The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-07-12
PILLS INSTEAD OF BULLETS.
a Romantic and Fatal Duel at Ole New Or
leans.

A Romantic and Fatal Duel at Ole New Or.
leans.
A duel, fatal TO one of the principals
and yet novel in nature, is detailed by q
writer in the New Orleans Times Demo.
crdf. 1t was between two young men Of
the Crescent City. and occurred over for.
ty years ago. The young men were
Henri Delagrnve and Alphonse Riviere
and the cause of the duel was the euc.
cess of the former in wooing Nine. Ce.
lestin. Riviere sought out Delagraye
and found him in gambling saloon.
Riviere was very pale as he approached
the group of men around the table.
What with the yellow light shining
through tho curtains and his bloodless
appearance, he seemed rather Il ghastiy
corpse than living body, but there was
motion and voice in him which soon
J,spclled such an allusion.
AS he neared Delagrave the latter
turned to confront him, when Rivicre,
with n voice that seemed to come from
behind the door of q tomb, said "Del.
agrave, we cannot live on this globe to.
gether; it is not large enough"
Delagrave, quietly putting his cigarette,
in a cold and impressive tone replied
Yes; you annoy me. It would be bet.
ter if you were dead"
Riviere's face flushed, and reaching
forward laid the back Of his hand gently
against Hslagrase'E oiesk. Tha game
was at once interrupted The slap, which
was 80 light it did not even crimson the
young mans cheek, was enough to cali
for blood, and leaving the house he sought
an intimate friend to him he opened
his heart: ut must be battle TO the
DEATH" Such was the enmity between
himself and Riviere only life could
wipe it up. The old Doctor who had
grown up, it might he said, ON the field,
shrugged his shoulders and demonstrated,
but at last acquiesced and said: every
we'll, then; it shall be to the DEATH"
Few people who knew what sort of a
party it WAS driving down the she'll road
bordering Bayou st. John. Two carri-
ages stopped just on the bridge leading
to the island formed there by the bifuri.
cation of the bayou, aud four gentlemen
alighted. Sayalle, we'll known cbarac.
ter here forty years ago, accompanied
Riviere and old DR.. Rocquet was with
Delagrave, The seconds had met pre-.
viously and arranged everything. Della.
grave, as he stepped from !li. carriage,
looked furtively around for the cases of
pistols, but seeing none. he was liutle
disconnected. After walking about 100
yards from the carriages the party stop.
ped and the Doctor motioned them to
approach closer. When they had done
80, he called them by name and said:
Gentlemen, ne have discussed this
matter nearly all Of last night, and both
MIR. Savalle and myself feel satisfied that
there is no solution to the differences
between you but the death of one. The
world is 30 formed that both cannot live
in it Mt the same time." The two nod.
ded. Therefore," the Doctor went on,
I'VE have agreed TO make the arbitrament
as fair as it is possible and let fate de.
cIde." lie took out black morocco
case and from it produced a pill box
containing four pellets. "Oue of these"
said he, contains positively fatal dose Of
prussic acid, the other three are harmless.
We have agreed that each shall swollow
two of the pills, and let destiny decide"
Savalle inclined his head, and said, as the
representative Of Riyiere, he greed.
iiie two men we're ps'=, almost blood
less, but not nerve embed or muscle
contracted.
Gentlemen" said the doctor, we will
toss for the first pill" Savalle cried out
tails" as the glittering gold piece re-
volved in the air. 1t fell in bunch of
grass, the blades of which, being sepa-
rated, showed the coin with the reversed
head of the Goddess of Liberty upper
most. "Mr. Delagrave, you have the
first CHOICE" said the doctor.
Reposing in the little bog, the four
little globes seemed the counterpart of
each other. The closest scrutiny would
not develop the slightest difference.
Nature alone, through the physiological
alembic of the human stomach, can't
tell Of their properties. In one there
rests the pail Of eternity, the struggle for
breath, the failing ofsight, the panorama Of
years rushing in an instant through the
mind, the silence and peace Of sleep for.
evermore, the cerements, the burial case,
the solemn cortege, and the close,
noisome atmosphere of the grave. Ali
these were contained in one of these little
pellets. Delagravc, having won the frat
choice, stepped forward and took q pill.
With a calmncss which was frigid he
placed it on his tongue, and with CUP
of ciaret, handed him by the Doctor,
washed it down.
"And now, Mr.. Riyiere," said the
Doctor. Riviere extended his hand and
took pill.
Like his opponent, he swallowed it.
The two men stood looking one anoth-
or in the face. There was not a culver
to the eyelid, not twitch to muscle.
Each was thinking of himself as we'll as
watching hi, adversary. One minute
passed. Two minutes passed. Three.
Four: Five. snow, gentlemen"
This was the fatal choice. Both men
were ready for the cast of the die. Sa-
yalle tossed the gold piece aloft and the
Doctor cried out "heads." "Heads" it
was, and Delagrave took pill from the
box, leaving only one.
Now said the Doctor, I'M. Riviere,
the remaining one is for you. You will
please swallow them together"
The two men raised their hands at the
same time and deposited the pill on their
tongues and took draught Of claret.
One second passed and there was no
movements. Then-"Good God /" ex.
claimed Riviere, his eyes starting
from their sockets, halfround to
the left, raised his hand above
his head and shrieked long, wild shrek
that belated travellers even 70 this day
say they hear on the shell road near the
island.
He fell prone TO the earth, and, save a
nervous contraction of the muscles of
the face, there was no movement.
Delegrave took him by the hand as he
lay on the damp grass and said in ten.
der voice: II regret it, but it vas to
be-"