Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-07
A bUELLING GROUND.
@'Bloody island in the
Days of Chiyalry.
THE DARK, MYSTERIOUS SPOT.
Once q Lonely Island in the Missis-
sippi, Now the Scene Of
Bustle and Business,

Almost the first question stranger
asks when he lands in East st. Louis is,
s.Where is Bloody islands" He is
lucky if he can find resident of the
place who can tell him writes cor.
respondent from st. Louis to the New
York Star. A few days ago l passed
nearly one entire day in search OF some
one who could point out the exact spot
where Benton and Lucas fought, but
searched in vain. "They fought on the
InlAnd, but don't know at what par
ticular place." came from the lips OF
tach "old inhabitant" interrogated, and
that was ell the information l could get
On the subject.
ssBloody Island" SO called from the
numerous duels fought there, formerly
Law in the middle of the Mississippi
river, with the channel inclining to the
Illinois shore. Its southern extremity
was few hundred yards below the
I eastern approach to the great bridge,
and it attended up the river about half
: mile. The channel of the river swept
around the island to the east, and ferry.
boats from st. Louis we're compelled to
make detours above and below it to
reach the Illinois shore. The water was
% shallow at times on the Missouri side
that steamers were also compelled to
make landings on the Illinois side, and
the people Of st. Louis saw that unless
something was done they would soon be
cut of from inland navigation and the
place become an isolated city. There
fore. in the year 1888, steps were taken
tp remove the sand bars that had formed
shove and below Bloody Island next to
che Missouri side, and some Roadway
was made by plowing up and loosening
the sand on these bars, which was
washed away when the river rose again.
This did not do much good, and many
years later an appropriation was secured
from Congress and dyke and levee
built. and thus was Bloody Island made
part of the main land on the Illinois
aide and all the waters of the river
turned against the Missouri shore. The
eastern channel of the river soon filled
mn with debris, dykes were built across
it and the ferry company moved its
wharfage to the western shore OF the
island, and claimed the new territory
thus obtained under riparian right.
This gave rise to much litigation be.
tween the ferry company and st. Clair
county; the case passed through the Cir.
ouit and Supreme Courts Of the State,
and was finally settled by the United
States Supreme Court deciding in favor
of the former. The island was then
laid off into lots, which were sold to pri.
vate parties, to companies and railroads.
The ground is now occupied by numer.
Gus railroads, depots, round-houses, ele-
vators, many elegant business houses
and some private residences. A fine
school house also stands on the very
spot where Biddle and Pettis fought one
Of the bloodiest duels that ever took
place in this country. Half century
ago the island was lonely spot in the
river; to-day it represents scene of
hustle and business scarcely equaled in
the west.
TWO NOTED DUELs.
Two of the most noted duels fought
ON Bloody Island were by Thomas H
Benton and Charles Lucas, and Thomas
Biddle and Spencer Pettis, Benton To-
Gated in st. Louis in 1916, and the next
year he went to the polls to vote at a
general election. Lucas stepped up and
challenged him. Benton turned round
and denounced Lucas as scoundrel and
. puppy. Both were brave young men.
Lucas could not stand Benton's denunci-
alton, and he challenged him. They
went over to the island and fought Just
a. the sun was coming up over the east
ern bluffs. The bali from Bancroft's
weapon cut one of the veins in Lucas
neck, and the seconds decided that he
could not stand another shot. After three
months nursing Lucas recovered, and
the hostile parties again met at sunrise
on the same spot. Shots were exchanged
and Lucas received the ball from Ben.
toms pistol in his breast. He died in less
than half an hour. Before dying he gave
-8sGtan his hand and said he forgave him.
Benton was not touched at either duel
Lucas was young man Of much promise,
and his death at the hands OF Ben on
produced a deep =. feeling in the commu-
niiy at the time, but the blame was all
cnarssed to ''the code" SO fashionable at
..lat time.
Spencer Pettis was candidate for
Congress in Missouri in 1880. He was
q Democrat, had served as Secretary of
State and term in Congress. Major
Thomas Biddle, a paymaster in the
United States Army, was also candi-
date for Congress, and seems to have
been little "cranky" in conducting the
campaign. He had married the daugh-
ter Of John Mullanphy, one of the rich.
est men in the city, and was pulled up
and arrogant. He wrote and had pub
lished numerous articles ridiculing Pet
fis and stigmatizing him as pusilanimous
and contemplate. Pettis replied in q
spirited manner, which had the effect of
irritating and aggravating Biddles tenn
per and intensifying his presumed griev-
ance. The account given OF the tragic
denouement by John z. Darby says that
BiddIe called at the hotel where Pettis
boarded one morning while the latter
was sick and unable to resist, and cow
hided him in his bed. When Pettis got
we'll he challenged Biddle, and they
fought on the island, Captain Thomas
acting rs second for Pettis and Ben o.
Fallon for B;ddle. The weapons were
pistols and the distance between the par
ties only five feet. When they reached
out to fire the muzzles of their pist )ls
almost touched. Both men fell to the
ground mortally wounded, and they
were rapidly conveyed back to the city
in skiffs. Pettis died the next day and
Riddle the second day after the encoun-
ter. Previous to the duel the whole pop.
ulation had assembled on the Missouri
shore to see what they could learn of the
result as soon as possible. Pettis was
aged twenty and Biddle q few years
older. Colonel Benton was one Of the
.sguests" who had been favored with an
invitation to witness the duel, and after