Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-08-30
DUEL TO THE DEATH.
Account Of a Terrible Duel at Medi.
cine Lodge, Indian Territory.

A correspondent of the New Yorl
, World writes the following account o
fearful duel which took place at Med
: ieine Logde, Indian Territory, on tn,
4th ult. The parties were Hugh An
: derson, noted Texas desperate, and
|, Kansas man named McCluskey, who's,
brother had been previously killed b,
the Texan. The correspondent says:
BY the terms agreed upon between
Richards and Harding, the seconds
the antagonists were to fight with re
yolyers and Bowie -knives-tO bt
placed back to back at an interval Of
twenty paces-to wheel and fire at 8
given signal, and after the first inter
change of shots to conduct the 6gh!
as each should deem it best to his ad-
vantage.
/ McCluskey, as he emerged from the
house where he had made his brief stay,
looking the picture of manly strength
and vigor. A tight fitting buckskin shirt
and leggings, tastefully embroidered,
set off his robust form to great advan-
tage, and it was apparent to ali that,
In the event of close encounter, he
would prove a terrible antagonist to
his rival. His revolver, of Colts
make, he carried in his right hand,
while his Bowie, encased in a sheath
of untanned deerskin, rested on his
left hip, within easy reach. Accom-
panied by Richards, who had simply
thrown off his coat, and placed an ex-
ira revolver in his belt, he proceeded
quickly to the place of meeting, reply
ing briefly to the rough salutations
addressed him by the crowd, but re-
pelling courteously the advance of
few of the more curious who wished
to learn from his own lips the history
of the present trouble. The spot Sc
leeted for the encounter was in the
open prairie few yards distance from
the larger of the two store-houses.-
The grass had been closely cropped by
the cattle, leaving the turffrm, yetelas-
tic, and just the thing for rough-and-
tumble business. His antagonist not
having yet made his appearance, Me-
Cluskey seated himself on the grass and
conversed earnestly with his second.
While engaged in taking notes of
what was passing in the crowd, a cry
of Here comes Anderson with the
old man, caused every one to turn in
the direction of Harding's house
Anderson nerved probably, by the
knowledge of his great skill with the
pistol, walked along with a jaunty,
careless kind of air that gained him
many friends among the lockers on,
and made him a still greater favorite
in the betting. He wore his usual
dress, save that broad belt, in which
was stuck knife, confined his coat at
the waist, and he had changed his light
sembrero for a military fatigue cap.
He passed by close to where |
| was standing, and our eyes again |
met Save that the look on his face
hardened little, and he contracted
his face to a visible scowl, there was
nothing to indicate the presence of
any unusual mental excitement, not |
even when to take the position assign
ed him he had to pass within an arms |
length of McCluskey.
But little time was wasted IN pre-
liminariesAThe twenty PAGES were
quickly stepped off and the principals
placed In their respective positions.
The sun had long since set, and the
dark pail Of evening was rapidly set
tling on the spot, so that neither could |
be annoyed by the rays of the sun, nor
could either side complain of holding
an inferior position. The crowd drew
back to what was deemed a safe dis
tance, and the seconds, after a mo-
ment's consultation apart, advanced
to give the signal. The interest at
this moment in the proceedings was of |
an intense nature, and served to keep |
the lOokers-on in state of breathless
expectancy. Like statues the figures
of the two men vino were to fight a
poutrance ioomed up against the West
ern sky, each with the muzzle of his
weapon pointing to the earth, the in-
tention clearly being to catch "ris-
ing shot; this is, to fire, catching the
ann while the weapon is being raised.
In this wsy the practiced hand rarely
wastes his ammunition in the air by
shooting over his adversary's head, as
so often happens when the falling shot
is adopted.
The giving of the signal had fallen
by lot to Harding. Stating to the
principals, who by this time began to
show signs of impatienee, that this
would be the report of pistol, he
drew his own weapon and discharged
it, first asking the question and re-
ceiving the usual answer that both
were ready.
THE DUEL.
McCluskey was the first to fire,
wheeling as he did so, though the
smoke had scarcely curled up from his
pistol before the report of Andersons
weapon followed. A momentary pause
ensued, each of the antagonists closely
scanning the other to note the effect of
the shot. Across Anderson's check
deep furrow, from which the blood be-
gan to trickle down, told the work of
his antagonist, while McCluskey re-
mained standing in his original POS
ture, to all appearances unharmed.-
But this was not the fact. Those
nearest to him fancied they saw sud-
men spasm, as of pain, pass, through
his frame, and his face certainly
blanched to a death-like pallOr; but
Just where the ball had taken effect
they could not tell. At the second fire
anticipated his opponent,
and taking q more deliberate aim, sue
ceeded in breaking his left arm. An
derson uttered sharp cry and sunk
on one knee, but quickly recovering
returned the fire, and this
time with horrible effect. The ball,
passing through McCluskey's mouth,
carried with it several of the clenched
teeth and a portion Of the tongue,
finally lodging in the base of the skull.
staggered forward wildly
a few steps, and made desperate efforts
to steady himself. The blood poured
in torrents from the wound, and stain
ed his hunting shirt and dripped from
the muzzle of his pistol but with
heroic courage he continued to ad-
vOnce, splitting out mOuthsful of blood
and teeth at every step.
During the interval thus gained An
dersOn, who, in his crippled state, had
every reason to shun a hand hand
had not been idle, but fired
another well aimed shot, which broke
McClaskeY's left shoulder. As if this
was not enough, he sent still another
ball after him, which, striking him in
the pit of the stomach caused him to
fall forward on his face. McCluskey
was now mortally wounded, and mo-
growing weaker from loss of
blood. Tearing open his shirt in his
aonnv- q crimson snot In his Left side