Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-30
A DUEL IN THE DARK.
A Thrilling Romance from Texas Min
Ing Camp-HOw VentrilOquist's Art
Served Him in a Crisis,
Dallas Special to St. Loai, Bep,.bl,on


Dallas Special to st. Louis Republican.
The Er,Hin3 Tar % publishes letter from
Carrizo Pass, ec0 miles west of Dallas. Civ
ing an account OF a hostile meeting between
two miners In the Pecos Mining Company's
camp, twenty miles north of the Mexican
border, lest Monday night. The duelists
were George Hollenbeck and VIM. Stratton,
both New Workers, boia and reared near
Pelmyra; they weie of rich descent of the
esrly Hollanders. They were educated at
Cambridge; the former graduated as a law
yer and the latter as a physician. They
came out OF college about the same time Of
hlncoIn's tirst eel for volunteers to suppress
the Southern rebellion. They enlisted
an went through the war.
Sc Eng in Colonel Gordon's One Hun
dr and Forty-fourth New York regiment.
Al We close Of the wsr they returned home,
but finding professional pursuits too tame
Tor them they concluded to 90 West. Be-
fore they left home q difficulty arose be-
tween them which was prevented from
ending in bloodshed by the interposition of
mutual friends. Before they had chance
to meet again StrattOn sought out his for
trne In the far West. He wandered to CeIi-
fornia where he went to work as a miner.
Hollenbeck went in the same direction, but
stopped at Colorado, where he also b. came
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 dsys
ago they met in the Pecos Mining camp
and recognized each other The school
and social polish had been rubbed
on by the trial and hardships incident to life
In the mining camps. Hollenbeck was over
joYed to meet Stratton, who repelIed him
and said they would settle that little unfin-
ished difficulty which arose between them
at their last meeting. Hollenbeck said he
had forgotten all about the difficulty referred
to, and entertained no ill-feelings whatever
against him. Stratton insisted on a settle
ment according to the code. Hollen-
beck said IL nothing short of that
would do he would accommodate
him. Accordingly arrangements were
consummated for a duel. They were
to fight with pistols In dark room Each
was to announce ready, after which a third
party was to count three, when thev were to
fire. The room was as dark as Egypt, Thew
went into IL and announced ready from ap-
posite corners. "One, two, three" and
snot, put the only response from Hol-
lenbeck was a groan. Stratton, be-
lievIng he had wounded HolIenbeck.
fired third shot in the direction
of the groaning. The report of a pistol
came from corner directly opposite from
Wnere tne groan appeared to proceed from,
and Stratton fell. No more shots being ex-
changed, the miners opened the room and
entered. A light revealed the fact that
Stratton had been killed, while Hollenbeck
was unhurt. Hollenbeck is ventriloouist.
and on entering the room took his stand in
diagonal corner from his adversary, and TO
make him believe he was In the opposite
corner threw his voice In that quarter of the
room, where the bullets from his adyerssry's
pistol hsrmlessly buried themselves in the
wall. 1t had been so long since they had
seen each other that HOllenbeck's ventrilo-
quism had entirely escaped the memory of
Stratton. The affair has caused great deal
OF excitement through the camp, but as apv-
thing is called fair in such business, no fault
is found by the miners with the strategy
employed by Hollenbeck. %