The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-31

o.
''"I Rnss ua,tles to have choice Of surgeons.
.sTo s.ect at place agreed upon between
30 no., nc narties. and 10 be fought between
Tho hcsrs OF 8 and O'Clock on the evening
of Morday, June 20, A. u. 1851.
q Osnyersaiion between principals not NJ
lowed. a,,,, a.v NJ
u,Ir 1se0. ID. A. CAMERON,
o'''' WV "E. e. DoNyELLAS."
Accompany this agreement was
DIAGRAM OF THE FIELD
of battle, showing the exact spots w9ere
principals, surgeons, seconds, ana 'moo'
| bulance were to be stationed. Lees Hns
llish friend assured him that this was NC
lcsrding to the code.
The place decided upon for the meeting:
was the prairie near the western UNITS oi
The CITY. between Van Buren, and Harrison
streets. Tbither their hacks repaired Mon.
day evening, arriving on the scene ABOUT
| hajf.past 8 o'clock, Just at the time races
lcouId not be distinguished distinctly, Dn'
before the darkness OF night had fairly set
| in. Lee was In the last carriage, and imme-
diateIy on bis arrival Luddington's second
lcame brusquely up to him and Informed
him that he need entertain no hope OF
lL,oodless settlement that his principal had
determined to accept no apology, IL one
should be offered, and that the duel must
come of. A sob from the carriage contain
ing d" Miss Luddngton" eorroborsted the
discouraging intelligence. There. in the
presence Of his lady-love, he could do no.
thing but face the music. He accordingly
took his position as soon as the ground was
measured off, took pistol that was handed
him, and, at the drop OF the handkerchief,
both men fired. Luddington dropped with
deep groan OF agony, two or three OF Inc
spectators funerealy said "My God, he's
killed. and the young lady, springins
from her carriage,
THREW HERSELF INTO LEES ARMS
screaming Historically. Lee returned the
embrace ferventiy, and FASTENED to inform
the lovely creature that he was unframed.
:. oh, but you have killed my uncle" eiacu-
lated the maiden, clnglng 10 him with re-
doubled yigor; "what shall | do, wha:
shall do7n The young man was proceed
ing TO console her in true love style when
he was interrupted by bowls and screams
OF laughter from the bystandeIs. He could
not understand the cause OF the unseem-
ingly hilarity, and the spectacle OF the de-
funct Luddington getting M yelling with
delight even failed to convey 10 bis con-
fused mind q suspicion OF the truth. IL was
only when his adorable Hattie laid down on
the prairie and kicked up her heels in Il
caccbinatory CONFUSION that light dawned
on him. He was then introduced to Colo
mel Luddington, who was none other than
William Ryan, and 10 Ed. DAILY, who had
represented the coy and madenly Hattie,
and TO the others OF the party with whom
he was unacquainted.
The party then returned TO the city, stop
ping several times on the way down 10
"irrigate" at Lees expense. He took It in
good part, and though trlfle slow to grasp
the situation, finally came 10 an apprecia-
ton OF
TIE MAGNITUDE OF THE JOKE
that had been played on him, and with Il
display OF good sense not to be expected OF
him took 1t In good part. What hurt him
worse than anything else was the thought
that be had laid himself open in his gushing
correspondence for the amusement and
rldicule OF his fellow-bOarders, and to sooth
bis Iacerated feelings the letters were re-
turned to him.
The affair would probably never have
been made public had il not been witnessed
from a distance by Matthew j. Chapman,
No. 1926 Van Buren, street, and John In
ders, No. 1914 Van Buren, street. These
witnesses, thinking that real duel had
been fought, made the following report TO
the police yesterday morning:
"At O'Clock last night two open car
riages, with six men each, drove west TO
Sacramento street between Van Buren, and
Harrison streets, where they all got out and
proceeded to mark out the ground about
fifty feet apart; two Of them, accompanied
by their seconds, fired each one shot at the
other. when the whole party got into their
carriages and drove off again, going east on
Van Buren, street, down town."
The men further reported that one OF the
backs was numbered 30. TDls anorded a
clue which, followed up, brought ont the
full particulars during the course OF the
dag. =
The above statement Of the case was OBJ
taned from one Of the men participating,
together with many other details going TO
show the labor and care taken to develop
the plot and bring on the laughabe de-
nouement.