Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-21
A BLOODLEss DUEL.
The Wfse-LewIs Feud-A Hostile hut
Harmless Meeting-HTsEory of ths
Quarrel-Fears OF a Serious Rem
cOntre.

WASHINGTON, September 21.-A duel be-
tween District Attorney Lewis and Capt.
Peyton Wise, of Virginia, was fought four
miles from Warrenton, Va, at 8 o'clock
this afternoon.
colonel Campbell was Lewis second, and
General Payne, of Warrenton, was Wise's
second. Wise and Lewis had been lodging
the police and the civil authorities for two
days trying to meet each other to fight. 1t
was known in Richmond that challenge
had passed, and the authorities of that city
telt graphed all over the State directing the
arrest of the belligerents.
The parties fought with duelling pistols,
ten PAGES apart. At the word Of command
Lewis fred at Wise, but shot too low and
missed him. Wise raised his pistol after
Lewis had shot, and fired In the air. Lewis
second cautioned him to shoot low, and he
fred too low, the ball striking the ground
near Wise's feet.
When the shots had been exchanged and
Wise fired in the air, the seconds interfered,
and the affair was adjusted upon terms ar
ranged by the seconds and friends. Wise
is splendid shot with the pistol, and could,
1t is said, have easily killed Lewis, but,
since accepting the challenge, it seems, his
mind underwent change, and he did not
want to kill his antagonist. Wise was at
Warrington waiting for Lewis and
his second, who were to
meet him there, but Lewis came by the way
Of Washenton yesterday, and, to avoid ar
rest, took a train in a different direction
from Warrenton. He had to ride across the
country ten or fifteen miles, and that made
him half an hour late.
Meantime Daniel Lewis, son of ex-Sena.
tor Lewis, about whom the quarrel origi-
Lewis place. Both seconds decided
against this, saying that L. l.. Lewis had
challenged Wise, and it was not the other
Lewis fight. Congressman-elect George
d. Wise, who, 1t was alleged, made often
sive remarks about ex-senator Lewis, was
In Washington last night, but he did not
appear at the place of fighting. He was in
search Of the parties who had already left
their homes to fight.
1t is said by one of the Lewis tonight
that Henry Wise Garnett has assured Byrd
Lewis, another sen of the ex-senator, that
George D. Wise did not make the alleged
offensive remarks about the ex-senator that
his language was misrepresented, and that
| George d. Wise had expressed to him the
highest regard for ex-senator Lewis per-
| sonallY.
The explanation of Peyton Wise's con-
| duct in firing in the air is given as follows:
When he read the report of l.. L. Lewis
speech, in which the latter said that if
George Wise had charged ex Senator Lewis,
who is United States Marshal, with miscon-
duct In office, he George d. Wise) was a
fool and a coward. Peyton Wise immedi-
atelY denounced Lewis, and this provoked
challenge. That when George d.
Wise, who was in southwestern Virginia.
heard Of the affair he FASTENED to reach his
brother and to assure him that he had not
said anything against Marshal Lewis char
scter' as he had a high regard for
his integrity. That in view of
this statement Peyton Wise saw
he had been hasty. But he had gone too
far to withdraw, so he determined to meet
Lewis, receive his shot and to fire his own
pistol in the air, and let explanations be
made after the exhcange OF shots. This
course he adopted.
Ex-Congressman John Amber Smith,
who is son-in-law OF ex Senator Lewis,
says that this morning George Wise sent
Thomas Jessup Miller, lawyer of this
place, to him to inquire where
l.. L. Lewis was; that he (Smith)
returned reply that he didn't know, as he
had nothing to do with the affair. Smith
says Miller came a second time on the
same mission, and then admitted that he
represente George Wise. Smith states that
he sent back word to Wise that If he had
come to Washington to fight Lewis, he was
| not In the city, but that he (Smith) was
willing to represent Lewis, and, If
Wise wanted to fight, he could
communicate with him, that he (5mith)
would assume the responsibility for what
Lewis had said against Geo. Wise, and the
latter could get satisfaction from him at
any time. George Wise seems to have
come down to try to prevent a
fight, and it is iutlmated that
| now that his brothers. difficulty is over he
may call Smith to account There are nnite
number Of the Lewis family and several
Of the Wise boys. Each family will stand
together, and now that bad blood has been
stirred up 1t may not end here, so It is said
A friend Of George Wise's says that he
will not fight duel If he can help It, as he
is member of the next Congress. These
Wise boys are nephews of the late Henry
a. Wise, whose sons are prominent Read
iusters Peyton Wise and Lewis parted
friends, and, unless other members of the
families embroil them again, will probably
remain so.
The duel fought near Warrenton to-day
grew out of an alleged attack of Georpe
Wise upon ex-senator and United States
Marshal Lewis, charging him with using his
office to oppress the people of Virginia,
Lewis brother, who is United States District
Attorney Of Virginia, said In a speech at
Petersburg the other night, that If George
Wise made the alleged attack he was a fool
and coward. Peyton Wise, Georges
brother, in the absence of George, took up
the matter and denounced District Attorney
Lewis as "coward, liar and fool" where
upon the latter challenged him and they
met to-day.