Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-07

encounters In the year 1858 he chal-
lenged General Sam Houston, but the
latter saw no reason why he should fight
for the fun of the thing, and declined
the s'hcnor." The last man Smith
killed according to the code duello was
William Ball, at st. Genevieve, and it
was of such cold bl CODED nature that
the grand Jury indicted him on the
charge of murder, but he was acquitted
on trial. In speaking of this noted
duelist, John f. Darby courageously re-
marks: "a man of more polished man.
ners and more courageous demeanor l
never met. He was gentleman in
every respect"
A MYSTERIOUS SHOT.
During the month of June, 1892,
Bloody Island was the scene of what is
additionally known as the "mysterious"
or s'romantic" duel. At daybreak one
pleasant morning two skiffs were seen to
shoot out from the Missouri shore in
the direction of the island, both moving
at q rapid rate. In each were lady
and two gentlemen, beside the oarsmen.
The ladies were habited in light summer
dresses, but were closely veiled. They
were evidently young, handsome and
high toned. By the side of each sat
Young man, whose face was hidden from
view by a mask. The other two young
men were not masked, but were entire
strangers to all who saw them. The
boats soon reached the island, and the
parties disem barked and Immediately
disappeared in the thick foliage that
then covered two.thirds of it. Soon
afterward the sharp, loud reports of two
pistols were heard almost simultane-
ously. Several piercing screams from
the ladies in an instant af,erward rang
out over the waters of the river. In ten
minutes more one of the masked men
was carried out of the bushes and down
the sandy beach to the boat in waiting
and gently laid therein. One of the
ladies followed, wringing her hands and
mourning in an agonized manner. The
skiff was then pushed off and rowed
rapidly to a steamboat moored near the
Missouri shore. The wounded duelist
was carried aboard and taken to state.
room, where it was said he died in few
hours. The boat soon afterward moved
off down the river. Shortly after the
first party left the island the other party
came out of the bushes, got into their
skiff and moved to another steamer
lying further up the river. They
boarded it, and disappeared into the
cabin. 1t was noticed that the gentle.
man wearing the mask was also
wounded, apparently in the hip or legs,
but not so severely as to prevent him
from walking. During the afternoon of
the same day, the steamer on which the
second party embarked also moved
down the river. Who were the parties
to this tragedy? Although both
steamers often visited st. Louis after
ward, and the officers were earnestly
questioned as to who the parties were,
where they lived and why they fought,
they refused to divulge the secret. The
mystery still remains mystery.
From 1920 to l840 was the era of
duels on Bloody Island, and scarcely
week passed that did not mark the
deadly encounter of parties who thought
their honor could be vindicated in no
other manner than by strict observance
of the code" 1t became so common
that people living on either shore paid
no further attention to the reports OF
pistols on the island than to note the
occurrence and then 60 about their
business.
Bloody Island is the scene of occa.
sional stirring events of tragic char
acter even in this day and age of the
world, yet the romance" and "man-
hood" that called the chivalry of the
neighborhood to its grassy and fowery
lawns during the first half of the century
have gone down to the vista of that
period, never again. to returns. F.
Alta,