The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-07-05

VI luo duoilol, tltto giving MI. ID. IcHtNeO
opportunity for seeking satisfaction. .
Nor is this all. The State of Virginia has
an account to submit, which her vigiIant
representative in this county, Meade F.
White, ESQ.,, will vigorously press. AL
ready warrants have been issued for the
arrest of the principals, and it is the in
tention of the Commonwealth attorney
to vindicate the majesty of the law by a
thorough and searching Investigation and
punishment of the parties if possible The
difficulty in these eases has always been to
procure the evidence. Neither principals
nor seconds can be made to criminate
themselves, and as they are generally the
only witnesses of the affair, it is imp0SSi-
BILE to make out Il case. The difficulty,
however, in this instance, may be over
come Already the first link i'll the chain
of evidence has been secured Last Sat
urday evening David Wood, the colored
driver of Beirne's carriage, was in Stann-
ton on his way back to West Virginia.
Whilst here he stated that he had not wit
messed the duel, but Immediately after
wards Mr.. Beirne had returned to the car
riage and stated in his hearing that he
(Beirne) had shot Elan. The driver was
bound over as Il witness, Messrs. w. r.
Tyree and S. L. Thornbnrg being his sure
ties in the sum of $500. But this is not
all Several other colored men, going as
they say to the harvest field were attracted
by the report of the first exchange of shots,
and placed themselves in position to see
the last round in which the wound was
inflicted. They give very minute and
fair, and are positive IN asserting that
they were witnesses of it,
THE HISTORY OF THE DIFFICULTY
is known To our readers. 1t was the out
come of editorials in the Wing and State,
which we published in full last week. Mr..
Beirne. it viii be remembered, said of the
Readjuster party that "a more vicious, cor
rupt and degraded gang never followed any
adventurer than those who hang about the
petty boss. These fellows it is who, hay
ing never scruple in promoting mixed
marriages and mixed schools, and in OPP
posing honest white men-honest cOlOred
men, we trnst--in the strong desire to turn
aside SO dire an evil, accuse their oppo-
nents of using their own offensive word,
Niger Mr.. Beirne suggested that the
Malone party, which was looking about
for name. might adopt Niger" as a
fitting title.
Mr.. Elam, in Il singing reply character
lied the editor of the State as the Bonn
bastes Furiosa," and tainted him with
having forgotten his caps' when called
out by Riddleberger. He closed his article
with these CALLING words: "We laugh at
the States yituperation and vaporing. and
beg to remark that not only does the State
lie, but it's editor and owner lies, and the
poor creature who may Theoretically written
the article in question also lies-all, joint
ly and severally- deliberately, knowingly,
malicionsly, and with the inevitable cow
ardice that is always yoked with insolent
bravado.'
Beirne Immediately sent challenge
which was accepted and meeting was
arranged for in Hanover county, on the
18th of June. Mccarthy acted as Beirne' s
second, and Ragland represented Elam.-
At the time fixed for the duel Elan was
within twenty steps of the appointed
place, when Beirne, who was on his way
thither, was arrested. ELAN made his way
back to Richmond, and Beirne escaped
from the sheriff and fled to Greenbrier,
w. Va. Page Mccarthy went to Rich
mond and in connection with w. l.. Royal
met friends of Elan, and prepared new
cartel in which Waynesboro. as a point
about equi-distant from the combatants,
was agreed on as the place Of meeting. The
seconds were also changed, d. Sheffey
Lewis being substituted for Ragland and
Frank Wright for Mccarthy.
Beirne had safely placed himself beyond
the limits of the State, and the question
then arose how were the parties to get to-
gether. The difficulties were enhanced by
the fact that all means of communication
were under espionage. Deputy Sheriffs all
along the lines Of the railroads were on the
outlook, and the authorities had drawn a
complete network around the parties. All
persons connected with the affair were
watched by detectives. Elan was secure
ly hid near Richmond but Beirne could
not move from West Virginia. He is said
to have been concealed near Ronceverte
in the residence of our former townsman
A. E. White, Esq. Finally Mccarthy re-
sorted to a cipher dispatch. Messengers
navy revolvers and the other the key tC
the cipher, and they went by different
routes. The cipher man was chased by
Deputy Sheriffs who suspected him, but
he escaped by running through a big corn
field. The railroad authorities who read
and, it is alleged, gave away all kilograms
that passed over their lines in relation tC
this affair, perused dispatches concerning
attempts to bull the wheat market, while
the chances of il brilliant season at the
White Sulphur Springs were also dis
! cussed. The dispatch which appointed
the place of meeting discussed the maple
sugar crop of Greenbrier county. AT boil
ends of the line detectives were non
plussed. BY means of the cipher the car
tel and all the necessary preliminarie:
were arranged. The cartel provided thai
the meeting should take place at Waynes
boro at O'Clock Saturday morning, near
the old stage road. The pass word was to
be Number one"
Beirne left Greenbrier County Tuesday
| night in torrents of rain. He was accom-
panied by his second, Wright. Chalkle,
| went on ahead and in connection will
friends of Elan selected the ground, ant
made the preliminary arrangements. TIT
duelists encountered many difficulties OF
the journey. The wagon in which BERN,
Travelled was swept down mountain
stream and its occupants barely escaped
Elam and Smelling left Richmond in ;
double buggy on Monday and arrived a
Jno. Lewis jr., house on Thursday night
The distance Travelled by each was abou
| 201 miles over mountains and through val
| leys and across swollen rivers and creeks
| No better evidence of the determination
of the two men to meet could be givel
than their willingness to encounter thes
obstacles to do so. Both principals real