The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-11-18

sumed the aggrieyed party was satisfied.
Capt. Heath asserting, the quarrel was
ended. I ma
In1627, William g. Graham, formerly
of Catskill, was an associate editor of
the New York Courier and Enquirer.
AT a friends house he quarreled with
Mr.. Barton, son of the naturalist, DR..
Barton, of Philadelphia. On Nov. %
they fought at the Weehawken grounds.
Lewis Asbury and VIM. MLeod were
the friends of the parties, and DIR. R.
Pennel was the surgeon.
The nightprevious, MI. Graham wrote
this letter to his associate, Maj. NJ. NJ.
Noah:
ELEVEN O'CLOCK.
DEAR SR: What may be the result Of the
unhappy renconter which is to take place in
the morning between Mr.. Barton and myself,
cannot of course be predicted by me. In the
superstition that it viii be fatal, I bid you fare
well in the only language that is now left to
me. / am perfectly Indifferent as to myself,
but 1 trust most earnestly tina Mr.. Barton may
escape. / admit that I am in the wrong-that
by giving him a blow / have forced him Into
the condition of a challenge, and by not doing
what he has he would have blasted his charac-
ter as a gentleman forever. In common Justice,
I am bound thus to absolve him from all sus-
picion Of unbecoming conduct respecting the
challenge. The provocation. though slight,
was still a provocation which / could not over
look. 1t is ont of the question for me to e1-
plain, retreat or apologize.
''Mr. Barton is q talking man who dwels very
complacently on his own skill as a marksman,
on his experience as a duelist, and on his accu-
racy as a person of ton. / pretend to none of
these, and therefore must oppose the most in
7 n.-;l11 ,4soa Afkar hn 70 rarfao&1,- cate
fed, l may, perhaps, apologize-that is, in case
I am fatally wounded. 1t is needless for me to
say 1 heartily despise and detest this absurd
mode of settling disputes and salviug the
wounds of honor. But what can a poor devil
do, except bow to the supremacy of custom
= God bless your .
On the fatal Monday morning, both
parties reached the ground before
o'clock. The first fire was without in,
jury to either. Then Graham's second
proposed that the principals should eacf
advance one step. They did so ant
fired. Graham exclaimed: 81 am shot
1 am a dead man. Barton, I forgiyt
you" On being taken down the rock
to the boat and laid in it, he said only
"I am in great PAIN" and in a few min
utes he was dead. The ball had passed
through his body. The surgeons Ger
tifcate of the cause of death stated mere
Iy that "Wm. G. Graham, aged 81, diet
on the 23d, of vuLnus." irfH
Between 1885 and 1889 several en-
counters took place, and Sept, %, 1916
witnessed the last on record, when, b,
the kindly care of the seconds, the pts
tolls were loaded with cork.
During all these long years the law
forbade the duel, but public sentimen
made the law of the pistol superior
Public sentiment has changed, butmen'
passions remain the same. And howeve
fatal was the quick decision of arms, j
may be questioned whether society ha
now provided a surer remedy for wrong
The process is only slower in its ruin
and it is one-sided. The poor gentleman
has no defense against the entrenched vul
garian in the bank parlor. The score
and hired stiletto stabs repute in soeis
life and in politics. Honor is but
feather, and greed stamps on it. TIL
eternal standard of Glove thy neighbo
as myself" can alone settle the balanc
of Justice. Z =
The scene of all these duels, and tn
+ sight of Hamilton's monument, was
narrow recess in the. cliffs. A late e,
animation shows that it was obliterate
/ by a branch road of the Erie railway
and that the spot was about 70 feet mort
| of the present northerly line of the Delf
t ware and Hudson Canal Company's doc
at Weehawken. -NeW York Stndd
Times.