Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-09-01
As an American He Fought the Duel.

Soon alter the CuDallS were cO1npelleu
I to surrender the Virginius TO Uncle
Sam landed in Havana as the agent OF
an American agricultural works. For
tunatelv for me in this case l could
chatter away in Spanish with any OF
them, and though was born and reared
| in Ohio was supposed to be an English
man. Had / given out that | was a
straight-haired Yankee the chances of
being mobbed or knitted or shot, would
have been excellent. The feeling
| against Americans was 50 bitter that
one from the United States was liable TO
insult and violence on the public streets.
l had been-here about week when
an American named Charles Whitley,
from Michigan, arrived with his wife.
Whitley was an invalid, and he
had come to Cuba by the advice of
| his physician. / remember him as a
tall, pale-faced and extremely courteous
] gentleman, while she was a little bit of
a woman who was all hope and sun
shine. Ii so happened that | made their
acquaintance the first day they landed,
and felt it my duty 10 warn Whitley
of the feeling entertained against our
nationality. Ny advice to him was TO
| keep close for time and TO carefully
avoid being mixed up i'll any discussion
of public nature. He had been there
] a week without anything being said to
him, when one day, rs he 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 nv mind from the first that
| II. a. NJ biflaN az. n
They began by abusing and maligning
Americans, and wishing for war, and
when he persistently refused to take
notice of them one of them deliberately
turned upon him and said:
"Hayana is no place for such rs you. :"
"The gentleman is an invalid" | re-
pled.
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 a moment and then rose up and said
to the Michigander:
"All Yankees are cowardSi l insult
youI Demand satisfaction if you dare,'
Il do demand it,; answered Whitley,
in a low voice you evidently want a
duel, You shall have it?''
''Goodl'' hisSed the other. ''Aly
friend here will arrange the details with
your friend. You have more courage
than thought for
He walked away with 4 nod to me,
and was followed by his friend, who
promised to return in half an hour.
You can't mean to fight him?" l
idquired of Whitley when We were
alone
''But l do. He insulted me as an
American, hoping TO provoke a duel,
and as an American | will fight him.
but your health? "All want Is 10
keep the affair from my wife until il is
over with. Arrange 10 fight him to-
morrow morning
with what weapOns:';
Il never had sword in my hand,
and | have had no experience with pis-
tOlS. Choose pistols, however. know
enough to sight and 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
he was to fight. Under all |
The circumstances il would have been no |
disgrace for him 10 refuse. but from the |
very first his mind was made up. Such |
affairs are easily and quietly arranged |
in Cuba. When the second returned, |
e.-.1aI al F.r nj
he was kind enough TO say that he |
would arrange for surgeon to be pres
ent. We were to be at 4 certain spot |
about four miles distant at a certain |
hour in the morning. The fellow was
A pink of politenesS, and l carried the |
idea that l had been mixed up in several |
affairs of the sort, and that my princi- |
pal was not green hand on the field of |
honor.
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 |
mergencies. 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 under |
stood that they were to fire until one or |
the other was killed or wounded. In |
case either was wounded and wanted to |
continue the fight, the duel should 60 on. |
The two pistols were loaded and handed |
TO the principals. and the awkward |
manner in which Whitley held his made |
the CubanS smile. ] had told him how |
to stand so rs to present the smallest |
possible target to his opponent, but as |
they took their places | was Mortified to |
see him present his full front. 1t seemed |
as if any one who could sight pistol |
must bore him through at the first fire. |
He was trifle paler than usual, but he |
stood firm on his feet and was i'll good |
nerve.
The word was finally given-one, two,
three, fire-and both pistols were dis
charged at once. | was looking at |
Whitley. | saw a piece of cloth from |
his shoulder fly in the air, and rs / |
turned my gaze toward the, Cuban l saw |
the latter sink down in a heap, as if he |
had been struck on top of the head. We |
ran 10 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 dunn
founded as the surgeon and the Cuban's
second. 1t was a 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 forp' l asked
as we rode homeward.
'None at ALL" he replied. 81 had
both eyes shut when pulled the trig-