The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-12
Whnt is said In delaware.


DOVER, Del, Jan. u.-At one time both
Bennett and May may have intended to pght.
but 1t il almost certain they did no hsh.. Your
correspondent spent all of yesterday IN and
about the supposed Geld Of honor. ana talked
with every person .iksly to have any knowledge
Of the affair. have reiisiously interviewed the
drivers OF the vehicles IN which the parties re-
turned after the supposed encounter. l have
gone over tue neld in company with a farmer.
McGinnis. who stood within one hundred
yards OF the scene Of actin. and / record
1t as my delioeiais ....ugment that no duel took
pace. ;. shots were exchanged II was with
blank cartridges. have no doubt the whole
AFFAIR was arrsnged before the party reached
the ground, aud that the visit to this out OF the
way place was merely for the purpose of cree
atins the impression that there had teen a
nght. when In re iity the parties were friends.
This Is the opinion OF every gentleman from
this locality who has visited the place and
listened to tue various accounts given Of the
hair,
" hen the duellists and their friends reached
Slaughter, station on the Maryland and Della
ware Railroad, ABOUT three MI anove Marydel,
one Of them left he train. md at once made ar
rangements u convey himself and two others
to Dover. " hen the Train reached NArydcl, all
the gentlemen gathered on the platform, where
they remained until the train had passed out Of
sight. Then. taking the rOadbed, tney all. say Q
one, who remained at the depot to arr nge for a
carriage TO Clayton, proceeded down the track
about u mile. They then left the road anu hur-
RED 10 the left. lhey had In their hands b
gage, dress and pistol cases. As they left he
tracK the attention of Mr.. McGinnis wa, attr.ct-
ed by the unusu 81 sight Of a party Of men cross
ing field with baggage. Ho therefore left his
house and walked down to the track. BY tins
time the party mad passed the high nil and gone
down into what Is mere called savAnnd-a
piece OF open iowland between nils. On one OF
these hills gentleman stood, evidently on the
watch. McGinnis says the party tarrled in the
glade for about an hour, aud that during that
tiue no pistol shots were 1red. He says he
b. ard the report OF gun in the f4r distance.
but mat II pistol had been cred In he glade he
would have neard II. lie was standing within
one hundred yards Of the place, and no report
reached him.
The party returned In a body TO the station
where they divided one portion, four la num-
ber. going to Clayton, and thence by speci i
train 10 philadelpnia. This was Bennett and his
friends. The other three drove TO Dover, put
up at the hotel, and lett next morning for New
York. Nav was not wounded In the slightest
nor was Bennett, and n the truth Is ever known
It will be found that no hostile shots were evei
exchanged.
II Is believed that the overtures came from
Bennett, as he more than once appealed to his
friends TO know II they blamed him for the
overtures he had made.
During the whole of the proceedings no feel
ing was exhibited, the gentlemen frequently
converting and drinking together. ono re-
m .rked, we are having hell OF time aud set
ting Delaware on tre.
Every one hero treats the whole matter as
farce.