Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-17
A DUEL PREVENTED.
Two H0t-Headed Southern News
paper Men Caught Just in Time
TO PREVENT A BLOODY MEETING.
Caustic Criticisms of Each Others Way Of
Running Paper
LEADS TO A CHALLENGE IN EARNEST


| JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Nov. 16.-The
most exciting local episode that has oc-
CURED here of late was the arrest to-day Of
Colonel Fl. V. Sewer, editor of the afternoon
Telegram, issued from the Florida Times
Union Office, and Judge Benjamin Harrison,
| editor the Florida Daily Standard, for an at
| tempt to fight duel-pistols and Moncrief
| Springs, suburb three miles out, being the
weapons and place selected.
| This quarrel arose over bitter discussion
| carried on some days since in their re-
spective papers. The telegram has depart
| ment for doings of colored people, and col
ored reporter has charge of it to certain
extent The Standard criticised this depart
ment severely, and often sarcastically re-
ferred to doings of colored society bellies
and beaux." This was met by Telegram
editors, and the fight waxed warm and earn
est for some time.
In the Telegram of November there was
column editorial, unusually strong,
against the Standard The following are ex-
tracts:
| Amenities of Southern journalism.
Chipley's daily sink hole (alias Szn,,dard)
| has gottoninto a pseudo frenzied state over
| the TeteS eSrams colored department, and is so
| blinded by its own fan tastic contortions be-
fore the very limited public to which it
| speaks thas it has wandered from the quiet
path Of truth and wantons with any insinua-
ton and even courts the witch whose
plain English name is Lie. The own
| ers and editors of the Telegram are in 3
| position to do this act Of simple justice as
| nobody else ever was in Jacksonville. They
| are Southern men, Democrats and believers
| in white supremacy. But they had the true
Southern mans interest in the welfare Of
| the negroes, and did deliberately and with
true friendliness for the race what has been
done and fit has also proved profitable
they do not see that that fact in any wise
impeaches their motives.
Envious contemporaries may rave in simu-
lated passion of resentment and horror, but
| it has no other effect than to bring them
into contempt with all who appreciate the
necessity for friendly relations between the
races and the fairness of giving colored peo-
pie news of their higher affairs as well as
of their race figures. The honest
| man never misstates the position
of his opponent To do so is to convict
ones self of viciousness and insincerity and
a consuming desire to over-reach that oppo-
nent by false statement and unfair infer
ence, and has the thief or the assassin a
meaner spirit7 If not the same spirit that
impels to robbery and murder, it is a con-
fession of weakness-an abandoning of ar
gument and testimony for false witnessing
and all the vicious practices of the inborn
perjurer The position of the Evening Tele-
gram, it's proprietors and editors has been
wilfuIly and maliciously misstated by the
Standard.
A Direct Question for the Opposition.
Now is it the intention to fight the Evening
Telegram because of this feature for the
benefit of the metropolites? If SO, it will be
found a losing venture, for the colored peo-
| MI aurY a Ia rar r 0f the evening
papers resources here, and they would not
tamely submit to see the best e1emplars Of
their races progress paraded in print for the
purpose of ridiculing the simple statement
that number of them gathered at the house
of q friend, and spent the evening at croquet.
So much to the public, but to the Standard
itself only one answer Is possible, and that
is that the man who wrote the editorial art1-
Gle in question ana conceived its lying in
situations is liar and a cur of the lowest
| degree, and the truth is not in him, any
more than honor virtue ever resided In
any of his ancestors, actual or putative.
This last paragraph proved too much, and
Editor Harrison wrote to Sewer, asking if
he was the responsible editor. Sewer re-
piled very cavalierly that he was. 1t is
supposed that a challenge followed next.
This afternoon it leaked out that duel
was impending. Rev. Father Kenney heard
of it and at once swore out peace warrants
before Justice of Peace Williams. The
warrants were given Sheriff Broward and
his deputies, and they, assisted by friends
of the editors, hastily started out in search
of them. One party rode out to Moncrief
Springs and there found Harrison and his
second, Charles w. Dacosta, a prominent
publisher and job printer of this city.
He was arrested and search proved that
he was we'll armed.
Both Parties Placed Under Bonds.
They at once returned to the city, and
Editor Harrison was brought to the Court
House. The other party found Editor
Sewer Just climbing into his buggy at
Squire English's stable, accompanied by
w. T. Bauskett, a reporter on the Eve7aing
Tsearan and Times Union Sewer was we'll
heeled and ready for business. He was ar
rested and taken to the Court House, to-
gether with Mr.. Bauskett.
By this time the arrest had been generally
known, and large and interested crowd
gathered at Justice Williams rooms. The
two would-be duelists were placed in sepa-
rate rooms, where their counsel found
them and gave them advice as to how to get
out of their bad predicament. Finally an
understanding was arrived at, and the two
prisoners were arraigned and placed under
bail of 81, 900 each, to keep the peace.
The bonds found ready signers among
real estate owners, and in few minutes the
principals were at liberty, enjoying the
CONGRATULATIONS of their friends Whether
it is ended yet or no remains to be seen.
Opinions vary, but all agree that there was
lots of fun in it when it all ended so harm
lessly. But the principals meant business,
were we'll armed, and there is no telling
what would have happened had they met on
the bloody field of honor