The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-01-19
A San Francisco "Reminiscences.
Washington Sunday HsraId.l

Washington Sunday Hsrald.l
Late one evening in the Fall Of 1850
the writer left his Office on Leidesdorff
street on his way to the Antelope, a
long iron ship, which had been seized
for violation of customs laws. and sub
sequentiy converted into a floating
boarding house at the foot of Clark :
Point. The night was stormy. and 20
stopped at the Verandah. q large
brick hotel and ballroom at the corner
Of the Plaza and Kesrny street, to get
what is generally known ~ hot toddy.
There was but one visitor 1t the bar-a
small. spare man, not weighing over
10 pounds. He had . clean shaved
face, long sandy hair falling upou his
:. .ea = ..i,s = s.a.ls-
tied my glass l heard the street door
open. and simultaneously the exclama-
tion in q loud tone, Here is the infer
nal viilsin. "Go for him." Turning
quickly. saw Il group of three men, OF
whom recognized only one, Charley
Duane. powerfully built man, other
wise known as Dutch Charley" well
known to early Friscsns. Charley fig.
ured in no end Of shooting matches and
desperate encounters, but somehow or
other always msnaged to get off scot
free, or with fine or light imprisou-
ment. The fellows pluck WAS unques-
toned, and it was this trait probably
which gained for him certain amount
Of misplaced forbearance. Recognizing
the as an old inhabitant, Charley hailed
me with: "Get out Of the line Of fire,
Captain; We have nothing against you"
The small man at the bar. whom /
afterward found was known as Judge
Jones. Of Alabama, wheeled quick as
thought. Colt in hand, and both sides
fred together. Most of the balls lodged
either among the decanters snd glasses
or in the wall opposite; but presently l
saw Duane standing alone, his two CON.
rades having dropped, one OF them
stiff and the other evidently only wing
ed. The shooting now lay between
Jones and Duane. each of whom had
drawn his second revolver. In less than
two minutes from the commencement
Of the whole thing the ammunition on
both sides was expended, aud stepped
toward the combatants from the other
end of the room to endeavor to make
peace; bnt Charley sprang toward Jones
and bore him to the ground. The later
was. of course, but a fosther in the
grasp Of man like Duane; but he
struggled with all his might to free
himself, unavailingly, as may be in
ferred. The next thing saw, the big
man had the little one by his long hair.
and was beating him about the head
and face with his empty revolver, drag
ging him about the floor as terrier
would worry rat. Presently Duane,
seeing his opponent motionless. and
no doubt thinking he was dead,
left him and turned toward his CON-
panions, one alone Of whom survived,
though with ball through his cheek,
from which the blood flowed fast.
Gathering up the wounded man Duane
carried him out to a wagon im which il
seems the party had come to the Yer.
andah. and then returned for the dead
man. whom he likewise carried out. Sc
soon - heard the wagon 20 of. l
stopped over Jones. who lay motionless.
to Bee whether he were slive or dead.
The pulse Was almost imperceptible,
no doubt from the great loss of blood.
but the heart still beat. The barkeep.
er and myself had placed the wounded
man on . chair. aud were about pro-
ceeding to cleanse his head and face,
which were one mass of blood, when
the barkseper, eli 1t once jumping to
his place behind the bar, cried out:
Look out! l hear them coming again;
save YOURSELF" l Was determined not
to leave the stranger to be wholly mur.
dered. 80 picked him up in my arms
and rushed to = side door which knew
LED up stairs. for had frequently slept
in the house. The spring door closed
itself after me, and as it did 10 heard
the voice OF Duane in the barrOom:
Where is the numbering thief" &C.
companied with threats to the bar
keeper as the supposed friend of Jones.
Rushing up stairs - fast as could
with my burden. I reached the upper.
or fourth floor, where at the head OF
the stairs, stood the old housekeeper
with . candle in her hand. exclaimins
ss she recognized me. and divining
what had happened. quick sir; along
the passage; there 10 door to the
right" The passage was unlighted.
but reached the room indicated, laid
the wounded man ON the bed. closed
the door and piled up the table and
chairs against the inside of the door to
barricads it. thinking that the alarm
must have been given to the public by
that time and thas even if pursued
could hold on till succor arrived.
hsd hardly got through and planted
myself, revolver ia hand. to await the
aasanlt, before heard hurried foot
steps on the stairway, and Duans's
voice shouting: Where are they; cay
quick or I'll put ball through you"
OF course | knew there was not the
least use in parleying with such char
acters. 90. quietly feeling il the i've
chambers Of my Colt were properly
capped. I screwed my nerves mp b
the sticking point not 90 easy Tor
one shut up with dying man
in room barely ten feet square. from
which there wss no escape except BY
the window. some sixty feet from the
ground. A second after and I heard
scuiHing on the stairs. . shot fred. evil
dently up from below, and then the
sound Of several persons gropine thcir
way down to the basement Shortly
after footsteps approached the door Of