The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-25
THE DUEL NEAR MOBILE.
mobile Register. 24th inst.l

THE DUEL NEAR MOBILE.
Mobile Register, oath inst.1
The shock to the community yesterday, OF
hearing the news of the fatal duel at or nea
Grand Bay Station, was 80 great and so sud
den that we refrained from comment in tn
evening edition, until we could give state
ment Of facts. These we reproduce below
without comment, for reasons obvious at thi
time. The duel took place yesterday morn
ing at II As, on the State line, the weapons
used being dueling pistols, and the distance
being fifteen PAGES. The toss for position
was won by Capt P. U. Murphy, for Col
Lay; the word by Col ]. NJ. Williams, for Mr.
Tardy. At the first fire Mr.. Tardy fell. sho
through the right side, on q line with the
heart, and died almost instantly. The origin
and details of this unhappy affair explain
themselves sufficiently in the following
CORRESPONDENCE:
| MOBILE, Dec. 81, 1874.
Mr.. B. D. Lay:
Sr-Your attempt to strike me this morn
ing demands such an apology or other salts.
\ faction as is usual among gentlemen.
This will be handed to you by my friend,
Col. James M. Williams, who will receive
any communication you may desire to make.
Your obedient servant, A. H. TAnDY.
delivered December 81, 1886 P. MI
MOBILE, Ala, Dec. 81, 1873,
O'Clock P. NJ.
Mr.. A. II. Tardy:
Sir-Your note of this date, at 1886 P. NJ,
by Col. j. M. Williams, is before me.
You state therein that Your attempt to
strike me this morning demands an apology, -
etc.
can only say, sir, my attempt" as you
are pleased to term it, was made upon what l
conceive to be most excellent reason, namely,
I had reason to believe, and do now believe,
that you were the author of the anonymous
communication published in the December
number of the "Spectator," and signed "Gulf
City" which article, l assure you, has caused
me great grief and chagrin, and which be-
lieve fully merited the punishment inflicted
upon you.
If this explanation should not prove salts
factory to you, then refer you to my friend,
Capt. P. U. Murphy, who will arrange with
your friend any further preliminaries which
you may DESIRE I am, sir, respectfully. your
obedien4servant, Benz. D. LAY.
Delivered BY Capt Murphy to Col. Will
MOBILE, Dec. %, 9:15 A. M.
Cdptain-Mr. A. H. Tardy has placed in my
hands communication from Col. Benz. u.
Lay, dated Dec. 81, S P. NJ, and received
luIouBu you.
observe with regret that, instead of ten
dering the frank apology exacted. it is devoted
to q justification of the assault which has
brought on this correspondence. Permit me
to call your attention to the fact that q per-
sonal indignity cannot be justified among
gentlemen.
The excellent reason for giving blow would
necessarily be an excellent reason, upon the
part of the gentleman assaulted, to receive it
without resentment.
So long, therefore, as the affront remains,
we cannot enter upon discussion of the mat
tiers urged by Col Lay, in explanation of the
assault.
Respectfully, your obd't serv't,
JAMES NJ. WILLIAMS
Capt. P. q. Murphy.
MOBILE, Ala, December %, 1874.
Col j. M. Williams:
Sr-The terms of meeting are as follows:
Grand Bay station tomorrow morning, 23d
inst, after the arrival of the train at that
point. Weapons, dueling pistols, the dis
lance to be determined on after our arrival.
Most respectfully, P. U. MURPHY.
agree to the above.
JAMES M. WILLIAMS.