The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-10-24
The Eorristown Gazette.
WEDNESDAY. Der. "a. 1888.
ARENARKABLE DUEL.

"A hEAMA IN ~ y -@~"
In the latter half of the last cen
tury there fiOurished in Dunleckny,
County Carlow, a slime old Irish
gentleman" named Bagenal, king
Bapenal." he was called, from the
fact that he was a veritable monarch
over the circle in which he moved
His possessions were eXtensiye-hls
territory broad, he was wealthy, OF
an old Norman lineagei his man
ners- in some respects, polished, IN
others. slmOst wild. He was found
of good living, of good horses, and
of GOOD company, and he tolerated
no associates who could not honor
his good wine, and who were not
eheerfully ready on occasions, 10
Hburn powder at twelve PAGES lie
was an inveterate duelist. 1t was
said that he never sat down TO his
dinner without a pair of loaded PTS
tels bv the side of his plate, and
when the cork of a wine-bOttle prov
ed refractory, it was his custom to
nlace the bottle away from the
range of a guest, when he would
non off the head of IL with a pistol
bail. In short, the sum of his Cd
dities of like character Is withOu.
end. The story | have ID tell OF
King Bagenal l. of a duel which he
fought when he had become so old
that he could not stand without as
sistauce. During all his life, "burR-
ina pOtrder al tlreire PAGES, as he
always called it, had been his chief
delight.
one day after Bagenal had seen
his four score years of life, lot OF
pigs, the property OF a gentleman
who had then recently settled near
his estate, broke into one Of his in
closures and rooted up flower bed.
Now the gentleman who owned
these pigs had not yet made himself
known To the monarch, nor had he
in any way manifested an interest
in making the kings acquaintance.
Here was an opportunity. As soon
3 Bagenal had learned of the tres
pass he ordered his men to secure
the pigs. To cut off their ears and
tails, and bring them to him. This
done. he made the discovered parts
into a package, and sent them to
the owner of the swine, with the
polite intimatiOn that ne, too, de-
served 70 have hes ears locked.
.Now r. cried Bagenal in high
4 H. vvnAzEnDra "a
trusty henchman, If he's a gentle
man he must burn powder at twelve
PAGES after that
And he was not to be disaDpOint-
ed. The owner of the pigs sent a
challenge. which King Bagenal &C
cepted with keen avidity. "Only,
he stipulated, las | am in my eigh-
tieth year, and feeble with age, j
shall be allowed to fight while sit
ting in my old arm chair; and fur
ther. as my infirmities render 1t in
convenient for me TO rise early, the
meeting shall take place in the at
ternoon. An time was, the old
man added, with a sigh, "when ]
would have cheerfully left my bed
before daylight for the sake of fight
ing a duel at sunrise. But we can
do those things at fOur-scOre. All
Heavens will be done.
They fought at the established
twelve PAGES. Bagenal wounded IN:
antagonist severely; the arm OF the
chair in which he sat was shattered
bv the others ball, while he escaP
ed unhurt. And the chronicler add;
that he ended the day with a glori
Gus carouse, setting a cask OF clare
on the floor of his wassail-hall anC
tapping it, as was his wont on sucl
occasions, by firing a pistol-bal
through its head.
There are other stories of tn
Bacchanalian monarch, which rea'
more like the romance of fable thar
like sober fact but this will answe
for the present