The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-03-14
AN AFFAIR OF HONAH.

Challenged Party Selects Base- hall hats
as the Weapons.
Hannibal (Sfo.) Cor. st. Louis Globe Democrat
The great excitement that has pre-
vailed in Hannibal and vicinity for the
past ten days over rumored duel be-
tween two editors eliminated this after
noon, and this elimination was attend
ed with circumstances that will add a
fresh page to the annals OF dueling.
The principals were Elliot @. Bennett,
proprietor and editor of the Hanniba.
Courier, and formerly private detec-
tive in st. Louis, and James Hayward,
one of the proprietors and chief editor
of the Clipper Herald. Some ten days
ago the two papers got into contro-
versy over the county printing. The
Courier charged that the Clipper Her.
aid had put in secret bid to the
County Court in which false charges
had been made as to the ownership of
the Courier. The following day the
Clipper Herald came out with very
bitter article of personal nature, charg-
ing that Bennett, while private detective
in st. Louis, had been guilty of dis
reputable practices. The article wound
up as follows: "And we now desire
him to understand that for these utter
ances each and every member of the
Clipper Herald Company holds him
self personally responsible"
Bennett demanded the authors name,
and was answered that the five editors
of the Clipper Herald were personally
responsible in the broadcast sense of the
word. Then, in the course of the let
ters, Hayward announced himself the
responsible party, and Bennett demand
ed of him full retraction, or the honor
due from one gentleman to another.
The contestants selected friends. Ben
nett nominated Geo. M. Harrison, a
brilliant and plucky young lawyer, and
DIR. j. Chamberlain, an old and honored
physician. Hayward then named two
of his partners, w. III. Russell and f.
B. McElroy, both young men. BY
agreement these four gentlemen met on
Wednesday last, on Sucker soil, oppo-
site Hannibal. Bennett was also on
hand prepared to fight it out, but Hay
ward, at the advice of friends, did not
appear. 1t was then arranged for an
other meeting of the friends at the same
place on the following day, to select
time, place and weapons 1t was de-
cided that the two editors have hostile
meeting.
Bennett and DR.. Chamberlain quiet
ly drove out to the selected pasture,
followed by Mr.. Harrison and DIR. w.
B. Foster, with a case of instruments.
They arrived at the fighting grounds at
3 o'clock. Some thirty minutes later
Hayward and his seconds, with DR..
Hays and his case of instruments, drove
up in a close carriage followed by Wal
ter Bircher and Horace B. Steele, also
OF the Clipper Herald firm. The sec
onds quickly repaired to level strip of
ground, and removed all rubbish cal
culated to interfere with the fight.
Then Hayward's seconds produced the
weapons, wrapped up in an old map.
Benefits friends supposed them to be
Winchester repeating rifles, but when
the old map was unrolled, 10! and be-
hold lot of baseball clubs rolled out.
"There are the weapons" said Mr.. Rus
sell; Select your club" There followed
considerable angry discussion, Ben
nett's seconds declaring that the clubs
were not proper instruments for COM
bat, and declaring that their principal
should not fight with them. Harrison
pronounced it cowardly trick, and de-
manded square fight, not farce.
Russell as stoutly maintained that base
ball clubs were deadly weapons, and he
didn't care whether named in the code
or not, it must be fight with clubs or
no fight at all. Harrison angrily de-
manded pistols, denouncing the Hay
ward crowd as boys, without any desire
to fight. Bennett proposed to his sec
onds to fight it out with the clubs, but
they refused to consent.
Then consultation was had, and one
of Benefits seconds announced his de-
sire to fight Hayward or any of his
friends then and there with pistols, but
the proposition was refused point blank.
They would not fight with pistols or
guns-only with clubs. Then the sur
geons packed up their knives and saws,
and the parties left the field, the Ben
nett crowd first and in deep disgust. An
hour later Bennett and Hayward met in
front of the .postoffice. Bennett called
Hayward a cowardly dog, one that
wouldn't fight anybody in any way, and
he followed the words with blow in
the face. Then the two spared for a
few minutes without material damage,
when a policeman separated them,
marching them off to the Police Court,
where they were released on their own
recognizances to appear for trial.