Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-04-22
BLOODY ISLAND.

Tie cdpltu Oh upper LOulSlalla. LII WAS |
only thriving village, with its store
houses and cottages scattered along the /
rocky bank of the Mississippi. But |
with the change of government came a
greater change new faces brought new
ideas. The trading Yankee and the
chivalrous Southern jostled the emigrant
from Great Britain and the continent.
Human life had always been held cheap
ly; but not before had the peculiar
doctrines of the code duello been reck-
oned supe Tor to the code Napoleon, then
the common law of the country. The
lawyers of st. Louis were the first to give
the go-by to the law. In 1917 Thomas
H. Benton and Charles Lucas were prac-
ticing attorneys in the Territorial Courts.
Lucas holding the Office of Attorney
General. In the trial of an ordinary case
sharp words and personalities were used
by both lawyers. Benton, always vim
dictive man, challenged Lucas but the
challege was declined, Lucas assuming
that he would not be held responsible for
words used in professional argument.
Benton, intent upon satisfaction, contin
led toinsrllt the General in such away that
soon after Lucas sent him a challenge,
which was promptly accepted. The
place of meeting agreed upon was an
island in the river just opposite st.
Louis. This island, afterward famous
for its duels, was long narrow strip of
land, densely covered for half its area
with young cottonwood trees. The
island had sprung into existence since
the days of the Spanish rule, and its
tenure of existence was yet dependent
upon the great river that had created
it. It was sort of neutral ground.
convenient of access, yet almost be-
yond the reach of the law and its Off
GERS.
The hostile parties just named met on
the island with their seconds, exchanged
shots, and Lucas was wounded III the
neck. The surgeons then interfered and
the duel ended. One would think that
after such an exchange of illegal argu-
ments the dignity OF the law would be
respected in future, but such was not the
case. A few weeks later the same par
ties met again in the same thicket of
cottonwoods, and this same Benton
killed Lucas The little narrow strip of
sand with its thickets of cottonwoods
had now become part and parcel OF the
history of those days. Not a pleasant
history to study, either too many tales
of bloodshed and crime too much of
lawlessness and rapine. And now that
long sand-bar became Bloody Island; a
most proper name for the scene of such
sanguinary deeds.
A few years lateranother affair of honor
came off beneath the shade of the cotton
wood saplings ON Bloody Island. In
1923 an article appeared in the Missouri
Republican rejecting upon the official
conduct of Gen. Rector, who was then
Surveyor General of Illinois and Mis-.
souri,. In the absence of Rector, his
his brother promptly demanded the
name of the writer from the editor.
Joshua Barton, brother of David Bar
ton, Judge of one of the Territorial
courts, was the writer named. Rector
challenged Barton the challenge was
accepted, and they met on Bloody Island.
Barton was killed at the very first fire.
But now comes the most sanginuary
chapter of this fearful record. 1t was
seven years later and st. Louis had be-
come city. Wealth had come with in
crease Of population. The great Terri
tory of Louisiana had been cut up into
smaller parcels, and one of these had be-
come the State of Missouri. Bloody
Island remained nearly the same. The
floods of midsummer deposited their
yearly contributions of sand and drift
wood, and the sand-bar of earlier days
had increased somewhat. 1t had a more
permanent look. The cottonwood sap
plings had become trees. Visitors in
search of a restorative for injured honor
would find abundant shade. There was
no fear of having the sun in their eyes
when practicing. human at targets. This
last duel was another case of satisfaction
by proxy. Nicholas Biddle was the
President of the United States Bank. !
His management of that institution was
sharply censured by his politicalenemies,
and Spencer Pettis, a prominent citi-
zen of st. Louis, was one of those
Maj. Thomas Biddle, a
brother of Nicholas Biddle, was a pay
masser in the army and then stationed
at st. Louis. He determined to punish
Pettis for his criticisms of his brothers
financial shortcomings. Going to the hotel I
where Pettis boarded, at a very early hour,
before any guest was awake, he learned /