New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-14
IN AFFAIR or HONOR.

Two young persons OF FniLauelpnia, NIL
Robert II. Adams jr. and DR.. j. William
White, have achieved the distinction of COM
hitting a disgraceful crime, and in the perpe-
tration of the felony making themselves unut-
terably ridiculous. II is not every man who
can show himself so knavish in his folly and so
great O fool in his knaveTy as these two persons,
and they ought to enjoy all the celebrity which
they have earned by their achievement. They
seem to have uarlelled-heaven forbid that we
should stop to ask what about-and upon the
occurrence of this momentous event number
of their club friends got together with pens and
paper and preternaturally solemn faces to avert
the cataclysm which threatened society. We
are informed that these gentlemen wasted
"great deal of time and paper in efforts to bring
Gabout some compromise that would avoid the
anecessity Of a meeting; but Mr.. Adams jr.
and DR.. j. William White were both 80 thirsty
for human gore that an adjustment" was
found to be impossible; and it "became the
"duty " Of the friends to arrange for hostili-
|tiesn
The correspondence. the consultation, the
running about, the submission of proposals,
the rejection Of proposals, the polite but fearful
threats the polite but firm deflances, the pre-
paration of pistols the purchase of liberal guam
titles of gunpOwder and bullets, lasted from
Monday until Saturday. At last the murder
Ously minded party got into railway train
and went to Wilmington. The spot chosen for
the encounter was that No Mans Land where
the States of Pennsylvania, Delaware and
Maryland meet locality supposed to offer
unequalled advantages for the lodging OF
sheriffs and the cOnfounding of indictments.
The expedition was constituted as follows:
Mr.. Adams IT,; DR.. J. William White a second,
with pair Of large pistols and store OF am
munitiOn; another second, with another pair
of large pistols and more ammunition; a sur
geon with tool chest another surgeon wi h tool
chest two men whose functions arc not de-
fined-probably undertakers; two hack-driveTs.
The principals were carefully placed at ten
PAGES, and after last fruitless appeal for peace
the fatal word was given. Mr.. Adams ir.
had the first shot, and it il related that he
nearly shot his second. who, being only fifteen
feet away from the line of fire, was manfestly
in most perilous position. DIR. j. William
White thereupOn fired in the air, and Mr..
Adams jr. being asked if he would have an
other try, replied with alacrity that he was
entirely satisfied. ehaye no doubt that he was
We presume that his second WINS also entirely
satisfied. Nobody showed any desire to urge on
the work of slaughter. On the contrary, every
body shook hands, and the six iackasses two
undertakers and two hack-drivers went back to
the train feeling considerably more comfortable
than they did in going to the field Of strife and
bOn0r.
IL there is any way of compelling person
who has been concerned in an {" affair of honor "
to tell the truth about it on oath, we trust that
indictments will be found against all the particle
patOrs In this criminal farce, and that the full
penalty of the law will be enforced against them.
A suit of striped clothes and clOse-crODped hair
would vastly become the Brummagem heroes.
But even il they escape the penitentary there
is punishment which they cannot avoid in the
contempt of all persons of sense, and the jeers
even of their club companions. The men who
spent week getting ready to kill each other,
and then did not know how to do it, will be
the butts Of their friends from this time forth.