The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-03

Often as utNped
Latter Day ChIvnlry.
The most notable thing about the clam
Beirne duel is that these duelists are bad
shots. Eight PAGES is not q long distance
indeed It seems to bring the combntsnts SO
near to death that Mr.. Elan was supposed
to have named it with view to killing or
being killed. Both the men are said to
have nerve, to say nothing oEexpeFience'
The reports represent that they bore
Themselves cody and calmly. Yet under
these circumstanCest the first fire was harm
less. 1t required a second shot TO punGture
30 much as the ileshy part of the thig n Of
one. This cannot be called good shooting,
particulsrly in u section where every gentle
man is supposed to be familiar with the
use Of the revolver, and where editors are
ready to fight on sight. Everybody has a
certain respect for man who knows his
business, whether he be dog-fghteF, rat
catcher, or dutlist. Nobody con highly
re,pect men who go out with great
flourish Of trumpets and come back with
one little flesh wound between them. as
u murderous expedition the affair was q
6zzle. as an exhibition Of heightened
medieval chivalry it was silly fraud.
All this nonsense grew out OF news-
paper controversy, which in turn grew out
Of the heated politics Of Virginia. Mr..
Beirne in hisBgmocratc newspaper, The
STATE, let oil some comments on Malone,
and, that there might be no doubt Of his
position, added:
In making this comment upon BOSS
Malone we wish 1t 10 DC dislhcuy unGeI,
stood BY all his corrupt hsnchmen tnat what
wa ray and have said Of him We mean aud
have meant OF them personally, individually,
collectively, or in any other sense they may
choose 10 tsel, A more vicious, corrupt, and
degrading gang never followed any adYen-
turer than those who hans about the petty
Boss.
This was leveled ut Mr.. Elam's Why,
which came back the next day in this
vigorous style:
NoS. we might be content with simply
giving tho lie to nil OF this, as We do gen
orally, for the Read juster party. and specially
in 80 far rs It's charges arc meant 10 Apply 10
the Wig, or anybody connected Slth t1e
JvhJ in irresponsible way but We Wish iuEther
t. say that the whole arucle from winch We
make these extrattsis tissue Oh general ue-
nuCiation which would hnmiliate US j. II
were not accompanied by lofty pretensions
of superiorily in Manners morals. and lei.
tsrs that are lAughably ridiculous.
coming from source 80 pldable IN 1li
moral and intellectual resources and We
wish further to ssy that this denunciaiion is
made with an afro such utter lerocity that 1t
might alarm us but for our recollection OF the
fact that the hero 1.-THE BombaStcs Furioso) OF
the State has the singular reputation oil haV-
ing illustrated bis untanled valOr only oy &C.
ing upon the field-tcithoM caps! while, on
the other hand, the humble parsonage who
now, ON this occasion, has the honor 70 rep
re.snt the Wig, its editorial corps, ana tho
Readiuster party, is at least reported 10 nave
beer 10 rash, once upon u time, as not TO have
forgotten the caps-falljng before u shot
which he met in full face.
Conseq uently-unintimldat and not
utterly Crushed-we laugh AZ the StdteS Vllu-
peration and vSporing, aud beg TO remark
tuat not only does the State lie, butts editor
and owner lies, and the poor creature who
may have actually written the article IN
question also IieE-all, Jointly and ssysrally
deliberately, knowingly, mAllcious!y, and
with the inevitable cOwsfdiCe that Is always
yoked with iasolent brayado.
There was gore in every line OF this. Its
meaning was plain-if Nj. Beirne wasn't
loaded to the muzzIe with "inevitab!e
cowardice" he would challenge and Dir.
Elan would accept. There was chal'
Ienge, an acceptance, aud then began the
remarkable wandering and lodging which
have disturbed the business OF Richmond,
aSitated its society and filled its newspa-
pers for more than week.
Mr.. Beirnc has shot Mr.. Elan in tho
fleshy part OF the thigh-does this make
good Mr.. Beirne's charge that Mr.. Elan is
a "corrupt henchman," a member OF
"vicious, corrupt and degraded gang? II
not, what has Mr.. Beirne gained by shoot
ing Mr.. Elan in the Heshy part OF the
thigh?
1t is plain that Mr.. Elan gains nothing
but wound in the fleshy part Of the thigh,
which may be to him great Inconvenience
when he resumes the editorial chair. The
theory upon which was founded tho trial
bycombat was that the right would pre-
vail. Certainly Mr.. Elam.and his friends
will not admit that the right did prevail.
Another view OF this business is that II
either believed the other to be what he
called him, waait worth while to risk his
lie, and the happiness and welfare Of his
family, to give TIC other chance to kill
him? How senseless thing is this latter
day chiyalry!