St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-10-07
A Remarkable Duel.
DALLAS, Texas, 81

DALLAS, Texas, September g.
The Eueninq Times publishes a letter from
Garlic Pass, 600 miles west of Dallas, giving
an account of a hostile meeting between two
miners in the Pecos Mining Companys camp,
twenty miles north of the Mexican border, last
Monday night. The duelists were George Hol-
lenbeck and William Stratton. both New York
ers, born and raised near Palmyra; they were
of rich descent of the early Hollanders. They
were educated ut Cambridge; the former
graduated rs lawyer and the latter as ply
scian. They came out of college about the
time of Lncon's first call for volunteers
to suppress tho Southern rebellion. They en-
listed and went through the war; serving in
Colonel Gordon's One Hundred and Forty
fourth New York Regiment. At the close OF
the war they returned home, but finding pro-
fessional pursuits too tame for them
they concluded to go West Before they
left home difficulty arose between
them which was prevented from end1 in
bloodshed by the interposition of mutual
friends. Before they had a chance to meet
again Stratton sought his fortune in the Far
West He wandered to California, where he
went to work as miner. Hollenbeck went in
the same direction, but stopped at Colorado,
where he also became miner. They never
heard of each other after this They have
since followed the business of mining,
but have never become as rich as they at
first expected. A few days ago they met in
the Pecos mining camp and recognized each
other. The school and social polish had
been rubbed off by the trials and hard
ships incident to life in the mining camps.
Hollenbeck was ovcrjoyed to meet STRAIT
ton, who repealed him and said they
would settle that little unfinished diff
Guilty which arose between them at their last
meeting. Holenbeck said he had forgot
ten all about the difficulty referred to, and
entertained no ill-feelings whatever against
him. Stratton insisted on a settlement ac-
corling to the code. Hollcnbeck id if moth
ing short of that would do he would accommo-
date him. Accordingly arrangements were
consumnated for duel They were to hight
with pistols in dark room. Eaeh man was TO
announce ready, after which II third party was
to count three, when they were to fire. The
room was MS dark as Egypt. They went into
it and announced ready from opposite corners.
| s.One two three and Stratton fired StrattOn
| fired second shot, but the only response from
| HoIlenbecll was groan. Stratton, believing
| he had wounded HOllenbcck, fired third shot
! in The direction of the grooming. The report of
| n pistol came from corner directly opposite
| from where the groan appeared to prOcecdand
| Stratton fell No more shots being exchanged
| the miners opened the room and entered.
| lirht revealed the fact that Stratton had been
| killed. while Holenbeck was unhurt Hoen-
| beck is a yentrilOal1ist, and, on entering the
room took his stand in diagonal corner from
his adversary. and. to make him believe he
was in the oppc site corner threw his voice in
that quarter of the ROOM where the bullets
from his adversary's pistol harmlessly buried
themselves in the wall. 1t ha been so long
since they had seen each other that HOlen-
beck's yentrilo1uism had entirely escaped the
memory of StrattOn. The affair has caused
great deal of excitement through the camp;
but as anything is called fair in such business,
no fault is found by he miners with the strait
| egy employed by Hollenbeck.