Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-04-24
HUMsoR AND HONOR.
Short Sketches of Funny Fights and Far
ClCal Duels.

there is funny side to dueling. In
many instances what was intended to
be meeting with tragic ending has
by some trifling circumstance, or q
timely, ludicrous word or act, been
brought to happy and equally as sat
isfactory termination. The following
was published few years ago in an At
lanta paper: A good many stories are
told at the expense of Judge Dooly, Of
Georgia. He laughed out of duels with
an audacious wit that compelled even
the admiration of his enemies. On one
occasion, when a number of them
threatened that if he didn't fight his
name would fill the columns of news
paper, he declared Iaughingly that he
would rather fill ten newspapers than
one coffin. Once he went on the field
with man who had St. Vitus' dance.
His opponent was standing at his post,
his whole frame jerking nervously from
his malady. Dooly, in the soberest man
ner, left his post, and cutting a forked
stick stuck it in the ground in front of
his opponent. "What does this mean?"
asked his opponent. "Why," said Dooly,
II want you to rest your pistol in that
fork, so that you can steady your aim.
If you shoot at me with that hand shak-
Ing so you'll pepper me full of holes at
the first fire. Then there was laugh all
around, and the duel was put off with
out a day.
John Philpot Curran, the brilliant
Irish wit, fought his duels trimming
over with fun, as he always was. In his
duel with St Leger, who had challenged
him for alleged unprofessional Ian
guage, he stood off ten PAGES and re-
ceived his antagonists fire and then dis
charged his own weapon in the air. St.
Leger died three weeks after and Cur
ran said of him that he "had gone off at
the report of his own pistol" In his
duel with John Egan, who was of pro-
digious size, the latter declared that it
was like putting up turf-sack before a
razor; to which Curran responded: 81
tell you what it is, Mr.. Egan, as wish
to take no advantage of you, let my
size be chalked out upon your side and
l am quite content that every shot
which hits outside that mark shall go
for nothing" They then fired aimlessly
and left the field fast friends
The great Disraeli once made himself
the most laughed-at man in England by
challenging Morgan O'Connell, son OF
Daniel O'Connell, for words uttered in
the house of commons as follows: 81
can not divest my mind of the belief
that, If this fellows genealogy were
traced, it would be found that he is the
lineal descendant and the heir-at-law OF
the impenitent thief who attoned for his
crimes upon the cross"
An officer under Marshal Ney one day
informed the great Frenchman that he
had challenged brother officer
what for?" asked Ney. For slap
ping me in the face" go to him and
say you have washed your face, as il
was easier to getrid of blackguardism by
water than by fighting; and say, also
that have commanded you to with
draw your challenge" A Frenchmar
named Madailan once sent challenge
to marquis de Rivard, who had lost 6
leg in the service of his country. The
old soldier replied: 81 accept your chal
lenge on one condition-that you cut of
one of your legs, SO that we may stant
on equal footing" A gentleman once
| ;nfor,o ad Tol layrond tb of ba bod cont +.
challenge to an officer of the army who
had thrown him out of a two-story
window. Thrown you out of two
story window! What for?" exclaimed
Talleyrand. Because, sir, he says hi
caught me cheating at cards" "Let
me advise you," said the other. DON
fight on account of so small an affair
and don't play cards again with thai
particular person excepting on the
ground floor"
Two Tennessee editors, who ha(
quarreled for years, went to the field Il
fight, but settled their differences, aftel
firing one shot, by agreeing to merge
their papers into one concern and entel
into partnership with each other
which they carried into effec
afterward. A member of Loui
XVIII.'s bodyguard challenged three
men in one day--one because hi
had stared at him, another because HI
had looked askance at him, and tn,
third on account of his passing hin
without looking at him at all Afte
the duel between Henry Clay and JOIN
Randolph, in 1926, and while the tw,
distinguished men were shaking hands
Randolph said loosely: "You owe M
a coat, Mr.. Clay" the second bullet o
the latter having passed through tn
skirt of the Virginian's coat near tn
hip 81 am glad the debt is no greater,
pleasantly responded the other In ISL
two young gentlemen of Lisbon quar-
relied over girl, and soon afterwar
met on the quay, each armed with
musket, which they fired at a signal o
boy beating drum, at thirty yards
distance. One of them was shot in tn
head and fell as if dead, and the othe
absconded. The former returned to hi
fathers house, recovered and marie
the fair object of the eccentric strife
"You smell like a goat" said st. Fol
to an officer of the guard one day
"Sir" said the latter, drawing hi
sword. "Put up your sword, you foo
ish fellow" cried the famous duelis'
who was always getting into scrape'
put up your sword; for if you kill m
you will not smell any better, and if
kill you you will smell great sigh
worse"
From the date of the mortal comba
between David and Goliah, 1,O6S year
before the commencement of the Chri
tan ell a, to the present time innumer;
BILE duels have been fought. Illinois
however, has nothing to contribute
the humorous side of dueling, as it
the boast of the state that but one du'
has ever been fought upon her sol
This occurred between Alphonso Stew
art, who was killed in the fight, and tn