Middletown transcript., 1873-12-06
HOW I ESCAPED BEING KILLED
IN A DUEL.
NJ MARX TWAIN.

The only merit claim for the following
narrative 10 that it is = true story. 1t has
. moral u the end Of il, bat l slain moth
isg 90 that % il is merely thrown in to
surry favor With tho religious element.
Ahsr I had reported couple Of years
% the Virginia City (NevadD Daily En-
ssrpriss they promoted me to be editor in
shisf--and lasted jus. week by.a watch.
Bat I made an uucommonly lively news
paper, while I did last. aud when retired
/ had . duel on my hands and three
hsrss whipPinss promised me. The latter
/ made no attempt to collect, however.
this history concerns only the former. |,
was tho old flush times Of the silver ex-
sissmeut, when the population was won
dsrfully wild and mixed; everybody wen,
asnsd TO tho teeth. and oil sligb.s and in
salts had 10 be atoued for with the best ar
tisls Of blood your system could furnish.
II the oosrse Of my editing | made trou.
Bic with Mr.. Lord. editor Of the rival pa
per. He few up about some little trihe or
ether that l said about do not remem-
bsr Whist II was. | suppose called him
. thief, or body sna.chcr. or an idiot, or
Something like that. l was obliged to
10 make the paper readable. and | could
net fail iu my duty to a whole community
q Subscribers merely to save the cxnggsr-
aasd ssEsitivsness Of m individual. Mr.
Lssi wss offended, and replied vigorously
ID bis paper. Vigorously means a great
dsal vhss il refers to personal editorial
il frontier newspaper. Duslliug was all
the fashion smosg the upper classes in that
eoustry, and very few gen ntlemen would
throw away an opportunity Of fighting one.
70 kill person in duel caused a man
- b. even more looked up to than to kill
tve men in the ordinary way. Well, out
there II yoa abused man. and that man
did not like IL. you had to call him ou.
and kill him otherwise you would be dis
gsassd. So challenged Mr.. Lord, and |
dA hsps he would not accept; but knew
psrSsssly we'll that he did rot want to 6gh,
and 90 challenged him in the most vio-
lsst and implacable manner. And then |
sat down aud suffered and suffered till the
answer eame. All our boys-,he editors
were iu our Office. helping mo in the
disusl business. and telling about ducls,
asd discussing the csde with lot Of aged
ssasss Who had experience 10 such things
al sltossthsr there was loving iuterss,
tahsa 10 the nsttsr. which made me ua.
spsatsbly uncomfortable. The answer
saos-Mr. Lord declined. Our boys were
fsrious. aud 20 Was Ion the surface
! ssat hin another challenge. and anoths,
aod aaother; and the moro be did not wanl
y 1shs, The blsodthirssicr became. Bu
q last the mans tone changed. He mp
psasea 10 b. waking up. II was becoming
appsssnt that he vas going to 6ght me
aess ~. ought to have knswn how 4
uea1 bs-hs Vas man who never coult
- 1spssdsd upon. Our boys wero exul
-. vss not. though tried TO BE-.
y - aov time TO 20 out and practice
y ~ ~ ssstse hess 70 asht dusls viii
nssy six-shoossrs q ANsen pacss-loa,
- n1ey IN ~ oams for the fansrs
- sssssea. We vent tss little raviu,
- e1k6lde y sows. aid bsstovsa ! ban
~ - ! tasost- -bsrrsust \ u esssls
- ~ - atssst- --ssd - ses5d III
lee416es y. - sessas sassll - -
e1r1<1ez z,entD u n - ttoI1t ~
I = ~ ~ = 6tn (Dsts