Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1878-12-24
A TENNEssEE PO1sONER.
RemIniscence of Fatal Duel Near
NRshvllIe-The Bullet Coated
with ArsenIc-F1ight and
shocking Death of
the Villain.


May, 1885, that two well-dressed gen.
tlemen appeared in a small grove,
about two miles south of Nashville,
Tenn, and saluted each other with
freezing politeness. They were DR..
Bernardo, a young physician, and
Carlos Dupont, lawyer from Ne"
Orleans.
Phe night before they had had an
animated con veTsatiOn about a lacy III
a gambling den on Main street.,
The conversation finally resulted IN
a quarrel, during w0ich dupont hao
sn.fi i'm the face of DR. BernaIds.
The latter had promptly challenged
the LAWYER, and they were now at the
grove to fight out the duel with pis-
tolls till one or the other of them was
dead.
Their seconds and two surgeons
were with them. The seconds meas
ured off the distance-ten feet-and |
! then ordered
THE TWO ANTAGONISTS
| tn fire. Both fell wounded to the |
ground. DR.. Bernards had received |
wound in his right hip. He was not |
severely injured But Dupont had
been shot through the right lung. He
uttered fearful yells and shrieks, gasp
ing out again and again that some
lhlhS was O0A AAAS AANNASA0OAy IA
wound.
While DR.. Demands was helped into
a carriage waiting close by, Duponts
cries became more and more heart
rendering, and he expired a few min
utes afterward in the most intense
agony.
His surgeon found the bullet in the
back of the victim, and, without ex-
aiming it very closely, wrapped 1t up
in piece of white paper, and put it
into his pocket.
Then he and Duponts seconds
carried the corpse into another car
riage, which the surgeon, DR.. ingalls,,
alone drove back to Nashville.
Public opinion was at that time, In !
the Capital of Tennessee, rather favor
able to duelists, and no efforts were
made to bring DR.. Bernards aud the ;
seconds to justice.
After hiding for a week, all Of them ,
made their appearance again in public
with the utmost uncOncern. 9
Most of their acquaintance did not
shun their society at all, and not few
Of the more reckless young men of '
Nashville even made sort of hero of
DR.. Bernards. Only one person in the :
city, I
ALADY,
was filed with deadly hated against
him. 1t was Mrs. Caroline FincK, the Q
young widow of a Nashville mer-
chant. She was thirty-two years old, 1
but looked considerably younger.
Beautiful, accomplished, and pos
sessed of considerable means, she had
received many proposals of marriage.
Among her most assiduous suitors had :,
been Dr.. Bernards.
Three months prior to the above
narrated duel. the Doctor had called
upon Mrs. Finck and informed her
that James BOnyne a rich uncle of I
his, whose sole heir he was reputed to u
be, had beentaken seriously sick, and
was not expected 20 live. ]
" Mrs. FInck," added Dr. Bernards, Il
would you do me the favor to visit
ny uncle, and administer this pow y
Ter to him ? shall call upon him 9.
n the afternoon ?"
The handsome widow, who had
bout made up her mind to become 4
Dr.. Bernardo wife, readily consented, =
nd went to the house of the DOCTORS r
lex uncle. ri
An hour later she returned, a prey 81
o the utmost agitation. She dis -
PATCHED her servants in search of DR. | CO
Demands, who did not receive the as
Message before the setting in of dusk. OF
When he entered Mrs. Finck's ~
house she was pacing her sitting room to
lttering signs and sObs every now and 10 10
hen Upon catching sight of him IS
he flew into TO
A GREAT PASSION. A
"Villain :" sue exclaimed, al know a.
low what you are /"
What am I?' he demanded, with
Orced calmness.
"A murderOus scoundrel! A
nncla haG
old me everything. He said you had
vice attempted to murder him by
means of subtle pOisODs, in whose Y
you are an expert" r,
DIR. Bernards burst into laughter. Sd
My uncle,n he said, nike many nc
rabbed old men of means, labored I'M hi
er the ridiculous deIusiOn that
Wished TO accelerate his death. He T.,
ften told me So and always laughed ne
t his silly fears" o
II wifi not believe you" replied J.
Irs. FIDck. You gave me a pow> to
Ter. which your uncle refused to take. ser
Unfortunately, he threw il into the -
Lre.n
The physicians eyes twinkled in a
,eculiar manner.
by the way" he said, my uncle T
lied half az hour ago. The first med 4
cal men of Nashville shale dissect an
lis remains, and you Will be Informed re
y them that the old man was not ali ali
of
But the widow turned q deaf ear to tn
he said to her. Iv
II shall never marry you ~ Ghe ex- II
laimed. an
BEWARE OF CROSSING MY PATH on
AGAINn' de
He left her, saying to himself:
"She shall pay dearly for this.'
Mr.. BoDyne's remains were dis -
eo ed, 20 poison was found In them, L
md DR.. Bernards inherited his for K
une. Y,
Since that time Mrs. Finck lived in -
treat seclusion. Hence none of the VI
7ague rumOrs about her character, 81
which DR.. Bernards cautiously circu- q,
ated about her after their sudden rup. 1t
ure, reached her ears. a. a.
She became acquainted with Carlos Of
Dupont, and gladly accepted his Offer pc
O marry her. When DIR. Bernards "a
leard OF this he became greatly en- nc
aged, and the duel with Dupont and 70
he lalter's sudden death were the Il
ht
Mrs. Finck, from this time forward, b
,roOded constantly over the violent -