The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-27
STORIES OF THE CODE.
nstEIs WITH WOMEN IN THE CASE
THEIR INFREaUENCy IN TINE
SOUTH.
The Isgare Dun0rant nuel In south
Carsliaa-=A 4aadrilaterai Duel In
spain=A Complicated Quarrel.

tphiladelphia Thtnes.l
ATLANTA, Ga. Jan. to.-It is notable
fact that very few Of the duels fought In
the South have hinged upon women as
their cause. Considering the especial
gRllantry on which the Southerner
brides himself, and remembering the
fieree contention that the softer sex has
always aroused, even from the time
when Helen. with lips fashioned for
kissing, sounded wars rude alarm for q
world, this statement needs egplana-
ton. It In to be found mainly In the
promptness with which the Southerner
always resents an imputation
against 9 woman's honor OF an In.
naming characteristic of that spirit Of
chivalry. now happily or uphappily fad
ing away, ID the tenderness with which
q woman's name and character ID han
died throughout oil circles Of society In
the South. Under only the most re-
spectful conditions Ia she discussed In
public, and scarcely ever is her name
even mentioned In promiseuous
crowds. The general sentiment DEGREES
that any insinaation directed toward q
woman'a motives or procedure must be
satisfied by personal demand. TO
litigate over the honor of wife would
be- TO court contempt. and the man who
begins o crusade against the virtue of
the humblest woman knows perfectly
well that q shotgun, sooner than Jury,
awaits him at the contamination Of his
purpose. It 10 the certainty Of punish
ment. direct and deadly, that protects
the Southern woman from the hands OF
the ltoenttous or the tongue of the SLAM
derous. Where two, gentlemen have u
difference, at the bottom Of which there
Ia @ feminine provocation. they manage
in most cases TO direct the public from
the true issue. The pattern for this is
act In Camille" where the lover and
the libertine by common consent shuttle
a pack OF gamblers cards in the face OF
the audience that they may hide the
form Of the half-divine coquette that
has moved them to anger: masking
themselves even with blaclguardism
that they may hide the woman that
looks out from their eyes. That Mars
often goes a.faeld at the behoof of
Venus, cannot be doubted but he does
not carry her free upon his shield nor
sound her wrongs as q shibboleth.
coon EILttSa.
Once in awhile there are duels fought
in which u lady Ia II purely incidental
cause. Such q duel took place in South
Carolina, in the year Il s53, between
Messrs. j ohm Dunorant and j. d. Le-
care. These gentlemen were, the story
runs, devoted and intimate friends. IT
appears that Legare Was quite attentive
to q young lady Of great beauty and
worth In the upper part ct the State.
had met the lady, went to the village
where che, lived for tho purpose Of get
ting some good shooting. They were.
of course. frequent visitors at her
fathers house. One day Lefgare imag-
ined that he detected sudden GOODNESS
on the part Of the young lady and her
family toward himself. in questioning
his friendHas to the probable cause OF 1t.
he asked him IL he had ever made any
lily. Dunarant replied that he had said
nothing OF consequence that on one
occasion he had been asked II Legare
ever drank, and had answered that he
sometimes did. .Legare at once at
ttributed the change, real or supposed,
in the behavior OF the lady to this state
ment or admission on the part OF his
friend. A prolonged discussion. ensued
between them. the particulars Of which
cannot be reliably stated. 1t is gener-
ally believed that Dunorant was dis
was very much angered. The issue be-
tween them was dnally narrowed down
TO a'aemand on the part Of Legare that
Dunerant put in writing precisely what
he had said to the father Of the lady.
Dunorant declined to do this. He con-
tended that the demand was an implied
insult. Legare persisted, snd upon DU-
norants remaining firm, sent him q
challenge. Dunorant promptly &C.
cepted 1t. and the details Of a meeting
were arranged. Dunorant was a very
poor shot with the pistol. &c is said
that on the evening before the duel he
went out to practice. and could literally
not hit barn door. Legare was CAPT.
tai shot. From the very first, however,
Dunorant commended that he would kill
him at the first fire. He never modified
his assertion. but said all the time: ST
will kill him when I draw the trigger
When the men were on the ground a
curious thing occurred, as I am In
formed. When the second who was to
give the word. called, Are you ready,
gentlemen r. DunoTant responded III 81