The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-02-28
A STRANGE DUEL.
Magruder's Fight With Doctor in O
Restaurant.
TAlta California I

During the autumn of 1852, in Los Angeles,
Cal, Col. since q distinguished general in
the Confederate army, and now deceased j.
Bankhead Magruder, Third artillery, U. S.
A., who was visiting that city from San
Diego, commenced an evening at Harry
Monroe's restaurant, in company with three
or four other congenial fellows by ordering
a champagne dinner of an elaborate charac-
ter 1t was not long after the initial move
ment of the real old Duff Gordon sherry from
right to left that an exhilaration set in
which was rapidly and radiantly heightened
to hilarious pitch, the reader
may rest assured so that, after
the "feast of reason and flow of SOUP had got
completely under way, the nocturnal way
farer might have misinterpreted the medley
of vociferation for sounds of revelry second
only to those attributed to the beauty and
chivalry of Belgium's capital upon a mo-
mentous occasion by the author of "Childe
Harold's Pilgrimage" In other words, an
uproarious controversy had quickly followed
the gastronomic discussion, during which
Magruder declared, with his characteristic
suavity, that Andrew Jackson was "the
greatest man who ever trod in shoe leather"
Col John o. Wheeler tossed off a goblet of
krug ito the greatest of American states
men, Henry Clay;" while Thompson Burrill
quatfed placidly away to the memory of
"Daniel Webster, the greatest man the world
ever produced"
A certain disciple of Esculapius, who was
present, then arose, Us ostentatiously as it
was possible for him to rise under the crcum-
stances, and said: "My father, who was sheriff
~ n
est of all AmericansW To which Magruder
replied, vehemently: Doctor, you're a
damned fool" The doctor at once challenged
Magruder to fight, which cartel of defiance
was at once accepted, the combat to take
place on the spot, and over the dining table,
from end to end, distance twelve feet;
weapons-derringer pistols. Maj Horace
Bell, in his exciting book entitled "Remi-
niscences of a Ranger presents his readers
with the following description of the duel:
Wilson Jones, the doctors second, got the
word, and the principals, without shaking
hands, took their respective stations, the ma
| Jestic form Of Magruder towering above that
| of the diminutive doctor, who paled and
| shuddered when brought face to face with
| the grim-visaged son of Mars.
All was suspense. The word was to be:
| Ready! fire! One, two, three! At the word
"ready," to the dismay of all, the doctor
| blazed away. When the smoke cleared some
what, to the horror of the valiant disciple
| of Esculapius, his antagonist stood as stiff and
| defiant as an avenging demon. The doctor
| quailed; Magruder glared savagely on him
for full minute The spectators, spell
bound, looked on with horrible foreboding.
Magruder took two 'side steps to the right,
which brought him clear of the end of the
! table. He then advanced the fright foot tC
the 'front.'" with his glaring eyeballs bent
| fiercely on the now terrified doctor. He
then brought the left foot up to the level OF
the right heel and leveled his derringer at the
| ghastly face of the trembling doctor. Then be
advanced the right foot as before, and in thi!
way, with firm and unrelenting tread, he
slowly advanced on the now thoroughly
| frightened doctor, who made a movement
toward the door. The spectators interposed
and cut off the possibility of retreat in thai
direction. The doctor tried to flank the
colonel by diminishing around the table. Ma
gruder faced TO the left as though moving or
pivot, and kept the direful deITinger aimee
directly at the doctors pallid countenance
In the excitement the doctor ran under the
table, crawled through, grasped the knees Of
the irate hero, and atfectionately embracing
them, said: "Col. Magruder, for the love Of
God, spare me for my family" The colonel
gave him a kick and said: On you! I'll
| spare you for the hangman." And, so saying,
he handed the weapon to his second and the
festivities were adjourned.