The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-02
QUEER WESTERN DUELs.
SCuriositios of tho Codo OF Honor
on tho Mexican Frontier.
Hsrd Tights for Lirc with tho Lasso-somo
of Farmer Pcclo's Notorious Achieve
sicnts--Encountors on tho Com.
stock-UnderEround Fights.

The riata duel is not now thing on
tho Mexican frontier. Indeed, there is
hardly Il big cattle range anywhere that
has not its stories Of hard fights with
the lasso. Such ducls are bound to be
fierce. But so slsillful and quick do
these rope throwors become that such u
duel not unfrcquently lasts for hours.
Probably tho best-remembercd FIGHT
OF this sort. says the San Francisco Tx
aminer, was that between o Texan
known as Kid Long and little Mexican
who was only spoken OF as 'Gabilan'-
hawk-on the great Licvre range. They
circlod around each other, lodging tho
rapid throws from ten i'll the morning
until after sunset When the horses
had almost given out tho Texan threw
at his adversary, who threw back so
that his moose passed right over
the other mans lasso and hand and
caught him fair around tho neck and
under tho armpit. In almost no time
Kid was out of his saddle and being
dragged over tho ground at rate that
knocked tho life out of him before he
had gone hundred yards.
The West, during It's wild and woolly
days. and tho Mexican frontier have
had many remarkable duels. That be-
tween Farmer" Peel and a soldier
near one of tho forts in Utah is among
the classics of the field of honor-or
what has answered for that in tho COW
towns and mining camp. The weapons
were rifles revolvers and wic-knivcs
The princi pals were placed on opposite
sides OF q hil1ocl1, around which ran q
rOoI md CT tp1 10
of tho hill prevented their seeing ono
another until they were within hun
dred yards. As soon as they saw ono
another they both fired. Though part
of the rim Of Pcel's hat was cut off and
the soldiers sleeve was pierced, neither
was hurt. Then thoy pulled their pistols
and advanced. firing. Both dropped
badly wounded when less than twenty
yards separated them. They lay thcro
squirming and shooting until both had
emptied their weapons. Peel was des-
pcratcly hurt, and his adversary had
one ball through the stomach and
several others distributed all over his
anatomy. When they could shoot no
more they lay for short time swear
ing Then Peel, who was SO badly hurt
that he could not advance even on his
hands and knees, began to wrigglo
toward tho fallen soldier. IIo pulled
himself along with his elbows, and with
his ore uninjured hand finished tho SOL
dier with his bowie-lnifc.
Farmer Pool already had the birrcst
private graveyard OF any man in tho
vicinity. This encounter spread his
1ame all over tho coast, and when ho
went over to Nevada no received every-
where the homage Of lesser knights.
They have lots of deadly encounters
up thcro on the Comstocll There was
one number of years ago fought over
half mile underground. According to
the evidence given at tho inquest by the
survivor, tho two miners wore working
alone in q drift. They were rivals for
Tho affections ola woman. and in Il quar-
rel ono made drive at the other with
his candlcstick. miners candlesticl,
consists of Il metal socket attached to a
sharp steel spike, so that it can DO
stuck in the faco of the drift anywhere
The second minor defended himself
with his candlesticl, and there, thou
sands OF feet under the ground, they
wrestlcd and stabbed until ones lifo
was gone. AS they did not come up
when they should havo gone off Shift
others went down in search of them.
They found ono dead and the other un-
conscious through loss of blood. The
jury, of course, had to take tho sur
vivor's story Of the affair, and he was ac-
quilted.
little blind canyon in tho Sierra
Madre used to furnish the Apachcs with
the means of formally settling their dis
putes. This gulch is fairly alive with
rattlesnakes. When two bucks had a
quarrel that they did not wish to settle
off hand they repaired to this gully, and
while the remainder of the tribe stood
around and watched from the hills on
either side, tho combatants went to-
gethcr to where tho sorpents were thick
est. There, stark naked and weapon
less, they would wrestlc. This would
wake up every RATHER in the glcn.S The
aim of each was to force the other on to
the angry snakes. twas not unusual for
both to be bitten while they struggled
and rolled among tho rocks Each was
bound to remain and wrcstlo as long as
his adversary had life or strength enough
to struggle with him.
A most remarkable duel was fought at
Las Carnitas, N. NJ, many years ago. An
understood stranger came to tho town
and picked a quarrel with "Handsome
Harry" gambler renowned as a dead
shot. They got out into the road and
both fell mortally wounded. 1t was dis
covered that tho stranger was woman,
and though she never spoke after she
fell, tho story became known that she
was sister of girl whom Handsome