The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-12-26
A DUEL AT A DANCE.
Story Of u Love Affair which Tor
minated III Il Tragedy
Tho Crime of n Maddened Victim OF
Jealousy A Country Dance in
Texas Kudely Hrol,en lii.

sas sh hfHts ttNtiiilN. WhH nflhIINt n ttl''lilIn
from Whco lexae. giving briefly tho account
OF remarknhle duel al u country dance ncnr
thRt Town on tho evening hntoIe. A young
FELLOW named Wood au thn ,rpntt mid haa
invited Miss Gtarn Ntantimld H. dance Which
ahn declined III III, wood became angry. an,
demanded that the dance ,rnae, and follow
ling one VIII Gnrtle into d back room, pro
voked II light. thrHn knocked him down
with pair Of tougn Tho two mon nitor-
ward mot outaiIa ana fought n duel with plr-
tolls, u duTnn nhnta being exchanged tflutir
waa wounded Ill the hanh II hytiardrr III tha
lev and George Wood wna phd iii tna thiuh
Bud Wood then went ~ where Mlap StaulIrIl
wan engaged IN conversation with Alurt
Chock and nado two attempts tu uhoot hrI
llo then Ruld Ia Check ~ eu Aroa friend OF
Iurrie. and ahnt him ,iond. aud going NJ Ia
Nurrio, knocked him r"nRoiMa with his lls.
FOL. Wood Then nacurch
Tho commercial Traveller ~ II wrll known
New York huusa happened III liz pr.aout III
this gathering AMI gvcH Hn account NJ hts
experiences. "YnH. | was thnfn liz nnid "a
reporter for Tho San. "and | ahalI not annn
forget IL either Tho life al a drummer lnada
him pretty much every where. You know |
was travelling np tho NluEra on hHHItrna FOR
our firm. AMI had reached Waco Aitcr dny
on 40 WAa rahdN ~ return toward ihn gnlf.
but could MI grt away MrIti thr nest niorn.
inR. On asking u -iltrndR advice how one
could spend u pleasant ryNuiltR. tn told mo
could find all The apurt wanted hy going "a
country danen TINT waa 70 como oil not tar
from the elty, and agreed t. accompany me-
Curiosity induced mo to go. llt no ouch within
will ever take mo 10 another COUNT dance In
TeSaa
ION Tho evening W December ny friend
And dfHNe ait \ taW mtira tn II buggy nmi
arrived nj the place nltrt tiaitN. what ii
locked like or what Ma ruriountinHa wctN
couldn't make out Very wei. eau onty tcil
you TINT neither stlurk me ma very prutnn-
tiouH. We drove ny and diHmauntod, my
friend looking after the hoiar Whtlo went
inAide. Nntn the nttor point fat tt h ~ tln
circumstance III hin puttinE thF hutt4o away
that YOU owe thl NARRATIVES
when my friend returned wv pa f.sd. MINI MN
intercoariun, through thn harh pali NJ ttrN
huuae into The little front l altot Witch
served na u hall room. NJ y companion arciurd
TO know every ono In tho room. Hul an
watched ha evea IN theft tuurot inspection
naw him nuadenly hlanrh and start. IA thnul ii
the augEcatipn Of rrtrntinR had atii, him
By questioning him lcaruri that tnr pitmri
pal particn In the room wNta two para uf
brothers Rua AMI GrarA" Wood ana WtlIand
jim Gurrr who were exceedingly inmtCl
toward each other
Were the two Currlra any rotation to tho
ono who killed the actor. roltet and WOUNDED
Barrymore
II think my companion sttd thny wore hut
not being particularly utrrr"tei HI that max
edy II has escaped mN mnnnrA. FnN trou-
hle between thSao hrnthril arose lrolu thr
fact that ono II eAch " tham hnd taken "
fancy ~ Miaa Grace Stanei VIII tmrrin
took Miss Stahtteld "a the ball nud linz his
brother. was There To back tn, family ram.
