Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-08-01
Desper ate and Fatal Duel.


WILEY PosToFFICH, KY, July IA de.
plorabie tragedy was enacted about a mile
from our quiet little village this morning at
daylight, which resulted in the death Of
promising young man, and the mortal wound
ing OF another whose future was all brilliancy
and promise.
Iittleton Wells and Sanford B. Roberts were
both young men OF unexceptionabls charac-
ter and occupying eDyiable pos tons In our
society. Wells was about TWENTY-FIVE years
old and Roberts was probably two years his
senior The former was our deputy postmas-
ter, while the latter was clerk In the store OF
koath Strother- For some time both had
been paying marked attention to an amiabIe
and beauu al young lady Of the neighborhood,
whose name withhold for obvious reasons,
and until month past were generous rivals,
their relations towards each other being on the
most friendly footing. = :
Some three or four weeks ago Wells visited
The young lady, and made formal proposal
for her hand. His proposition was respect
1uIiy but firmly declined, and upon his pre- is.
indscreetly informed him that she had already
accepted q similar proposal from young Rob.
erts. wells left The house. mounted his horse,
and returned to the village. He first went to
tne pos. office and armed himself with a MI.
to', ana then saw his susce jsful rival at the
store. Here an alteration ensued. which
would have had bloody termination had not
bvstanGers interfered and put an end to the
dlmculty- From that time until SATURDAY.
Ihey were as strangers TO each other. On that
day they both attended picnic, Roberts being
e
saw them together he seemed to be imbued
with the very spirit of insanity. Approaching
Them, he grossly insultsd Roberts IN the pres.
enee OF the whole assembly. The iQsulted
man sP!ang TO his feet, and started towards
MS insulter, evidently to resent the insult
when gentlemen present prevented Collision
ROBERTS and his fair companion, at the earnest
solicit alton OF the latter, immediately LETT the
ground and repaired to her home where she
fearing difficulty between the parties, en-.
aeavcied 10 persuade him to spend the night
An mat she Jailed. but succeeded in extracting
q promise from him that he would not return
10 the pic mic ground.
Reaching the village. and broodine over the
gross eutra e that had been put upon him, he
went 10 his loom and penned challenge to
hortal Combat, which he entrusted to friend
10 be delivered into the hands OF Wells. Thie
mission was accomplished that night. Nexs
morning friend Of the challenged party called
upon me friend OF Roberts to arrange the pre-.
nmlDaries. This was soon accomplished The
aTTan &c men. was that the fight was to come
on nc meadow, about one mile east of town.
al Daylight on Monday, the weapons to be
Colts revolyers.
At the appointed time principals and Sec
on were On the chosen ground. The princi-
pals were placed ten feet apart, with instruc-
tons to fire between the words some, and
HHnFee, /" and then advance, firing as they ad-
Nanced, such being the terms insisted upon by
Inc challensee and not rejected by the chalIen..
ger AT the word both parties fired, and 40 &C.
curaie was their aim that Wells fell dead,
plereed through the brain by his adversary's
Dali Roberts received his opponents bullet
IN tne centre OF the breast, passing through his
body and lodging under the skin lust to the
re- OF the spine. At the moment write he Is
not dead, though sinking so rapidly that the
s1hy slelaps say that he cannot possibly live
n Ore than an hour.
This terrible affair, it is needless to say, has
gwen our entire community a shock such as
hss never pervaded it before Both the yeung
men were highly respected, conspicuous. for
,heIr intelligence and social qualities. Wells
leaves widowed mother and two sisters to
Inn
berett, while the sad, sad fate is mourned bY
all who knew them.