The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-08-19
FIRED WITH BOTH EYES SHUT.
As IN American He Fought tho Duel and
Killed the Cuban.

to surrender the Virginius to Uncle Sam
l landed in Havana as the agent of an
American agricultural works, says
writer in the Detroit Free Press. Fortu.
nate for me in this case / could chatter
away in Spanish with any of them, aud
though was born and reared in Ohio !
was supposed to be an Englishman. Had
l given out that I was straight.haired
Yankee the chances of being mobbed or
knitted or shot, would have been excellent.
The feeling against Americans was so
very bitter that one from the States was
liable to insult and violence on the pub.
lie streets.
I had been here about week when an
| American named Charles Whitley, from
Michigan, arrived With his wife. Whit.
ley was an invalid, and he had come to
Cuba by the advice of physician. I!
remember him as tall, pale.faced and
extremely courteous gentleman, while
she was little bit of a woman who was
all hope and sunshine. It'so happened
that l made their acquaintance the first
| day they landed, and I felt it my duty to
warn Whitley of the feeling entertained
against our nationality. My advice to
him was to keep close for a time and to
carefully avoid being mixed up in any
discussion of public nature. He had
been there week without anything
being said to him, when one day, as we
sat in the hotel reading room, couple Of
Cubans who spoke very good English
came in and took seats near us. There
was no doubt in my mind from the first
that they meant to draw Whitley into 9
trap. They began by abusing and
maligning Americans and wishing for
war, and when he persistenly refused to
take notice of them one of them deliber-
ately turned upon him and said
"Havana is no place for such as you"
"The gentleman is an invalid" /
replied. :.
"But he is also Yankee. continued
the Cuban. "Our Government should
not permit them to even land on the
island"
Whitley,s face grew paler, and he bit
his lips to keep back the hot words which
wanted to come, but he made no reply.
The larger of the two men, who appeared
to be native FIRE eater, waited for o
moment, and then rose up and said to
the Michigander:
call Yankees are cowardsl insult
you! Demand satisfaction if you dare J"
Il do demand it p answered Whitley,
in low voice. 'You evidently want a
duel You shall have it?"
"Good!" hissed the other. "My friend
here will arrange the details with your
friend. You have more courage than
thought for"
He walked away with nod to me, and
was followed by his friend, Who promised
to return in half an hour.
"You can't mean TO fghtW Inquired
of Whitley when We were alone.
"But I do. He insulted me as an
American, hoping to provoke duel, and
as an American Twill fight him."
"But your health 2"
"Never mind my health. All want
is to keep the affair from my wife until
it is over with, Arrange to fight him
tomorrow morning"
"With what weapons ?" -
ri never had q sword in my hand, and
have had no experience with pistols.
Choose pistols, however. know enough
to sight aud fire one, and must take my
chances"
There was no doubt that the man was
an experienced duelist, but the more |
argued with Whitley the more determined
he was to fight. Under all the circum.
stances it would have been no disgrace
for him to refuse, but from the very frat
his mind was made up. Such affairs are
easily and quietly arranged in Cuba.
When the second returned, NE settled on
pistols for weapons, and he vas kind
enough to say that he would arrange for
surgeon to be present. We were to be
at certain spot about four miles distant
at a certain hour in the morning. The
fellow was pink of politeness, and !
carried the idea that I had been mixed
up in several affairs of the SORT, and that
my principal was not green hand on the
field of honor.
! l did not see Whitley again until we
took carriage in the morning to drive
to the grounds. He was calm and self.
possessed, and on the way out arranged
with me about sending his wife home in
case of his death, and provided for other
emergencies. The little woman had not
received the slightest hint of what was
on the tapis. We found the other par
ties waiting for US, and the details were
speedily arranged. The men were placed
fifteen PAGES apart, and it was understood
that they were to fire until one or the
other was killed or wounded. In case
either was wounded and wanted to con-.
tinue the fight, the duel should
go on. The two pistols were load:
ed and handed to the principals, and
the awkward manner in which Whitley
held his made the Cubans smile. I had
told him how to stand 80 as to present
the smallest possible target to, his oppo.
nent, but as they took their places l was
horri6ed to see him present his full front.
It seemed as if any one who could sight
pistol must bore him through at the
first FIRE. He was triae paler than
usual, but he stood firm on his feet and
was in good nerve.
The word was finally given-one, two,
three, fre-and both pistols were dis
charged at once. J. was looking at Whit
ley. 1 saw a piece of cloth from his
shoulder fly in the air, and as turned
my gaze toward the Cuban l saw the
latter sink down ina heap, as if he had
been struck on the top of the head. We
ran to him to find bullet hole in the
center of his forehead, and he was stone
dead. His bullet had Clipped Whitley's
right shoulder, but without drawing
blood. / never saw two men so dumb.
founded as the surgeon and the Cuban's
second. 1t was q minute before they
could realize the disaster. Everything
had been fair and according to the code,
and nothing remained for US except to
return to the city. Whitley was very
calm and self.possessed; neither aston.
ished nor, exultant.
"What spot did you aim for?" 1 asked
as we rode homeward.
"None at ALL" he replied. II had both
eyes shut when / pulled the trigger"
DON'T.
Don't snub boy because he wears
shabby clothes. When Edison, the in.
yentor of the telephone, FIRST entered