The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-08-13
Judge POIanti,s Duel.

Derrick Dodd," in the San Francisco
Post, says:
" Speaking of duels reminds us of Joke
played upon old Judge Poland, M. C. from
Vermont, during the war, by that then en-
portant body known as the Third House,
or the Lobby II seems that all the more
prominent log-rollers We're interested in
passing u large cotton claim as a rider to
the General Appropriation BILL and which
claim the good old Judge. who was one of the
old school, smooth bore, -bottomed style of
statesmen, was determined to oppose. The
item in question would be reached some time
on the last day but one of the session, when
the Judge was entitled to tho floor. What
the boys feared was not so much Poland's
opposition as the certainty that he would
occupy the floor until the morning hour ex-
pred, thus killing a vote on the claim. The
morning previous the fertile brain of Sam
Ward, the King of the Lobby, as he was
everywhere known, conceived an elaborate
plan. He hired n variety actor named Sample
to make up as II venerable, white headed,
down east farmer, and TO appear before the
Committee on Elections, where he accused
Poland OF all sorts of bribery and collision.
The old NJ. G. was wild with rage. He spent
the day searching for his defamer, who, when
found, coolly proposed duel on the Monu-
mcnt lot, near the Potomac, the next morn
ing. Carefully egged on by the plotters the
gentleman of the old school consented and
the next morning was ON the ground, attended
by Sam Ward and various other apparently
indignant seconds. The slanderer was not
on hand, however. Washington's alleged
monument then, as now, was an uncompleted
shaft some $50 feet high, upon whose top,
and reached by series of moldy ladders
within the shaft, was a weather beaten old
derrick. After solemnly waiting at the foot
of this edifice for an hour large envelope
suddenly futtered from the heavens and fell
at the feet of the sanguinary group. II CON
tanned n note from the missing principal, in
which he confessed that the charges made by
him were false and uttered while i'm state
of intoxication. His romorse mt thus having
DETAINED one of our country s most illustrious
statesmen, he said, was such that he had
determined to take his own life, and that all
tho world might know of his shame and
rcparation he purposed hanging himself on
top of the Monument. The readers of this
startling cpistle ut once hurried out to a
proper distance TO view the summit of the
shaft. There, sure enough, they could plainly
dcscry the limp form of the repentant farmer,
dangling from the derric<-white beard
plug hat, and all
As the suicide had carefully fastened the
shaft entrance on the inside there was moth
| ing to he done but send for the coroner ,
meanwhile the Judge was placed in a carriage
and sent home deeply affected. During this
| brilliant little comedy the claim was passed
| Sam Ward afterwards had the enormous gall
TO take old Poland around to the newspaper
offices TO aid in having the tragedy kept out
OF the papers ON account of the victims
family. II was a sight to see the old Judg,
ply his red bandana as he read the deceased'f
last note to the different snicker-chokinl
editors. The whole thing was beautifully
handled, however, and we feel sure that wheI
these lines meet his eye, through the medium
of some clipping Eastern paper, the good old
member will, for the first time, learn how
complete hoax was played upon him,