Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-07-07

men staining little shrub, which,
too. was sspped q death-are the
bases Of . story IS true Is i Is hide.
ouziy romantic. Every one who was
IN New Orleans in the summer Of
1872. and il stu living. must remem.
Der the Rheft-E Cooley duel. Judge
Cooley resigned his position Is q
Judge il one Of the courts Of the
Parish 81 Orleans 10 challenge and
fight r B. Rhett then editor 81 the
New Orleans Picayune. Colonel
Rhett had published an extremely
abusive article, impugaing the
judges motives and vieiously IS
saulting his character. The due
was arranged, and Bay St Louis,
Miss, on the other side Of Pear
River, fifty two miles from New Or
leans, WAS selected as the ground
Il Is unnecessary 70 menfioa the
names Of those who witnessed The
sad affair; one. In addition to the
principals, viii be sufficient to ex
plain the remarkable condolences 81
which this "reminiscences treats
Carson Nudge was At that time the
most prominent dealer in guns and
spOFtsman's materials IN the Ores
cent City. He was known by al
sp0rtsmcn and liked. The weapons
selected were double barreled shot
guns loaded with ball. The maDnel
o. loading the gun is an important
factor when accuracy Is desired, a
every sportsman knows Mr.. Mudgi
did this service for Colonel Rhett
atthe earnest solicitation of the Sc
conds. He had performed simiIal
favors before, but up TO that time
the arm OF his man had not been Al
true, nor the intention as deadly, a
those which characterized and gov
erned Colonel Rhett. Ii was TO be |
duel a foutrance. and Mr.. Nudge die
his best.
Two parties of men left New Or
leans on an early train for the bay
and arrived ct about ten o'clock
Carriages were taken to NicholsoE
avenue, q broad lane running from
the edge OF Mississippi Sound u
the railroad. q mile distant. Just
half way from the railroad TRACK
forty yards were stepped off, and the
positions drawn. Colonel Rhett'I
two seconds stood over Nudge as hs
carefully measured the powder,
weighed the ball and wrapped il In
a small piece Of cloth, until the lead
en- missile had grown with its GOV
ering TO q size TO tightly At the bore
Il was driven home. few moments
after the same operation had beer
performed among the little cluster o.
anxious men who stood across thu
lane. The principals parted with
the surgeons with whom they haC
been speaking, and were led TO theil
places. Both men stood erect, theil
faces showing determination, /
deadly hatred, but no fear.
Facing Colonel Rhett, were orangI
trees just beginning to bad, and Il
front of Judge Cooley was a lonl
row Of oleanders, whose bushes con
trasted strongly with the spotlesi
white Cape jasmines that alternate(
with the aeacias dotting the rear o
a large, inclosed garden.
The Sound lay in limitless spac'
on the east, cleaning like polished
brass in the dancing rays Of the sun
The barrels of the shotguns. too
were cleaning. but the glints werl
the smiles Of q Mephisto.
The hooking birds were still
singing their morning welcomes 4
the bright day when the word wa
given
"Are you readyf"
| The two men nodded assent.
'.Firel One, two"
The reports were almost simultane
ously, and the duel was over.
Judge Cooley had washed out tn
stain on his honor, In his blood
! Colonel Rhett had sustained his b
killing his adversary
The birds had been frightened 10
to silence, but only for moment
and again their carols went up anl
their music blended IN the etherea
with the perfume of flowers. A mai
had been killed and that was ALI
had been done in a gentlemanly way
One glance of the surgeon Statistic,
him; one look at the face of thei
friend told the tale to the seconds
Carson Nudge had loaded well, tn
bullet had gone TO the heart of tn
game and the sportsman was satisfied
The two sets Of seconds were salts
| fed; all said they were satisfed-bu
one.
A little shrub was growing wher
Judge Cooley fell, and as the re,
stream flowed from his breast, twl
drops dripped upon two of its leaves
Il was q sprig of deer grass, q succu
lent little green vegetation, tender a
the sensitive plant. The two THU
leaves swelled and dropped with tn
blood Of the dead. and. saturated
sent the surplus through their vein
70 the stem.
The dead was removed, and th,
living returned to the city.
The newspapers at the time pub
lished detailed accounts of the affair
IS representatives, of all the journal
were present and vouched for thl
perfectly fair manner In which |
question OF honor had been decided
under the code. There had been NJ
Interruption by law officers, and nj
subsequent Judicial cognizabee wa
taken Of the case. Colonel Rhett re
turned 70 his old home In South Car
DINA. and edited newspaper.
Though people who lived near ths
scene OF the duel could see spots o.
blood on the grass where Judg.
Cooley fell, little attention was paid
70 that, as the grass would withel
and die In the winter and q new croT
spr0ut in the spring. And so the
stains were left uudisturbed.
Il was not very long after, that I
Mr.. Bienvenu challenged Judge Phil
lips. practlcing lawyer, and had the
satisfaction of receiving q favorable
answer 70 his cartel.
Again shOtguns, loaded with ball,
were the weapons. and the identica
spot where the Rhetl Cooley due
4 Il. A. = a