Of assassinating Cilley, moved
toward the river and nearer the city. Their
pnrsuers moved toward the river, but missed
the parties, and then returned to the city, to
which they were soon followed by Graves and
the corpse of Ciley.
In ls45, lawyer, named Jones, fought
with and killed Dr. johnson.
In 1851, R. A. HOoIe and A. J. Dallas had
hostile meeting here. Dallas was shot in
the shoulder but recovered.
Iu 1882 Daniel and johnson, two Rich
mond editors, held a harmless set to here,
which terminated in coffee.
In 1853, Davis and Ridgeway fought here;
Ridgeway allowed his antagonist to fire with
out returning the shot.