The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-18
DUSKY DUEL.
How it was Averted by the N0n-ap-
pearanee of One of the Contestants
at the Appointed Time.

There was to have been an la Sulli-
van Burke affair in the outskirts of town
yesterday afternoon, but it fell through,
owing to the failure of one of the rivals
to come up to the scratch" at the ap-
pointed time. 1t seems that week or so
ago, George Washington, well known
African citizen of this city, and John
Quincy Adams, the tonsorial artist at the
Harper house, had little disagreement in
Bob Goldenstein's saloon. Washington,
IN jocular manner, made motion at
Adams as if to strike him, but did not do
so. This enraged the gentlemen of tom
serial fame, and dialogue something af>
ter this style ensued:
A.-"See hea', you niger, don you
make no such motions as dat al me, or I'll
spread you big mouf all over you face;
do you hea' me chip2"
Wise you huckleberry. Wheneve'
you want to try, on jus want to tell you
Use gentleman, an not to be talked
to in that way by any coon, an
if you say any more I'll riiake you nose
look like a mashed turnip right hea'."
Al amt no common trash niger,
l'se man of the turf, an when a niger
knocks chip off my shoulder he's got TO
pay fo' it."
W-"Tse competent to pay TO it any
time
By this time words had become hot, and
The intercession of friends prevented the
spilllng of darkey blood right then and
there, so arrangements were entered into
| topn duel between the two sons of Ham.
The weapons to be used were light weight
boxing gloves; ground of fight south
of the city limits; time. between l and 3
p. m. Friday, July 18th, conditions,
Marquis of Queensbury rules, $50 per side
fight to finish Barney McNanny was to
be master of ceremonies, Bill Rice. referee,
Bob Goldensteen Washingtons hacker
and second. and Zee SicMahan was 10 act
for Adams
Yesterday afternoon the affair was to
take place. carriages were ordered at .
| O'Clock About that time Adams began
to show indications of extreme nervous
nesc, his friends braced him up W it'll
spirits, but to little effect As the time
approached for his rivals carriage to APP
pear he grew pale, yes almost
white, and when his friends came
IN and in a joking way announced
the arrival of Washington, he almost
wilted and made for the bath tub where
he remained until after 3 o'clock. Then
he came out and was in the
act of shampooing mans head when the
arrival of his dusky rival was again an
nounced, Adams hit the man
in The chair over the head
with the shampoo bottle and emptied
the contents down lhe DaCk OF MS
neck, while he made for the bath tub
again. A minute later he came out, dat
niger is a coward he said; hea Use been
waltin TO him all de afternoon, an he
Amt ncbber shown up. It's free O'Clock
now, an de stakes is mine" And sure
enough it was 3 O'Clock and Washington
; had not appeared, so Adams carriage was
sent back to the livery stable. Quite a
number of local sports who were let into
the secret of the affair were disappointed
but Adams now says he will wager 800
if some one will back him, that he can
whip Washington on sight. 1t is under
stood the fight will come off next Friday
: Washington remarked when spoken to
about it this morning: Il amt no ex>
! pert with dem stuffed gloves, but l car
hit an all.powerful blow wild my bare fist.