Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-08-24
A FAMOUS DUEL.
Graphic Story of the Days When Congress
 mon Honored the Code.

Graphic Story of the Days When Congress-
 men Honored the Code.
 Pre-eminent among the wonderful old men in this country stands ex-United States Senator George w. Jones, of Dubuque, Ia, who to-day, at the ad- vanced age of ss, is sound in mind and body. and who, to all appearances, will live to cross the threshold of another century. Gen. Jones (who, by the by, was drummer boy in the war of 1872, and participant likewise in the Black Hawk war; gave an account to Post interviewer of the national capital few days ago of the famous duel be- tween William J. Graves, of Kentucky, and Jonathan Cilley, of Maine, both representatives in congress. The duel grew out of political altercation in the house. Graves was the challenger. Gen. Jones was asked by Franklin Pierce, then senator, to become Cilley's second
 ''Cilley," continued Gen. Jones, twas a man of magnetic manners, polished, chivalric, and a splendid debater.
 "'When do you want to fight?'" l asked.
 This very afternoon said Cilley: and with rifles, which have the right to choose as the challenged party. will take rifles, for know that Graves will naturally expect me to choose | pistols; and like all Kentuckians, he is doubtless an expert with that weapon. "I shall never forget how astonished was Henry A. Wise, Graves second, 1 when reported to him that we had | chosen rifles. He swore a round of tremendous profanity, and declared it ! was murder. The distance-eighty ! yards-at last reconciled him to the hope that 1t might not turn out so bad. But the night was growing late, and the duel was put over till the next morning.
 ''At an early hour we drove out the old Marlboro road to point two miles from the capitol, Graves and his second going in their private carriage.
 'On the way out Cilley was quite gay, and chatted in lively fashion. Poor fellow! he had no idea how near his end was. He said to me that the people of his section disapproved so strongly o1 dueling that he would never more b, honored by them with office and that he would have to move out to my country
 eve got to the ground and MT. Wise and placed them exactly eighty steps apart. The giving of the command tc
 fire fell to our side. The men faced each other with presented weapons, anc said: One, two, three, fren Cilley's rifle had hair trigger, and it exploded prematurely, the bullet going into the earth but a few feet away. Grave: aimed and fired deliberately His bal missed.
 "Before the second round went tt :, MT. Wise and asked him if the honor o both men had not been vindicated, anC suggested that the matter ought to stol right there. He agreed with me, bu his principal still insisted on an apology for MT. Clay had said that he shoult make that d-d Yankee tender al apology. Cilley would not agree tc this, and again they faced each other l had previously cautioned my mai about that trigger, and he said he wouIc
 be more careful next time.
 ''They fired so nearly together tn
 second time that it sounded like one re port Graves moved out of his place
 but Cilley never stirred. T think yo have hit him. said, and Cilley replie, that he believed he had. Graves toll
 MT. Wise that he thought himself struck
 hoped this would end it and again es
 sayed to have the fight terminated. M
 efforts were in vain.
 "A third time the crack of the rifle rang out and immediately my poo , friend sank to the ground. The Ken tuckian's bullet had pierced the femora
 artery and he gasped his last breatl l while I raised him in my arms. Wash ington Post.