, 1890-07-31
FOUL PLAY,
A Duelist Who Fired Before
the Word.
SHOT BY THE OTHERS SECOND
he Dastard's Purpose Divinod
and the Vengeance Came
Swiftly

He was very gray, very tall, very
angular, with a stoop to his shoul.
ders and u suggestion of weakness
in his step as he passed slowly
along the pavement before the hotel
windows, says u writer in the De-
trois Free Press. Yet there was
about him dignity that no one
could overlook, and when he turned
his eyes TO the right or left 1t was
with u keenness which told that
thirty years or 50 ago those eyes
must have been i'll for an enemy to
meet.
THIS was Colonel Robertson of q
certain Southern city which shall he
nameless. We were sitting idly
over our cigars, and heard this story
before the little group broke up,
and we went our several ways for
the evening.
Here was u typical representative
of the old and false social system Of
the south. He was once rich; in
spite of all vicssitudes lie Is to-
well TO do.
Z. In the years before the war he was
leader at the bar, leader In socl-
ETY.. leader in the church and u
man of the most exemplary private
life.
He owned slaves, and deemed ii
but right that he should own slaves,
but he treated his black chattel
better than many men treat their
: wives and children.
Every night ana every morning
In his household his sonorons voice
might have been heard reading the
words of Holy Writ or raised in
supplication to the throne of grace;
many times, 10 doubt, this same
voice has rung out, vengeance Is
mine; | will repay, saith the Lord"
Yet this man embodied i'll himself
, so fully the ideas of the society in
, which he lived that I'm his youth
: and time he was II noted duelist.
, More than one man has thrown up
r his hands, dropped his weapon and
gone unshriven to meet his Maker
, ~ tribute To his steady aim and his
cool and fearless Judgment.
4 week or fortnight later the
, coloneps feet have led his family
, flock to the family pew In church,
: and he has prayed to the Lord to
, forgive his trespasses as he iorgavo
those who trespassed against him,
, believing that in some occult way
an oflense against personal honor
must stand before the Almighty Us
an exception to divine rules. Colonel
Robertson never gambled, never
, drank to excess, never brawled,
never sought II quarrel; but when
the quarrel was forced upon him he
was quick To resent and implacablo 10
in seeking his revenge.
will tell you the story of his first
duel. 1t was back in the iifties,
when he went from his plantation,
, accompanied by young and beau
tiful wife. for few weeks OF recrea-
tion i'm New Orleans, which was
then the center of souther gaiety
aud fashion during the winter
months.
The two had been In the hotel less
than a week when one night man
who shared their table came in
flushed with wine and made some
offensive remark in the presence of
the young wife.
The colonel demonstrated, when
the remark was repeated In aggra-
vated form. The offended man at
once arose, led his wife away from
the table to her own room, and re-
turning through the corridor Dlet
the Gull prit. A staggering blow in
the face laid the culprlt prone upon
the floor.
An hour later challenge had
passed and been accepted, and at
sunrise the next morning, without
"A word to his wife, the colonel went
out 10 fight his first duel.
He was seconded by gentleman
from Atlanta, already gray-headed
and personal friend Of his own, as
lac had been of his father. When
: the retired spot selected was reached
1 the ground was quickly paced off,
a the men placed in position and one
: of the seconds said: "Gentlemen, /
will count three, then drop my
handkerchief. AT the fall Of the
= handkerchief fire.
! All was ready, the coloncl's second
II stood behind him, and little to the
right, and he who was to give tho
I signal was midway between the con-
j: tostants and just out of range.
l "One!p
e The men stood intent and mo-
Q tionless as statues with arms ex-
tended and weapons leveled.
l. "TwoW
,, Not movepent of u muscle.
@ "rhu-
9 The weapon OF the stranger
: flashed, u lock of hair fell from just
/ below Robcrtson's temple, and u
Q lew drops of blood trickled down
his ear, which had been just touched
y by the passing bullet. Before any
u body could notice this, before he
~ himself realized his narrow escape,
5 there was sharp report from be-
u hind him and at the side, and his
Z antagonist staggered backward,
= dropped his weapon and fell dead.
. Colonel Robertson turned instantly
V TO his second, who was coolly re-
l. placing pistol in his pocket.
a." Why did you do that?" he
Y asked.
5 The quiet answer came, ~ do
: not shoot men in cold blood, but L
: give no quarter to mad dogs. l sus-
v pected this cur from the start, and
y was ready for him."
Il so 1t will be seen that the hands
o of this tall and digniiied patriarch
were not sullied with blood when
he fought his first duel.
\. Old People in Texas.
"a A Southwestern contemporary
y observes thata most striking feature
|. of the census enumeration In San