Bud Wood had learned that Mise Grace wn},
TO he nj the ball. and. taking ht$ brother
George along. there ~ Try his powers ~
rcrauaaio II In winning hrr AWAY from hi4
rival, Not IL hn aplrAtad. however. in thn
event III these powers failtnA ha hal rciu
forced himself with various implements
which, " not SO pleasing. were quite ia poe
suaeivo. 80 You 400 that the certainty Of n
row during the evening could Re enatly tore-
seem
And stlIl you llnEorcd%
"Weli, | thought 81 RWttuE ont, and Hpo>r
IL my companion about II. tut oNrn whio IL
was reasaurtns me the ruw began Eud Wand
had asked Misc StAnIirla ~ danvn with him
and she had refused. III vpeR that ai II
the room could distinctly hear he charged
that her refusal was iustiKated by VIII Cur
RE and awove that If she did not dance with
him there should hn no more dancing thor,
that night. Cnrro approaches! Wood. and
MlAs Stanind went 10 tho atia Nt a trtcn ! III
another part OF the room | sstW that III" dr
cisiva moment had Gomez ani. pulling NM
companion With nr. retrNatcd ~ ~" hRrl
ruom through which W. hal just cntCrod.
Luckily, we were still close Ia tho door. II,
wac IA willing to go as l. You may believe.
"Rut quick IA We had been. CurriN anC
Wood were at our hCols. / have lAuGhCt
sinCc-hut | PROMISE you didn't then ~ IA,
pHf8lAlhl0h Will WHICH lllAI tfttliHl Hkii', ~
all its phases, pursued ma | could not Enl
away from III. though ~ dn ~ WAS my only
thought or care.
"At the door VIII Currlr aud Kud Wood hAr
u fierce struggle, Both were atr Hg men, 'tuC
apparently evenly matched. The brothers, ~
did all tho others. sromed willing To rNalilt
spectators Of tho battle IA long as only TIVE
were engaged. The rartl, eager. powerful
movements OF tho two men. wthanknr rnus"t
III desperation ny intarChan4ina blows
chained me fer Il moment ta the spnt. MY ~
sire Ia run was absorbed ny tRis contest
Presently Currtes foot struck anatr OF tonga
and they Joined In Tn" ruapns With an angry
Jingle. Currie quickly grabbed them iron
the floor, jumped backward for room, whirlet
them swiftly once through the air. ant
brought them down on Woods hChd any
shoulders with stunning effect Wood dropped
like u bullock.
.The crowd now made noisy rush fit tht
fallen man. and Currie backed toward tht
outside door. This broke he SPOIL III which
had been wrapt, aud dntermtnei To max
nv escape before should he mora eneetuailN
raped Turning t. look for my companion
Idiseovered that he had left the room. ~,
has gone for the horse and buggy, anu VII
drive up Ill frunt, said ~ nNsaU. lMnM
iiatelS started round thN mousse. thlnkltlA
how lucky Ill WIS that hai eaaaa with Suct
a thoughtful friend. ND one thern. Harry
ing back To the rear door, tried 70 GIT int'
the housa asaiu. He must h3 III ne room
overlooked him. All WAS confusion there
The door WAS jammed by strugEinA
crowd. One could have swan III NtaEir
Falls A. easily n Ent ~ TINT dah r areSnstr,t
Il very busy man on the outskirts oi lht
crowd. ana asked him III ha hli ~rNn ms
friend come out Ii wa tho landlord was
speaking IT, H. knew my campannr
what, he IN the Waco buggy elii he On
he left some time a4go-weut unier Whip ans
lash as though the d i was after him.
II never was knocked 81 completely III
heap In my life. tackled The landlord agar
and told him he must b. mistaken. He point
I'M to thu wagon she'd amt taIi ma to look a.
myself | ran out u tha shst, and. tndtni
nothing. ran back again. Just ~ | pasSe
the surgng crowd ~ the tack door, bu
Mood hroke through ana rushed ont, waving
a pistol in each hand, frantic with rage, i
search of the man who had knocked hin
down with the tongs. IL sta:te! Tor ~
AM out III there Thought !. Fart " tn
crowd followed him. and others strung alnn
In the wake. making line between nv M
sitiun ami the she'd tor a Mahehi ! w
snrr,- III tbat INIT iii another was glad: fO