Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-05-13
AUGUST BElMoNT'S DUEL.
why the Father of His Son Limps Liz G
an Army OF the Potomac Veteran.

Cecil WhfJ.
The recent verbal encounter at Wash
iDgton between Mr.. Blaine and Mr.
Belmont, in which the latter was so seri-
Ously wOrsted, recalls a somewhat
more sanguimary affair which happened
near this town nearly forty-one years
ago, in which the father of Belmont,
the well-knOwn banker and Democrat
ic politician, August Belmont, was one
of the proRinent participants. On
Wednesday evening, August 18th, 1871,
two parties of men, i'll carriages, drove
up to the two hotels of the town. There
was, says the chronicle of the day, "an
apparent strangeneSs in their actions"
and the wiscacreS of the town were at
their wits end to determine the object
of their visit About twelve o'clock
that night q conference was held be-
tween representatives Of the two par
ties, numerous inquiries in the mean
time having been made as to the dis
lance to the Delaware line and other
questions asked, indicating that duel, or
at least some hostile encounter, was in
contemplation between these mysterious
gentry.
Late III the night, or rather early in
the morning, they left the town driving
directly east. They were followed by
some citizens of the village, whose Curl
Osity had induced them to watch their
movements, but were not overtaken,
and no one, it seems, resident in Elkton,
was an eyewitness or the duel, which
occurred at an early hour on the morn
ing of the 26th, on Grey's Hill, about
one mile east Of the town. As it after
wards proved, the principals in the af-
fair had taken assumed names, one OF
them being addressed as Moore, the
other as Goldsmith. In reality, how
ever, they were Mr.. August Belmont, Of
New York, the American agent of the
Rothschilds, and who has since figured
very prominently rs a New York
Democratic politician, and Mr.. William
HAYWARD, of South Caralinia. They
had been together residents OF the
American Hotel, in New York, and the
quarrel seems to have originated in a
"love affair" Hayward's brother stated
ut the time that BelmOnt's intimacy
with a lady had been resented by Hay
ward, and the former having spoken of
the latter in terms not particularly
complimentary, Hayward had struck
Belmont, whereupOn the latter had
challenged him to mortal combat. In
tent upon blood they arranged a duel,
To be fought upon the classic soil of
Delaware, and for that purpose had
taken carriages ut Wilmington and
driven to E.lkton, intending to meet
upon the field Of honor by sunrise just
over the Delaware line.
AS it turned out, however, they did
not drive far enough east, and the soil OF
Cirey's Hill, i'll Cecil county, was red
denCd with blood of the Hebrew banker,
and which in later years, the execution
Of swift, the murderer of kIhOur, rem
dered more notorious. y gentleman
named Lake acted as second for Bel
mont, and Mr.. Purify served Hayward
i'm 4 similar capacity. Arriving upon
the ground, the principals Were placed
by their seconds, and upon the first
rOnnd Mr.. Belm ont was shot i'll thehlp.
One fire it seems was sufficient to ap-
pease the wounded feeling of these
chivalrous gentlemen, and Mr.. Bel
mont was borne bleeding to his carriage.
At the time it was supposed that he
was MORALLY wounded.
Taken to their carriages, the sangui-
nary SOuthener and the Hebrew were
driven to Wilmington, Elkton, not
then, nor since, so far as We know, hav-
ing been hOnored by the presence OF
either of these barbaric gentlemen.