Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-01-19
A Duei Of Long Ago.

THE MAY-CoCHRANE MEETING IN vIR-
GINA IN 1874.
Tie May Bennett difficulty and reported
duel lave revived the recollection of a IA
tai meeting t%hlrty-two years ago between
Julian May, all uncle Of the former, and
Joseph Cochrane. L have obtained a his
tory Of the affair from an eyewitness.
There were three brothers living here
named Uochrane, remarkably handsome,
fine looking men. The youngest, Joe, who
was nineteen years of age, upbraided Ju-
liam May, aged twenty-five, for i'll treating
his oldest brother. Ihe language used by
yonng U3:hfaue produced u challenge, and
Tie parties met i'll Virginia, near the Chain
Bulge, on the morning OF February IS,
1914. Our inform mt was present at the
request of the eldest Mr.. Cochrane, and
rode a fine horse Of tie latter to the meets
ing. He reached the spot about sunrise.
The parties, their seconds and surgeons
We're on the ground. The managers seem
to have lad no experience Iii such matters,
so this gentleman had the cause of meeting
reduced to writing; he then got the chal-
lenge suspended in order to open the way
for an apology. Mays second was q Mr..
L Oie ~ hNPio" ~ hAO AtS VI u ~
Wayne, late Of the Supreme Court Coci>
rane's was d Mr.. Ash. MI. Pooler. my III
fornant says, would not listen to any pro-
position, nor does it appear that Mr.. Ash
WAS authorized TO offer any. The toss WAS
won b Pooler, who of course placed his
principal with back towards the rlslngsun.
My Informant noticed a tail rag weed'a
Jew yards Ill front Of and in line with
Cochrane, and called to Ash to cut it down u,
ASH replied that he would not. This gen
tlemau sad that he would Ash replied
that Pooier would lrave a right to shoot
him. The seconds consulted, aud decided
that the principals had taken position with
the weed standing, and it must remain,
though it did afford May aid in making a
line Shot. My informant then drew his
knife AID Pooler drew his pistol. He cut
it down, without the latter, however,
shooting. He then asked Ash if he was
going TO let Cochrane fight with his hat on.
Ash replied he thought it was best, as it
shaded lis eyes from the sun. The word
was given, and Cochrane fell with q bullet
in his bruin.
Just Their the cry Of constables was rails
ed. Julian May mounted q horse and fed,
never returning to this section Of tie coun-
try again. Cochrane was borne to a farm
house, where he died in a few hours, and
my informant, galloplng %furiously, carried
the sad news to his two brothers, who
were a%nXiously waiting the issue of the
meeting. The horse he rode died when he
had reached his masters door. The youth
OF the parties, the tragic end OF a hand
some, promising young man., the folly of
the meeting II the stupidity Of the secs
onds in permitting il, occasioned much an
imadversion. The grand jury investiga-
ted the case ; nothing came OF it by way
Ut prosecution, but there came near being
Il challenge from the foreman of the grand
jury to one OF the panel for words growing
out of the discussion OF Il presentment Of
all concerned.
The oily notice l find of the event in
the 'Madisonian" OF that date, John ~
ler'S organ, is:
A duel was fought this morning with IL
fles. between a young nan named Julian
May d son OF DR.. May Of this city. said
to be about twenty-five years old, and a
young man named Cochrane. also Of this
city, aged about twenty years, The latter
fell mortally wounded, it is said in the
head. The duel was fought at the Chain
Bridge IN Virginia, near Georgetown.
Another challenge, in which one of the
Mays was a principal, resulted in a meet
ing between the gallant Col. Charley May,
of the Dragons, and Philip Barton Key,
whom Dan Slckles killed. These gentle=
men met in Virginia, escaping the pursu-
ing sheriff OF Maryland, by crossing the
Potomac in boats. Older heads were the
second on this occasion, and the affair
Was amicably settled by a manly retraction
from Col. May, wfO Was as just and gener-
Gus as he was brave.