Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-18
A DUEL TO DEATH
Rival Lovers of a Mexican Beauty Meet
in Duel With Lassos.
Desperate Contest on Horseback, the Sight
Of Which Caused Chicago Travel
ing Man to Faint.
Special to the Gazette.

special TO the Gazette.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-. Sept. 1s.-Mr. ]. R. john
son, Chicago travelling man, well known in
this city, returned this week from trip through
New Mexico, where he had been in the interest
of his house. He says he witnessed one OF the
most horrible duels ever fought in that land,
where the shedding of human blood excites but
httle attention; where the slayer Of a fellow
man, if the killing is done in anything like q
falr fight, goes scott free.
Mr.. johnson was in the southern part of New
Me1lco taking wagon ride with his samples
Mhen he arrived at the little village OF Sebolla.
me weather was hot. sultry and dry. The dust
on the roads was m any inches deep, and every
thlng combined to make the trip about as
comfortable as could possibly be. His driver
was Mexican and acted interpreter. There
were no hotel accommodations, and he was
compelled TO stay a. a house which was little
remote from stable in point of comfort.
After making out supper Is best he could
Mr. johnson sat in front OF the house enjoying
cigar. Inside he could hear the pretty daugh-
ter OF his host laughing and chattering The
girl was evidently the belle OF the country and
knew it. She was about fifteen years old, but
had that peculiar development of the Southern
twenty.
Early in the evening young Mexican rode
mp He was tricked out in all the fnery affected
by the horsemen of that country. and from the
eHas1ve reception accorded by the girl, was evil
IDENTIFY favorite. While the merriment was at
Its height another young man rode up. dressed
enough like the first to play the twin brother
act. he was as well received as his predecessor,
but it was plain that each eyed the other with
Jealousy. A few minutes later the driver came
out and informed Mr.. johnson that there would
be trouble, for the men were rivals and the girl
was thorough coquette.
The two men hau been in the house but short
time when loud talking and quarreling was
heard, Mr., johnson went into the room, at
tracted by the noise: and saw at once that there
would be fight. The girl, pleased to be the
cause of such row, showed her pearly teeth
and her black eyes grew brighter as the excite
ment increased. About all Mr.. johnson could
understand was the cursiug and vsnomous
looks of the rivals. Finally they appeared
have come to some agreement and the interpre-
ter said they had decided to fight duel with
their lassos.
1t was a bright moonlight night. and about
dozen were In the party which rode out onto the
prairie. Mr.. Johnson tried to patch up q peace,
but is not sure that the interpreter said just
what he was told, for the answer he got was to
mind his own business rapid gallop took the
party far enough out into the plains to allow the
duelists free room in which to ride. The rest of
the story can best be told in Mr.. johnson S own
words.
"A lasso duel, in fact any sort of a duel, was
new to me, but had been in the West long
enough to know that the men were in dead ear
nest did not know how terrible would be the
ending or certainly would not have remained to
witness it,. The men were barsheaded and
stripped to the waist There was none of the
formallty and pollteness which marks the civil
lied code. They simply hated each other and
desired to kill. The last words spoken were
curses. The horses were put facing each other
slowly past each other, went about twenty
yards. turned and were ready to begin.
-'Lasso in hand they slowly circled about,
Keeping watchful eye on each other. Suddenly
there was hiss and a lasso flew through the
air. An alert eye and quick dodge caused 1t to
fall short, and then before it could be recovered
the other had thrown his rope. but it, too, had
been guarded against. This continued for
eral minutes, many throws being made and
avoided. The deadly loops were tn rowp by ex-
perts, but they were lodged by men who had
studied the art all their lives.
AT last the smaller of the r,en sent his RATA
whistling through the air. l saw the other
throw up his hand to ward it of but the loop
settled down over his head and arm and in q
flash 1t was drawn tight 1t was all done in the
twinking of an eye. Both horses were on the
run while the loop was fastened tighf The I'M
fortunate duelist was ierSed out of the saddle
and in some way his boot caught in fhis stirrup
and The poor wretch hung between THE horses
screaming with pain. The horses strained apart
as If trying to tear him in two.
ut was simply awful. The victorious man was
yelling like q demon as he urged his horse to
greater efforts. could not stand the sight and
rushed forward to cut the rope when the foot
slipped from the stirrup and the other started
dragging the inanimate body of his rival, which
was fast being reduced to a shapeless mass.
"Round and round he circled, until at last
tainted at the CHASTITY sight. When recovered
was lying on a bench IN front OF
the house and the party had dispersed. Out on
the plain lay the body Of the victim, while in
the house were the victor of the duel and the
girl laughing and talking As if nothing had hap
pened.''