The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-02-20
FIGHTING OVER A LOVER.
sANGUINARY DUEL BETWEEN GIRLS
IN VIRGINIA.


\ letter to the New York S,al from
Onancock, Va, dated Feb. 10, SAYS:
& sanCuinaryduel was fought here between
two women last saturday, which resulted in
the probable fatal wounding Of both. Miss
Louisa Wise and Miss Margaret Downing
had for some time excited much comment in
the little village because Of their jealous
quarrels over the attentions Of a young man
named Benjamin Young. On one OF two Oc-
casions they had come to blows in his pres
ence, and were only restrained from serious.
ly injuring each other by the efforts OF Dung
This young man seems to have been in doubt
as 70 which of the maidens possessed his
heart, and realizing the force of the axiom
How happy could be with either
Were the other fair charmer away,
temporized with them and had little Difficult
ty in convincing each that she was the object
of his admiration At length, On Friday
evening. he went TO party with Mics Wise,
and while dancing with her the assembiaCe
was thrown into intense excitement by the
sudden appearance Of Miss Downing, who
in a tragic manner, stalked up TO the couple
and forbid her lover TO dance with her rival
As she stood facing the couple, with her ewes
afiame with passion, it was thought that VIC
lence would be the next act in the drama.
Suddenly, however, with piercing shrek,
she sank to the floor in q swoOn, frOthing at
the mouth as though suffering from an epi-
leptic TT She was removed by her friends,
and Young and Miss Wise Withdrew.
The following day Miss Wise received
note from Miss Downing, requesting her TO
Z call upon her, as she wished to see her about
an important matter Miss Wise went to
I her rivals house as requested. She entered
/ the yard, walked around TO the kitchen en-
trance, pushed open the door, and stepping
inside, saw her rival sitting beside the stove,
/ with her head resting mOodily upon her hand
When Miss Downing caught sight OF Miss
! Wise, she spTang To her feet, and seiZing q
stout club. rushed at her. Shrieking with
] into s1nrar nr-a
/ ing the other following, she picked mp pitch
/ fork, and facing her enraged rival, warned
her to stand of Miss Downing exclaimed .
/ ''All right; we'll fight nOw. You have
/ Both being strong, healthy country girls,
/ they found no difficulty in welding their
weapons. As Miss Downing rushed at the
other she was met by the threatened fork,
which was driven into her breast. The next
! instant she struck Miss Wise a stunning blow
on the head which staggered her. and follow
! ed it up by a second blow which felled her
to the ground. Miss Wise soon regained her
feet, and, assuming the defensive, impaled
; Miss DOwnings hands on the prOuCs OF the
I fork. Again she received blow on the head
+ from the club, which felled her to the ground
/ While in this position she thrust the pitch
I fork into Miss Downings face, making three
terrible wounds. BY this time both were
/ weakened by loss OF blood and dropped 70
2 the ground insensibie- In this position they
] wele found by some ne eiChbOrs, who gave the
/ was soon in attendance. Both girls were
terribly injured, Miss Downing having been
wounded fourteen times by the pitchfOTk,
and Miss Wise Shockingly bruised and beat
en- about the head. They are now suffering
from high fever, and the physician has little
hope of their recovery. In lucid intervals
! they gave the particulars of the fight. and ri
the same time each begged piteously to see
I Mr.. Young. The latter, evidently not relish
ing the hotoTiety into which be was brought
by the strange infatuation of the two girls,
has left the town, and no trace of him can be
discovered. The affair has caused the most
4 intense excitement here, and the usually
quiet little town has been i'm a turmoil since
the particulars of the fight were made public
THE FAMINE N IRELAND cor
respondent Of the New York Herald,
writing from Dublin. sends the follow
ing points in regard TO the distress exist
ing in that portion of the country under
lis observation:
''The parish of Caruagh ranges for eighteen
miles over the wild, rocky promOntOry Of
ErTis-annagh. With perhaps 4 couple of
dozen exceptions the whole population, S14
families, numbering some 5000 souls, are on
the high road to death by starvation. Hun
ger has OveTtaken one-third of them OF more
already Those who have anything 10 eat
are living upon the seed potatoes. Every
day some family is eating its last meal Of
them. Hardly anybody any longer enjoys
three meals day, even of rotten dwarf pOta-
toes. Two meals are now the average al
lowance. Numbers that have met squat in
their hideOus cabins around the moTSel Of
live turf all day long in order not 20 awaken
the pangS of hunger by active exercises, and
think themselves happy if the mother OF the
family is able to beg or borrow a few pounds
of Indian meal that they may not 90 supper
less to bed. And OBJ the patience, the en-
= duTance, the Self-Sacrifice of those wTetcheC
peasant mothers. who stumble over miles O
sharp pointed rocks with their bare feet L
implore that miserable meal for their whin
ing chiidren.-whO carry loads Of turf al
dripping Seaweed on their backs for ten O
: fifteen miles like beasts of burdeu-Ehj
10 have heart or hope left in them Ih
first stage OF starvation is already past To-
many OF the men they have reached rha
: condition OF apathy and ldIguor I'D Whlcl
they hardly care to raise theirhCLdS. hay,
= come upon them buried IN the gloom OF thei
4 . cabins, those frightiul, silent family circles
the shiyering, haii-naked children hu1diiuL
together for warmth; the mother rocking
little box of dirty rags in which q ue-iippeJ
little baby Is sleeping; the man with his ma
= over his ewes, his head bent To his knees. hi
eyes staring fiXedly forward with dull
Z stupefed stare-So SiuggardiZed by wan
and despair that he hardly turns while h
n tells you, in his hopeless way, that ms las
J. potato was eaten a fortnight a 20 and that D.
n has been existing ever since upon a mea
per day Of dOgish. or pcriwiukles, or India
> meal Cruel. And TO think that a fOrtnlCl
y hence every neighbOr who gives him CHART
, will be as desperate and fOriorn wretch a
9 himself Let there be no mistake about d
e there is starvation going on far and wide
: -- Es-----
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