The Leavenworth weekly times., 1875-12-30
MISSOURI MUDDLES.
Pistols ard Whisky for Two at Platte
City.
The Code Of Honor as Interpreted by
Hot Headed Youngsters.

Christmas was observed in a compars
lively quiet manner here, and, in fact, i
all of the towns OF the Missouri Vale,
with the exception Of our little neighboI
Platte City, seven miles from here. Ez
citement, intensified by means Of the flow Q
holiday liquor, was the order OF the day
and tie results were Numerous free fights,
fatal shooting atfray and a duel-almost-
between two of the young bIoods OF tina
lively little burg. The
MOST SERIOUS OCCURRENCE
of the day was a shooting match, in which
Green Fielding and Reuben Skillman, tw,
dusky descendants Of Ham, were the par
ticipants. Skillman is q farm laborer
quiet and peaceful usually, but it bein;
Christmas he departed from the even teno
of his way, and imbibed somewhat too free
" of the ardent. Fielding is a sort Of {
roustabout, good enough in his way, bu
apt TO be quarrelsome, and too fond OF &
row. The two men were together In q
crowd, drinking and carou -ng, when an al
tercation arose hetwee1 tn 1, which wa
brought to sudden term;n.. ion by Skill.
man pulling out laige-siz.i navy pistol
not much smaller than common noun
tain howitzer, and shooting Fielding in The
face, the bail striking him just below the
nose, passing entirely through aud lodging
in the back of the neck, making q ghastly
wound. The fact that he was in all proba-
bility q murderer sobered Skillman At once,
and he Immediately gave himself up.
Fielding's injury was examined by ply
sician, who pronounced it exceedingly dan
gerous.
OTHER ROWS AND FRACAsEs
Almost witout number occurred, the major
ity of them being, however, outside the cor
porate limits of the city, the officers of the
law keeping sharp lockout and quelling
every disturbance in the town as soon as
started. Whenever a dispute was we'll un-
der way and nought but blood could ap-
pease the insatiate fury OF the drunken
mob, an adjournment was made across the
river, a ring was formed and the combat
ants pummeled each other to their hearts
content Several were so badly mauled as
to render recognition, even by the most
loving mother-in-law, moral and philo-
sophical imp ossibility. Several souvenirs
of Christmas, in the shape Of black eyes,
and broken heads and noses, will long re-
main with the recipients, painful memen-
toes of holiday revels.
ALMOST DUEL.
At dance, Saturday night, two of the
young bloods. first families, etc, James
Baldwin and John Hornbuckle, quarrelled
in relation to their respective positions up
on the floor of the hall, and the result was
that challenge to mortal combat was Civ
en- and accepted then and there. All the
arrangements were made, seconds appoint
ed, ground selected and everything prepal
ed for the accommodation of the two gen.
tlemen who were upon the point of she'd
ding each others blood to satisfy the de-
mands of the chivalrous code. But =
change came over the spirit of the bloody
dream, and the aspect Of things was chang
ed materially by the entrance of the bur-
ly officers of the law who at once put stop
TO the proceedings and sent the youngsters
home. Both, however, are pure grit, and
swear their honor must and shall be salts
fed, and that blood must flow when again
they meet.