Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-08-15
ReMORSE OF cuELiSTS.
The Shadows That A;,n.,uyxc., ,.,u.
ton. Prenti.> and Others.


,Sin r a,r>. t.T.'
On Sunday last Ile Call, in the
article descrip i've OF the great gr ei
which Swallowed the life of the otherwise
pleasant and congenial eorse Pen
Johnston for nearly twentv-six wears
declared that he was changed man
ever after, and the shadow of that
tragic event was t. his soul like that
typltied BIZ Poe's Raven the mid
night dark an dreary' of its coming
was to him the fatal anniver ,ary of the
duel. when the shadows invariabl.
deel ened on his brooding heart. "
While few Americans or Englishmen
(thls cannot be SAID so truthfully of
others, unless it be so said of Irishmen
who have survived fatal duels during
the past century and half, are strang-
ers to either grief Or remorse, there
have lived and died many like the
gentle, humane, chivalrous and affec-
tIonate Johnston, whose per ect peace
OF mind had been forever atterward
shattered or destroyed.
The brilliant ). ). Prentiss, of Miss
issippi "a New Highlander by birth and
education, who fought number of
duels In deferen to public opinion, ad-
mtted great remorse. His moral and
religious training an scruples we're an
tagonistic to the custom; yet he once
went upon the field after he had be-
come possessed OF wife and children.
Probably no gentleman of as much
natural wit and sunshine walked 80
much i'll the valley of the sha ow OF
death" He once wrote to friend con
cerning one of his meetings that he did
nothing but read the bible and
weep and pray. The possibility of
leaving my own family unpro-
tected," said Prentiss, or of killing q
fellow-being, haunted me so that I
could not sleep, and l tottered round in
the daytime like WORKOUT old man. !"
Undoubtedly Mr.. Ira e', who killed
Mr.. Cilley, suffered much from re-
NOR. G. just before he died lie said it
required higher order of courage to
decline than to accept challenge, and
he declared that, if ever he became in
vOlved in another d fl:cu.ty his moral
obligations, and not fear of public opin-
ion. should guide him in all his actions
IN the premises.
AS vigorously and as humanelv D.
O'Conne!l deprec ted dueling, and as
reluctantly as he met DR. sterre, whom
he killed, he never got I'd of his re.
morse of conscience from the day of that
fatal meeting in the county of Kid re.
The dying groan of ID f.sterre made q
wound 1n O'Connells hea which no
physician could heal lie once de Jared
in the house OF commons that, having
Hood upon his hands, he had register ed
q VOW in heaven. And it has also been
written of OC onnell tlat he never at
tended church a ter the killing Of
D'Esterre without first wrapping u, in
a handkerchief the guilty hand" de.
claring that he could not approach his
redeem, with the hand exposed which
had taken the life of ;ellow-nlan.
Senator Thomas Hart Benton, of
Missouri ta.though it has often been
ated that the duel was forced upon
him, deeply regret ed his meeting
with Lucas Tin which the latter was
killed. and some time p:evious to his
death Col. Benton destroyed all o. the
papers he had in hi, possession or that
he coild obtain concerning the affair.
Col. John NJ. McCarty. who killed Gen.
Armstead Il. Mason, suffered great re-
morse up to the time of his death over
the remembrance of the Ill n Atu al ell
counter. Ma on and McGarty were
Nirginians and cousins and quarreled
over politics, VIII ch ran high at the
time.-lSlO.
Henry III. Hips, who slew h $ former
friend, Benjamin Woodbridge, one
night i'll 1928. on ! oston Common
and escaped, died from great grief in
France in les. than q wear afterward.