The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-10-04

The Terry y-Brodseiok Dual.
An old Californian has related Ia
the IT. Louis GIOLe-I)en,0crut what
he claims were the true circunustan.
ces leading to the duel between SEN
ator BsotIerick and Judge Terry OF
california, In 1859, which resulted In
the death Of the former. lie saws:
Ihe men were warm Densonsl /
friends. and both were Democrats
when the vigilants ran the icwn i'm
1891. This was before Broderick' 4
c'sctiOn to the Senate, but Terry was
on the bench. One day, while the
Vigilan!es were arrestin9. tryin9.
and hanging whoever they pleased.
Terry happened to Be in the Usited
states Naval Agents place. when q
Sergeant and squad Of the Vigilautes
came there to arrest some one. Terry
protested against it. and In the talk
that followed Wa jnstled roughly by
= man named Hopkins. what fol-
lowed Was done very quickly, the
Judge wh0pplng out . knife and
sIashing Hopkins, half severing his
head from his body. He escaped and
went to the United States Anenal.
where the Vigilantes followed, with
several small pieces Of cannon. and
threatened to attack, unless the fugi-
tive was given up to them. He was
offered protection, but preferred t.
surrender himself, and did 30. He
was held . prisoner about three
months. and was repeatedly threat
ened with hanging. The officer In
command 0f ID few little war vessels
in the is'y asserted that If he was ex-
ecutet! he would lombard the strong
held Of the Viyilantes, which was
known es Fort Eunny- -bags but Hop
kins recovering, much to every l,Ody's
surprise, Terry was tried and ac.;uit-
ted. Brolerick, during this time,
retained his friendship for Terry, and
did what he could to assist him In
his strait. The rupture occurred
afterward with the split in the Dem.
Ocratic !Mrty, when Bro<lerick cs.
pOused the bo!ters, aud Terry re-
mained y straight Democrat. The
''spIits' held convention and made
nomination., and shortly after the
'straights" did the same thing ut
BentOn's church. which was, tor lack
Of something better, used ut that
time for political gatherings. In. the
evening after the last convention y
meeting was called, at which \ ,lulil-
her Of the prominent politicians Of
the Stste spoke. Terry was not
much Of u public speaker. but, being
pressed to do 80, nlatlea f;.w remarks,
and, to some extent, ridjc,ile,i the
opposite PARTY, prOnouncing 1t as Of
such diniinutivc proportions that
BrMlericls, its originator. could put
il In his pocket. There was aplnr-
emily nothing personally offensive
Intended, but Il synopsis Of the differ
ent speeches having been tel. grap;lcd
to San Franci>c'', appeared in the
papers there the following morning.
ErOtierirk had evidently read the
reports OH ar before coming to the
brcak fast table. but made 10 remark
concerning them until asked ut the
table hy Daniel s. Perley, an Eng
lishnlan, what Ills opinion was re-
gartlinS them. BrOtierick replied
something I" the effect tl:at he had
until then always thought well Of
Judge Terry, aud considered him a
gentleman, thus intimating that his
opinion had changed. Perley retort-
ed that BrO(lerick had no right to
use such language In the absence Of
the Judge and In the presence Of his
friends, adding that he considered
himself one of the latter. Frederick
made u harsh reply, of whicl, several
accounts were given, and added
that Perley considered
personal. He challenged Frederick
IN consequence, and the latter placed
the matter in the hands of his friends
VIII" decided that the so:i,l position
RI the Senator was HI ihEch a:,0ve
that "c P.rIey that 81 meeting could
not be had. When this conclusion
WAS made public the Judges friend,
inoks,! t0 him for con-
If the affair. ard the papers
III discussing il int;:,iated y curiosity
IL know what he WIS going 10 do
about il. !'rtM!er;ck waited several
days without making any allnsion,
and then remarked, while IN ct'nver-
saiiuu ut u political! meeting, that he
c.AUtc s:V.h W ASSISsIStVu ~ y NtttOAntA
to CON :uct a political csnly'aign, ami
until that was over would not per-
nit himself to t,e drawn into amy
personal difficulty. At ito close I've
was r..ady for any 0f them, or some
thing 70 that effect. This was made
public, but was ignored by Terry uu-
III three months later. On ihe day
the election he sent his
resigns. ion to Governor Weller. and
1t the same time CHALLENGED Hroder-
|ck. The latter ac.eltc.! and u meet
ing was arranged, but tic authorities
|nter!cred and arrested Frederick.
Arrangements were concluded u set'-
nnd time. when Terry was arrested.
His friends did not hesitate to assert
that the interference was ut the In
:: :irn:ion Of ErOslerick's friends, who
feared Il meeting. a'i.i both parties
,v.-r so iuc:n@e,! that :: third attempt
was made with III. above ::;:a! result.