Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-08-18
4 STRANGE DUEL.

A heart. rending affair occurred at Emory
Gap Roane county, Tennessee, Wednesday
night, which has thrown that whole section
into excitement and CONSERVATION. Two
Young men named Will Rogerson and Tom
Staples had been friends, but recently had
a misunderstanding aud Tuesday Rogerson
who had lately been travelling agent for
Cleveland, Ohio, oil refinery, heard that
Staples, who lives at Emory Gap, had called
him = vile epithet Accordingly he sought
STAPLES. who was cripple aud greatly de-
formed, and demanded TO know if what he
had heard was true. Staples coolly replied
that ii was, and that he had used the Ian
guage mentioned. Rogerson then said,
''Tom, you are cripple and ] am too much
of man to strike you under the circum-
stances. and in order TO give you an equal
chance ! want you TO fight me with pistols
or get your shotgun. In an instant Staples
face became deathly pale: but, seeing
the determined expression on Roger.
sons face, he answered il voice
scarcely above q whisper, by God, |
am 10 coward You have shown your
manhood by Offering me chance, and
will accept your challenge. Make your az
rangemcnts." The men then turned aside,
and after = few moments OF whispered con-
versation walked off in different directions.
A few bvstanders who had overheard the
words spoken between them supposed they
were Joking and attached no Importance or
meaning to what they supposed were idle
words Shortly afterward they went to y
house III the neighborhood, duly armed and
ready and determined TO carry out their
purpose After remaining in the house for
some minutes Rogerson remarked to Staples,
The time is up" and together they walked
into the yard. In few moments the in
mates Of the house, who were all ignorant
of the intention of the parties, heard two
shots. then two more, and finally 4 single
shot. all fired in rapid succession from the
ward. The shots attracted several men
froIn the neighhorhood, who came ut once
and repaired to the place whence the sounds
came, and there n CHASTITY spectacle met
their Mortified gaze, and they could not re-
press chorus of exclamations of horror.
Upon examination il was found that Rom
e!son had received two bullets, one passing
through his left hand and Ihc other entered
his forehead, and crashing through his
brain killed him instantly. Only two
chambers OF his revolver were cmpty, but
they had accomplished their deadly work.
Staples was found lying on his face with
the blood flowing from two wounds. Onc
bulio; had passed through his abdomen and
another had entered his right breast. but its
course could not be ascertained. staples
fingered in an unconscious condition about
twenty minutes and expired. His pistol
had been fired three times, but only two
shots struck R"ger>on. Several gentleman
who were present when the difficulty be-
tween the men arose state that RogersCn
aud Staples agrecd 10 fight at ten PAGES in
the dark Rogcrson would not agree for
any ono TO witness the duel. From the po-
si;ion in which the men were lying when
found it IS very evident that they fought NJ
,cn PAGES as agreed. Both young men were
well connected, and Rogerson was popular
and highly esteemed.