Litchfield enquirer., 1860-06-28
LITCHF1ELD, CONN, THURSDAY, JUNE IS, $780,

As matter of course, the challenge wa
accepted; and ayailing himself of the the
recognised immunities Of the challenged pal
(which, but for special motive, be woul
promptly have repudiated. (for his notion
of honor were refined almost to fault, "a
six o'clock, the next morning, Major Glad
don confronted his injured antagonist at tn
gentlemanly distance of ten PAGES. The i'm
mediate second of the latter was an indomit
able little Irishman, Of proportions almost a
minute and delicate as those of lady; bu
who, like the rest of his race, was Away
more ready to fight, than to look on. TIL
parties were to fire at the given word, ant
were then to advance as near as they pleas
ed, and again fire. On either side steot
some three or more gentlemen, friends of tn
respective principals. The Congressman
fred at the word, but wide of the mark
His antagonist-whose black. penetratin,
eye had continued fixed upon him, as thougI
he would read him throug h-with slow ant
measured step, now began to advance upor
him, holding his pistol in direct line Will
his brow. A leaf in its fall might have bee,
heard, SO profound, nay, breathless! was tn
silence on either hand. The Major continued
to advance at q rate that seemed to indicate
settled purpose of closing, finally, all &C
counts between him and the object then ir
his eye. Intense anxiety had had the effec
OF blending the friends of the latter as il
were into one man-spell bound to the spot
amazement depicted upon the faces of some,
and undisgnised horror upon those Of others
" Good God !! he does not mean to xii
him, surely ?"
The iron nerves of GLADDEN. had enabled
him to abstract himself from all the attend
ant circumstances of the scene or, at any
rate, to see and hear without appearing tc
do either. The words just uttered, anG
which came from one of the friends of the
other side, had, accordingly been heard, but
not needed. Thus the Major continued tt
advance, when, at length, (being now with
in some two or three feet of his adversary,
the frmness Of the latter gave way, and be
began, instinctively, to take a step back
ward he had not lived to profit by Mr.
Webster's famous declaration, made at Bos
ton, which, had it been uttered on field OF
battle, would have constituted the war.cry
of victorious legions until, by degrees, the
retrograde movement was accelerated into q
pretty rapid retreat-which might have beer
well enough at the head of Xenophon's
Greeks, Moreau's French, or Sir join
Moore's English, but which was altogether
out of place, as well as out of character, OF
the present occasion. His iuaammable little
second, who, though, as Mr.. Noon Talfourd
would say, he had partaken of the "fasci
ton" Of the scene, was not for backing bis
friend after fashion of this sort, was now
suddenly awakened and Thoroughly aroused
by the discreditable steps taken by his prin
cipal, Che had not forgotten that a false ster
expelled Hebe from HeaveD,) and instantly
putting himself in fighting attitude, he ex
claimed =-~ vi
stop, Ma-astcr Lucius, or I'll shoot ye
sir p
The retreating gentleman, suddenly recall
ed to his senses, started as though all adder
had crossed bis path, and quickly coming t.
a dead halt, with bis figure drawn up to it,
full height, and bis head erect, in a tone tina
was intended to make amends for bis late de
linquency, responded
"Stop, sir !! Yes, sir ! There, sir p
Pointing, as he spoke, with one empbati,
finger to his distended breast, still heavine
with its late throes {; but which now exhib
tied an appearance that seemed to say
" Who's afraid 2"
Afraid, however, he Enthusiastically was
that the still approxmating pistol of hi
ruthless enemy was about to "shufle of
that mortal COIL" which he himself had NJ
desire to get rid Of A sudden sense of tn,
deep disgrace which his retreating step
were about to entail upon him, had inspired
him with unwonted frmness for moment
and thus he had exhibited the dir of an in
trepid martyrs But the fearful proximity
of the deadly bore was again fast unnervinf
him, until, absolutely be shook where b,
stood each quailing member of his con
vulsed frame seeming to look out for SOM,
kind corner to escape in, but in vain. A
that critical moment, when, had the pisto
snapped, he would, without doubt, have gon,
into syncope, the formidable weapon wa
brought slowly ard steadily up to within ,
few inches of his cold and blood-forsakel
brow and then after he had been thu
compelled to look it full in the face for SOM
FIVE or six seconds (though you could see b.
wanted to shut his eyes, was deliberatel,
turned to the air and discharged. The Ma
jor now walked up to the gentleman who's
exclamation, a few moments before, had ap
parently been lost npon him, and observed
+" / heard what you said, sir. ! had n,
intention whatever of KILLING your friend
| merely designed to ALARM him, and l be
lieve have done that pretty effectually."
So saying, he took his friends arm, and
having carried his point, left the ground.
1t was some time, however, before tn
petrifed member of the lower house coul,
be thawed into consciousness, for be ha,
continued to maintain the attitude of def
ance into which he had thrown himself
when first arrested in the career of his re
treat and, indeed, he seemed transfxed t,
the spot, as if transformed into stone. Slow
ly, however, he recovered his suspended fac
ulties, but not his self-esteem. He resign
ed his seat in Congress, abandoned tn
Hills, and died not long after, leaving hi
memory obsexious to the fat-footed CON
ment of a stout Borderer whom I ono
knew, "Hang the man who won't stand u
for his honor and his plumber"
BY this last term is meant property
which, in this instance, l have here related
may be supposed to include the lady.
->>>
DG~A Railroad man got married a
Belleville, the other day, and as he returne
on the evening train to this city, his fello,