The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-25
'SDEATH! HA! Hal!
The sanguinary Business Those Vir-
ginia Editors Laid Out for
Each Other.
"Esanzs AFT Agieeo Because the Grow
cling NiniOn of the Law H.
trades Himself.

ELlCH&oRD, bd.y June aSo.--th udgedf was
averted last evening near Hanover Junction
by the timely arrival of Policeman Alex
Tomlinson, OF Richmond, who surprised oGs
of the principals in the Beirne- Elan duel aui
aITeSte! him while on his way to the dueling-
grounds Parties representing both the
gentlemen met in Richmond, and after the
usual formalities of delivering and accepting
n challenge agreed upon cartel substantially
as follows: The principals, ". {. Elan and
Richard 7, Beirne, were to fight with
six-baTeled navy revolvers all loaded.
The distance, owing to Mr. Elan be-
ing nearsighted, was fixed at eight PAGES.
They were TO FIRE between the words 'One,
Two, and three, fire!' If neither was killed
Or wounded the command was to be again
given, and the principals were then to fire.
and continue to fire until all the barrels nt
heir pistols were emptied, or until one or the
other was disabled At the time OF this
agreement the principals were nearly forty
miles apart Mr. Elan and his second were
N Richmond, while Mr.. Beirue was at Hew-
lett's depot on the Chesapeake & Ohio rail
road The Representatives of Mr.. Elan
insisted that the meeting should take place
at a point near Hanover junction, which
was about midway, and the fight should
tola Mace ar s,n,.isa Yesterday morning
This ,i,os o.iacta5 To hv. Rai,ne,s renresenta-
tiyps. who stated that that gentleman could
NOT he communicated with or produeed al
that hour II was then agreed that the meet.
;,,o sboul1 tn . place at A "a. m and the fight
sbonIa come off AT 6 O'clock in the evening
promptly.
The details, up to the hour of meeting,
were carried ont Mr. Page McCarty, who
Gave Mordecai his death woupd and nearly
received his own in a. duel some wears ago
was Mr. Rejrne,s second Mr. Wayerly Rag
land acted in fine same canacity for Mr. Elam
The latter gentleman had the weapons, which
were found to be Colts Ave balaeled
reyolvers, carving only ball
of thhty-one calibre, instead of navy
six-barreled revolyers, as agreed upon in tbs
cartel This gave rise to discussion, which
DELAYED the proceedings McCarty objected
to Colts pistols, and asked to substitute a pair
Of REGULAR dueling pistols which he had with
him Ragland insisted on Colts revolvers,
and, to accelerate matters, Mr.. Beilne
waived the objection to his second. and said
he would fight with these weapons. This
change in the programme was then reduced
to writing. The selected dueling-ground was
an Cardoza,s farm ehout two miles south of
the innction. All this time Mr. Elan. with
so,ns friends uae in waiting near the nlaca
of tho avnao+ad ancounter Tho t;,ra
uos now ahont 5.90 N m The concu-
zion ~ the arApdad cartel was nearly
raacbaJ when the westward hound train on
tba Cbasaneaka & Ohio railroad arrived of
tba iunc+ion Refine his second and Mr.
Ragiand we're then at a point about third
of = nib from the depot arranging the Anal
lataiIs eff the duel
At this hmctpre ahont 5.45n m Police
man Tnmiinson who and arrived on the
Train and mounted a saddled horse which he
fonnJ Of tba aanot came down the road TIL
q, 49, - -. =