St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-09-07
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st. Cloud is, We believe, ahead of all 9TH
or towns and cities in the State, in the OBJ
servance Of the "Code Of Honor;" and as
an illustration Of the assertion, We assure
our readers that two duels have been
fought here within The last eighteen months.
The second one however, which took place
last Sabbath afternoon, was to say the
least, bloodless. Two young gentleman
hish standing and Of good families, Of
course-none others ever Fl ght duels.-who
are connected with Capt. Fisk's expedi-
ton, got into an alteration on Friday or
Saturday, and during the quarrel one of
tho hero's insinuated in very plain English
that the other talked like some people did
when they lied, which little indignity to-.
wards one so youthful and so brave, called
for an explanation, and which not being
gwen to the satisfaction Of hero No. 2, he
70 No. was referred to friend Of No. 2.
which gentlemen was politely referred to
friend of No. l.. The friends understood
the hint and in short time preliminaries
| were arranged to the effect that the two
braves should shoot at each other on Sab
bath morning at precisely o'clock, with
Colts revolvers, navy pattern. BY some
mishap, the story, of their dark designs
leaked out on Saturday evening, and move
ments were made by friends to stop the
proceedings.
Nothing however could daunt these
knights of the code. and the deadly meet
ing was postponed to "a Sabbath afternoon
service" The heroes met at the appoint
ed time, the ground was measured. and
amid an awful silence the blood-thirsty an
tagonists took their positions. The Sec
onds then carefully loaded the unerring
pistol-Colt's late patent navy revolver
ugly looking things even in the hands Of
children, but terribly dreadful in the hands
Of Young America when avowed to venge-
ance by some unlucky woodland doubly
SO on this occasion-you could see it in
their eye-Colt's late patent revolvers, ma
Wy size being loaded in due form, they were
handed to the heroes who received them
with firm (?) grasp, and announced them
solves in readiness to begin the dreadful
fray. The seconds stepped to safe dis
lance 1--WE think they had seen heroes fight
before) and at the word both parties fred.
Then there was q silence more terrible to
the friends Of the Would-be assassins than
''confusion worse confounded.'' Had both
balls proved fatal, and did they stand as if
held upright by determination on the
part of each, not to fall unless the other
did, even if ''lifes fitful fever vas over ?"
Not groan is heard, not muscle is seen
to novel! Agitated beyond endurance the
seconds of No. PUSHES towards him and
exclaims 'sare you hit? and an au ible
answer is heard in these words, s'not by
id sight. What did he shoot at? Ishot
in the ground -
This answer seemed like GOODNESS frozen
over, and it was concluded by principals
aud seconds that satisfaction had been du-
ly rendered, and mutual explanations took
place followed by several gallons Of lager
beer being dealt out to their mutual friends
at the camp.
Thus ended the second duel in St..
Cloud, and as it ended harmless, we now
say to the young men whose names We sup.
PRESS on account Of their friends at home,
let this be the last of your engaging in such
Ia contemplate course of seeking satisfac-
lion for imagined wrongs. It might have
done for the southern chivalry, but for in
telligent men of this age to think of engaging
in such practice is too degrading and de-
serves to merit, as it now does, the con -.
tempt Of all respectable intelligent men.