The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-04-21
THE STORY OF 4 FAMOUS DUEL.
"reminiscences of the Fatal Meeting Between
Terry and Frederick.

Among the many duels in the early day
of California none excited SO much interes
and none had such an influence on polite
and society as the fatal meeting betwee
! David c. Broderick and David ;. Terri
They were representative men. One was
! United States Senator, and the other Che
justice of the Supreme Court OF California
They were filling important inches IN tn
| history of the young State. No such 20
| litieal antagOnism had existed since the day
of Burr and Hamilton, The Republican
party was a healthy infant, and growin
rapidly. The State was controlled by
two-winged Democracy. Gwin, Terry, Ashe
| Brooks, Benham and others, worked tn
Lecompton wing, and Broderick, the FRIEND
| of Stephen A. Douglass and an ardent oppo
nent of the extension of slavery, was the
soul of the ant-Lecompton wing He and
! his followers occupied. middle ground be
tween nascent Republicanism and the South
ern slave Democracy. The friends Of The
| Administration cherished deep hatred fol-
! Broderick. With him out of the way they
might re-unite the party on the old basi:
and control it. Broderick and his friends
| had thwarted the ambition of the chivalry
| After desperate struggle he had secured a
seat in the United Statec Senate, and had
brought the naughty Gwin to terms. To
retain his own seat in that body Gwin had
given the stonecutter a document pledging
himself not TO NEEDLE with the official pa
tronage of the Pacific coast. This docu
ment was known as " the scarlet letter"
Broderick had said in a speech that its
writer ought to be as clearly marked for po-
litcal ostracism as Hester Prynne was So
cially marked by the initial on her breast.
1t was fatal letter. Politicians said that
the man who had it in his possession was
doomed,
The immediate cause Of the quarrel grew
out of a speech made by Judge Terry before
the Lecompton Democratic State Conven-
ton in Sacramento in 1850 He called
Broderick an arch traitor.
Broderick read this speech while at break
fast in the International hotel, and grimly
smiled. 81 see" he remarked TO ID. w.
Perley, lawyer (born in Woodstock, n
B., and a friend of the Gwin facton),
take back the remark once made, that he
is the only honest judge on the Supreme
bench. | was his friend when he was in
need of friends, for which am sorry. Had
the vigilance committee disposed of him as
they did of others, they would have done a
righteous act"
Perley resented Broderck's remark He
protested to be warm friend of Judge
Terry, and even went so far as to challenge
the Senator on his own account. His chal-
ienge WAS curtly declined, with the cons
temptuous remark; "Sr, night only with
gentlemen of my own position" Perley
hurried off to Terry and repeated hroder-
icb's sighting remarks. The Judge wrote
a letter of inquiry, to which Broderick re-
piled in a way that seemed to Terry to fur
nsh sufficient justification for a resort to
the code.
Calhoun Benham (practicing law in San
Francisco, >. IL. Brooks Estate Controller
at the time), and Thomas Hayes attended
to his interests and Joseph G. Mckibben,
David d. Cotton, and Leonidas Haskell
acted for Senator Broderick.
\ meeting had been arranged for the 18th
of September, at sunrise, near the boundary
lines Of San Mateo and San Francisco cCun-
ties. The principals and their friends were
all on the ground when the chief of police,
Martin J. Burke, placed them under arrest.
They were brought before Police Justice III.
2. Coon and discharged, on the ground that
there had been no actual misdemeanor.
John A. AIcGlynn, a brother of we'll
known Roman Catholic clergyman in New
York Andrew j. Butler, brother of Gen.
Il. f. Butler, and other friends of Broder-
lex had tried to disuade him from fighting
He had listened to all their arguments, and
had replied that his mind was made up
the duel could not be avoided with honor.
He was quiet and composed, but intexible.
The seconds held conference, and the
pistols were examined and loaded. Judge
Terry won the CHOICE of weapons by the toss
of half a dollar. Mr.. Hayes marked off the
prescribed distance, ten PAGES, and warned
spectators to get out OF the line OF fire.
Meantime the respective seconds were busted
about their principals. The Terry party
were cool and collected, as became old hands
at the business. Mr.. Broderick's friends
were apparently nervous and hesitatlng.
One incident was not calculated to put the
Senator in good heart. Mr.. Haskell partly
united the Senators cravat, and then walked
off a few PAGES wringing his hands as
though overcome by his feelings. He then
returned and removed the neckerchief
Broderick was dressed in long black
surtout, and wore soft wool hat drawn
down over his brow. Terry was similarly
aItired. When the principals were placed
the punctilios of the code were observed
Calhoun Benham, Terry's chief second, APP
preached Mr.. Broderick and passed his
hands clossly over his sides and chest,
searching for concealed mail. Mr.. Mckib-
ben made similar examination of Terry,
but he only touched his fingers to his waist
coat bowed and withdrew. 1t has been
thought that Mr. Benham's action irritated
the Senator and impaired his poise. Before
this Mr. Broderick had taken some coin from
his vest pocket and passed them to Mr..
| MeKibben. Terry gave his loose change to
Benham, who scattered it CONTEMPORARY
| on the sward, all things being II Eeadi-
ness, the pistols were cooked and the hair
triggers set by the seconds They were
| then delivered to the combatants. 1t was
observed at the time that Mr.. Broderick
| appeared nervous and i'll at ease. He re-
| peatedly twitched the skirts of his surtout
as though they were in his way. He was
also somewhat out of position, and Mr..
| McKibben corrected him. Broderick close
| ly measured with his eye the ground be-
| tween himself and Terry Renham read
the conditions of the meeting, and Dir.
4 Cotton followed with instructions as to the
firing. He had won the word. Broderick
was still nervous, but Terry stood firm and
erect, q silhouette against the early morn
ing light. The men held their weapons
muzzle downward. A moment of painful
silence ensued.
/ Gentlemen" said Mr. Cotton, in clear
voice, "are you readyF' Both replied, but
Broderick delayed few seconds. He then
| said, Il am ready
| sFirel One" There was a report
| from the Senator's pistol. It was answered
In a second By Terry's weapon. hroder.
| ickis pistol was discharged before he brought
it to level. This was probably caused by
the fineness of the hair trigger end his want
of familiarity with that particular weapon.
| The bullet buried itself in the ground, two
thirds OF the distance between himself and
his antagonist. It was a splendid line shot,
| fallen short of its mark Broderick had
the reputation of being an expert with the
pistol, and this result surprised those who
knew his skill. Vita the crack Of Terry's
weapon Frederick WINGED, turned hall
around, and then made an eE0rt to rec0Fel
himself "Hard hit, his friends murmnred.
Their words were proved by his nnavailing
/ efforts to maintain an upright position. lie
droonsd until finally he fell prone on the