Louisiana capitolian., 1880-02-14
A California Duel.

Some Time Ill IS5J tncre came 10 tnIS
state female temperance lecturer, Miss
Sarah Pellet, a friend Of Lucy Stone
Blackwell, Antonette Brown, and that
confederation Of lady reformers. She
was young, good looking, intelligent
and pure, and will be kindly remember
ed by many who shall read this sketch.
The writer of this was then con-
ducting the Sierra Citizen, at Downic-
vile, and Miss Pellet having been sour
rillously referred to by certain other
papers, she there found defenders, she
came to Dowieville, and we become fast
friends. Through her exertions a large
and Aou,ishing Division Of the
Sons of Temperance was there
established, and all the respectable
young men temporarily stopped drink
ing, and became enthusiastic advocates
of abstinence. A temperance Fourth Of
July celebration was projected, and we
nominated our friend Miss Pellet to
make the Grafton, and, notwithstanding
u strong prejudice against women ora
tors, succeeded IN procuring her the
coveted invitation.
A short time before that Mr.. Robert
Tevis, u promising Young lawyer, and
brother Of Lloyd Tevis of San Fran
cisco, had come there to run for Con
gress, Joined the Temperance Division
and was anxious to make the speech, in
order to present himself favorably before
the people. He was hard to put off and
was never rccoucilcd to the disappoint-
ment, though to pacify his objection to
the lady speaker, he was appointed to
read the Declaration of Independence,
with the privilege of making some re-
nnarks on the illustrious document. The
glorious Fourth shone brightly on two
.or three thousand people. The celebra-
tion began with salvo from all the
anvils in town; the primitive band blew
che blast of freedom through the patri-
otto brass, and Mr.. Tevis, having read,
began to comment on the Declaration in
long speech, greatly to the dspleasure
of the gallant Sons,,s In order to termi-
nate his mal-appropriate grafton, the
anvils were set to firing with such a
laundering and consecutive noise that
nothing else could be heard, and Mr..
Tcvis, being very angry, gave way to
the orator, and sat down. The event
made great talk and brought the ambi
tious young man into unpleasant noto-
ricty instead of fame.
The Democratic party had procured
tho use of two columns Of the local pa
per, and had appointed an editor, the
Hon. Charles Il. Lippincott, Senator
from Yuba county. Lippincott had a
keen perception of the ludicrous, and as
Tevis was Know Nothing, he took oc
casion to roast the unfortunate young
man in the Democratic corner of the
paper, and it created great deal OF fun
in the town. The next day Mr. Tcvis
came to me-1 had no jurisdiction in
the Democratic side Of tho paper--and
demanded tho publication of card
which pronounced the author of Lip
pincotts article "a liar and SANDER
cr." He was white with rage aud trcm-
bling, and w0ukl not be reasoned with.
Knowing the nature of the antagonist
and his deadly skill with arms, tried
to persuade Tevis from the rash aud
dangerous publication, and dwe|t on
the inevitable consequence. But he
would hear nothing; he wanted to fight
he said, and would fight in the street or
otherwise; and, if the card was not
published, he would consider it an act
of hostility to himself; and so the ull-
conscious type gave out the fatal i'm
press, and q challenge from Lippincott
followed promptly, and was as promptly
accepted.
The difficulty took political shape
Democratic and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
some leading Democrats did their best
to prevent the meeting. Both belligcr-
cnts belonged to the Order of Odd Eel
lows, but as neither belonged to the To-
cal lodge, no direct authority could be
imposed, though the good brethren kept
in session all night devising means to
prevent the encounter. Several times
the difficulty was supposed to be settled,
but as often would be renewed by GER
tain chivalry vagabonds who seemed
eager to see blOodshed when not flowing
from their own veins. Morning came
the forenoon passcd-the peacemakers
having been so often baflled, gave up
their humane cxertion, and it was un-
dcrstood that the fight would come off
that afternoon. In the meantime the
principles and their friends had gone to
the woods, the public not knowing when
or where, and the sheriff was in pursuit.
The dueling ground had been selected
some siy miles from town, on fiat, near.
the top of the lofty hills of Sierra coun-
ty, where never bird sings and where
the sOmbrc tir-trces spread their eternal
pail but when near ready for their san
culinary proceedings the sheriff and his
posse were deserted on % distant emf
nence, and the duclling party moved on
into an adjacent county, beyond the ju-
risdiction of the pursuers. There an
other arena was prepared, and the great
act of the tragedy was ready to come on.
In the meanwhile the principals had
been away with their seconds in oppo-