The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-10-05
A Duel in the Dark.

DALLAS, Texas, September 25.
The EUenifla Times publishes a letter from
Carrizo Pass, 800 miles west Of Dallas, giving
an account of a hostile meeting between two
miners in the PecOs Mining Comp lny's camp,
twenty miles north of the Mexican border, last
Monday ight. The duelists were George IIol-
Ienbeck and William Stratton. both New York
ers, born and raised near Palmyra; they were
of rich descent of the early Hoanders. They
were educated at Cambridge. the former
graduated as a lawyer and the latter as ply
sician. They came out of college about the
time of Lincoln's first call for volunteers
to suppress the 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
fessionaI pursuits too tame for them
they concluded to go West. Before they
left home a difhculty arose between
them which was prevented from endi in
bloOdshed by the interpositiOn of mutual
friends. Before they had chance to meet
again Stratton sought his fortune in the Far
West. He wandered to California, where he
went to work a miner Hollenbeek went i'm
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 I'm
the Pecos mining camp and recognized each
other. The school and social polish had
been rubbed of by the trials and hard
ships incident to life in the mining camps.
Hollenbeck was overjoyed to meet Strait
ton, who repelled him and said they
would settle that little unfinished diff
Guilty which arose between them at their last
meeting. Hollenbeck said he had forgot
ten all about the difficulty referred %, ana
entertained no iIl-feelings whatever against
him. Efratfon insisted on q settlement. &C
cording to the code. HolIenbeck g id if moth
ing short of that would do be would accommo-
date him. Accordingly arrangements were
consummated for duel They were to fight
with pistols in dark room. Each man was to
announce ready, after which third party was
to count three, when they wero to FIRE. The
room was as dark as Egypt They went into
it and announced ready from opposite corners.
"One, two, three, and Stratton fired. Stratton
fired second shot, but the only response from
HoHeubeck was Rroan. StTatton, believing
he had wounded HoIlenbccl, fred third shot
in fhe direction of the groaniug. The report of
pistol came from corner directly opposite
from where the grOan appeared to proceed, and
Stratton fell No more shots being exchanged
Tight revealed the fact that Strafton had been
killed, while Hollenbeck was unhurt Hollen-
beck is a ventriIOquist, and, on entering the
room took his stand in a 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, whore the bullets
from his adversary's pfs oil harnlessIy buried
themselves in the wall II had been so long
since they had seen each other that Hollen-
beckfs veutriioquism had entir ,iy escaped the
memory of Stratton- The affair mas caused n
but as anything is called fair in such business,
no fault is found BY he miners with the STRAIT
egy employed by Hollenbeck-