Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-06-06
A TRIANGULAR DUEL.

In the year 1910, elghty years ago
there was quartered in the town OF
Amagh, Ireland, battalion OF a regi-
ment of foot of the British army, the
boast of which was that it was Irish
to the backbone" and, of course, had a
record of bravery in more than one
field of battle on the Continent during
the ascendancy of the founder of the
unfortunate Napoleonic dynasty.
The battalion was commanded, in
the absence of an officer of higher
grade, by Major Mallory brave inn
petous, irritable, hard drinking officer
who could face, as he had on many
occasions, a loaded pistolain the hands
of an enemy with the fearlessne>s he
would a steaming whisky punch of
his own brew.
Subordinate to the Major in matters
military were Captain Many and Lieu:
tenant Dubray-men who, not less
than their superior, had sought the
bubble reputation at the cannonis
mouth
The trio soon became widely known
to the people OF the ancient town as
| ROSTERS OF most reckless character, and
gentlemen it was best not to entertain
IA serious dispute with. They were
very quarrelsome ain their cups and
it was seldom they were wholly out OF
them. Until their arrival in Armagh
they were regarded as fast friends. and
when there was San exchange OF cour
tesies" they were pretty certain to APP
pear either as principals or seconds
Tor each other. All three were excel
lent marksmen, and rarely failed to
send bullet where they desired it
should go. Their friendship turned
to hatrec within month or six weeks
Of their arrival in the newly assigned
quarters of the regiment. And this
disruption grew out of mutual lik-
ing they entertained for very beauti-
ful face, the owner of which they had
within the same hour been introduced
to, at ball in the Town Hall by no
less parsonage than the Mayor.
1t happened that the Major, Captain
Lieutenant, all in the prime of life
and presentable men, Notwithstanding
their dissipated habits were bachelors,
and the 1ady-a Miss <0,Neii, the
daughter of !, gentleman of large lam
ded property and of very ancient race
was an incorrigible flirt. She en-
couraged the advances of the soldiers,
showing, however, no decided prefer
ence for either, but at the same time
making each s;avagely jealous of the
other.
The Major, with his usual hot-head-
edness, re. olved that crisis should be
brought about, and the young lIdy o
see that he was IN earnest III hIS nd
vances for her person and fortune.
He had made up his mind that the
road to success lay in stepping over
the lifeless bodies of his competitors
for Miss O'NeiI's hand, and to this
end he sought rupture with them ii
breach OF friendship wide enough to
warrant him in forcing upon each of
them an exchange of shots. lie trust
ed to his fortune and sure aim to get
out of the quarrel without hurt, or at
least trltilng perforalion by Il bullet
in no vital part of his body.
His plan WAS simple. He invited
the Captain and Lieutenant "t0 sup
with him one evening, which, in those
days, with gentlemen of ii bibulOus
turn, meant the inhibition of Innisho-
wen in the form OF punch until they
fell from their chairs and lay in
drunken stupor under the table.
The Major instructed his servant
Michael Mcgowan, half demented
person, to prepare his reception room
for the supper and nights debauch.
OF this the man thought nothing
strange, as such meetings were not un-
frequent in bis masters apartments,
which were in Il large old mansion
outside the barrack ground.
Michael got up an excellent supper
and laid in generous supply of lem
ons and whisky and sugar for the !
@brewing of the punch" which, he |
knew, would he drunk like wather"
What did arrest his attention was the |
careful inspection the Major gave his |
armory OF dueling-pistols, cleaning
and loading them with care, us if he |
was about to use them. The servant |
came to the conclusion that there was
a dispute to be settled the next morn
ing by either his master or one of his
guests,
The Major received his two friends
with his customary cordiality, and
when the supper had been disposed of,
and the edibles were of the choicest, |
the most serious business of the night |
was entered upon-namely, the drink
ing of the punch, of which, however,
the host was careful not to take more |
than enough "to steady his nerves"
When the fumes of the potent liq-
uor began to rise and TO stimulate the |
brains of the officers, the love
which each professed to entertain
for the beautiful Miss O'Neil, whose
personal fortune was not less charm
ing in their eyes than herself, came
vividly to their minds, and each be-
gan to boast of the favor he had found
in her eyes Angry words were soon
exchanged, and the host, the soberest
of the three at the table and that was
not saying much for his GOODNESS or
did all that lay in his power
to pomote the quarrel. To hot words
in their liquor Michael Magown was
but was not to what fol
lowed them. The Lieutenant, in the
wlldness of his rage, seized deeanter
and threw it ut the Captain with such
force, that had it struck him, it would
have killed him outright. 1t glanced
past his head and cracked against the
wall, pieces of glass burying them
selves in the plaster. The Captain
imagined that 1t was the Major who
had hurled the vessel at him, and
springing to his feet, ard being large
aud physically powerful man, with a
terrific blow he felled his superior in
grade to the floor
The quarrel had now passed all reas-
enable bounds. In their hot anger
the original cause of the turmoil was
forgotten. Each demanded the hearts
blood Of his fellow, and, as there was
three of them, and no one of them
would wait for the night to pass and
meet in the field in the cool of the
mOrrow's morning, it was determined
without seconds, and with no other +
witnesses than Michael Magown, to
settle it then and there. Who sag-
oested that the duel should be trianptl-