The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-07-27


and told by the talk or actions Of the
thousands there gathered for what
purpose they had come together.
Politics. business, crops, horses and
the state Of the river were discussed,
washed down with copious drafts of
"bold face" but never a word about
the affair that had brought them upon
the ground. Hour after hour slipped
by, and the sun beat its hottest rays
down upon the crowd, and still they
held on until nearly four o'clock, when
whisper ran about that the fight was
about to come of,
Copying the example Of the thous-
ands about me, ranged myself in one
of the parallel rows that saw form
ing leaving space Of about fifty feet
between for the operations Of the prin-
cipals and their seconds. Every eligi-
bic tree and hillock was already taken
possession of, and every standing spot
that offered fair sight of the coming
entertainment The first of the prin-
cipals that made his appearance on the
/ ground was Waldron, 2 tail, well built,
good-looking fellow of about twenty
three He walked nonchalantly about,
shaking hands width one, laughing
and chatting with another, taking a
/ bit Of tobacco with third, until Jones
made his appearance, when all hands
prepared for business. Jones was a
man of nearly forty, with hard re-
pulsiye face, and came upon the
ground without noticing any one, go
ing directly to his place and not leav-
ing it or speaking to any one but his
seconds.
The weapons were rifles, tie dis
lance sixty yards, and in a very few
minutes the ground was measured and
everything ready. For the first time,
then, that day, there was silence, each
straining to hear the word and see the
firing. At last it came. "Are yon
ready, gentlemen One two three !
Fire - and the sharp crack of the rifles
rang through the gully, and the heavy
thud of Waldron's body followed it.
The crowd stood still for an instant
and the seconds bent over him. He
was dead, shot directly through the
heart
There was q low, suppressed muir
muir ran over the crowd, which III a
( few minutes broke out into wild con-
versation; and then | learned that this
was the third member of the Waldron
family that Jones had killed within
the year had little time to consider
it, for mighty shout went up from
the crowd, and / turned to see a tail,
dark lad, who could not have been
over seventeen. standing in the spot
where but few moments before the
murderous ball had passed through a
human heart, and to hear from those
about me that it WIS the younger
brother of Waldron.
A very little time elapsed when the
second command was given, "Are You
ready, gentlemen One two three !
Fire !" and as the smoke cleared away
/ saw the younger Waldron sitting,
supported by his seconds 4 few min
utes elapsed, and l could see there
was an argument between principal
and seconds. | saw them lift him to
his feet, but he could not stand. Once
more he was seated, and two whisky
casks were brought to prop him in a
sitting posture, and 1t was understood
there was to be another shot. | took
q look at the face of Jones while this
was going on, but l might as well have
looked into the face of a statue.
Once more the rifles were loaded,
once more the word was given, and
the sharp crack answered. At that
instant had my eyes upon Jones, and
| saw him start quickly, and turn sud
denly toward the left, opening his
mouth wide, as though gasping for air.
Then he made three or four rapid
steps toward the crowd, holding his
rifle straight out before him, stagger-
ing and fell fiat upon his face. For a
moment his seconds seemed paralyzed,
and then Fastening to raise him, he
came up with his hands clenched full
of the grass where he had fallen, and
his mouth filed with blood. They
held him so only for an instant, for III
that time the strong mans body be
came limp, and he dropped to the
earth dead man.
This finished the duel for the day,
; though there was talk that the last VIC
tim had a son, growing lad, who was
/ certain to take up the affair within q
year, and fight it to conclusion, he
being the last member of that branch
of the family of Jones.
Memphis that night was riotously
/ noisy and drunken, over the event Of
, that day, as well as curiously sympa-
| thetic to hear the doctors report OF
the case of young Waldron, that the.
might calculate closely on how long il
would be before they would have
another holiday over the fight of the
: younger Jones and the wounded man
DEGRADING SUPERSTITION IN SWEDEN
) AT late execution in Sweden vas
crowd assembled, some Of whom en-