The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-17
YOUNG DUELLIsTs.
Anxious to Vindicate Their Honor but
Gobbled Up by the Police,

Anxious to Vindicate Their Honor but
Gobbled Up by the Police.
NEW YORK. March 16.-A novel scene was
presented yesterday afternoon in the York
Vile Police Court. Five fashionably dressed
young men, carrying light spring overcoats on
their arms, and holding in their hands silver
headed canes, were the prisoners at the bar
On the Justices desk lay two regular dueling
pistols, two revolvers and box Of cartridges.
Ihe fevolvers were loaded but the pistols
were empty. Police Captain Clichy Of the
Eighteenth Precinct stated that he and three
detectives had arrested the five men on in
formation obtained from Domingo Parrazo
druggist, who told the captain that the
young men were going TO fight duel yester-
day afternoon on Berrion's Island in Long
Island Sound. The young men were arrested
at the Twenty-third street station of the Third
Avenue elevated road. The principals were
Robert Mahon, age 81, student in the Co.
lumbia Law School, living at No. 107 West
&c Horty-hith l! street and Charles W. Smith, age
70, living at No. 316 West Twenty-third street,
and studying law in the office of rremaine &
Tyler, at No. l67 Broadway. Count John T.
DeBellieni of Brszil, age 20, a student in the
College OF Physicians and Surgeons, and the
Marquis Matteo de Fajardo of Porto Rico
age 70, also medical student, were the sec-
onds Tor Mahon, while DR. Charles Cross and
William M IL. Oleott, age 20, student in
the Columbia Law School, appeared as Sec
onds for Smith,
All OF them were errested except one of the
principals, Smith. The latter is a member of
the Alpha Delta Phi College Fraternity. and
Mahon belongs to the Columbia Chapter of
the Theta Delta Chi Fraternity In con-
yersation, about two weeks ago. Smith made a
dlsparaging remark in regard to Theta Delta
Chi' Manon afterward repeated to his fellows
the remark which Smith had made. Ds
Bellleni friend of Mahon and also a MEM
ber OF Theta Delta Chi asked Smith when
next ne met him if it was true that he had
made the insulting remark. Smith denied
that he had ever said anything of the kind.
Manon met Smith in front of the St. James
Hotel last Thursday afternoon, and asked
MN II he had denied making the remark.
smith replied that he had never made such a
remark, whereupOn Mahon called Smith a
iiar, smith responded by striking Mahon in
the face Then they clinehed and were about
to settle the dispute on the spot, when some
friends interfered and the principals were
separated. But neither side was satisfied
with the result OF that interview, and in order
to ''vindicate their honor" the two men an
pointed seconds Mahon directed his seconds
to carry an oral challenge to Smiths seconds,
summonlng their principal to meet Mahon in
ouei to be fought with foils without buttons.
When Smiths seconds received this proposal
they were somewhat abashed, and at once saw
that the affair was to be much more bloody
one than they had hoped or anticipated De-
termlnedi II possible, to save their principal
from being cut in pieces in such brutal man.
ner, tney met by appointment the seconds of
Mr. Mahon on Saturday evening last at De
Bellieni's roems, whore they positively refused
to have anything to do with duel with foils.
At length it was agreed that pistols should be
used instead of fols.
AT subsequent meeting on Sunday night
night the seconds arranged that the duel should
be fought on Thursday afternoon on Berrian's
Island. On arriving at the island, the spot
having been selected, the principals were to
stand back to back at the distance of twenty
PAGES, and at the word, to be given BY Dr..
Cross the principals were to face about, take
one step forward and fire. Each man was to
fire one shot. On Sunday afternoon the sec
onds again met, made overtures of peace, and
agreed that the two principals should be led to
believe that they were going to spill blood,
while in fact they should be allowed to do no
harm to each other, as the seconds would see
TO it THAI the weapons were loaded with blank
cartridges 1t was with this understanding on
the part nf the seconds and misunderstanding
on the part of the principals that all except
Smith met to-day at the elevated railroad sta
ton in TWent-third street, where they were
arrested by Capt. Clinchy, who had been
'.shadowing" them all the forenoon. The
Captain waited only a short time for the an
pearance of Smith, who did not come, and
then took his prisoners to the Police Court.
Justice Power held them in $1,000 bail each to
appear for examination on Saturday.