St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-08
kWESTERN ROMANCE
Story Of Beautiful Inez and
Her Brave and Devoted
Adorers.
A Duel to the Death Between
Two Fierce, Unyielding
Combatants.
History Of Chastity Relics Re-
Gently Unearthed in the
Slough City.
From Being Warm Friends
Two Men Become Implac-
able Enemies.

Years and years ago, back in that
distant period known to history as early
days. duel was fought i'll Stockton
which resulted in the death of both of
the combatants, says the San Francisco
Examiner. The cause of the duel was
love affair, the MEN being rivals for the
affections of a Spanish girl who lived
here and who had reputation for
beauty that stretched as far at least as
Lodi on the north and French Camp on
the south, says writer in the Stock
ton Republican. The fame of her
loveliuess spread even to Tn
ion Island, and naughty pioneers
were not averse to feasting their eyes
on the Senorita's charms. There was
not man in Stockton in those days
date uncertain-who was unwilling to
admit that her black eyes were more
lustrous, her dropping eye lashes longer,
her inStep more neatly arched and her
form more undulating and graceful
than that of any girl he had seen in
those parts, or even hoped to see.
There was SOftneSS in her glance and
a luxury in her movement that were
worth going blocks to get all Oppor-
tunity to behold.
The pioneer who told about this be-
witching damsel Thursday when some
reminders of bygone times were UNI
earthed on Market street could not re-
member her full name. He admitted
that he was not sure whether he ever
knew it. he and the other men who
were in this part of the valley then
spoke OF her as IneZ, and few were
curious enough to inquire what was her
! patronymic. Perhaps the pioneer had
heard, and it may be also, as he said,
| that he had listened to some state
ment about her family, but, if he tad,
| he had not troubled himself to carry
such details. The memory of her beauty
| fingered with him without effort, and
| involuntarily he bore in mind the sight
| of how business was INSTRUCTED on the
| bank of the channel whenever Inez
walked there to see the boat and the
people. All the men followed her, and
the wharf, such as it was in those days,
was SO covered by the crowd that conf
! MERGE was obstructed there while she
remained.
The spell that her loneliness cast on
the men who were here then was no
whit less than that which the music Of
the Pied Piper Of Hamelin exerted on
the children. She did not, like the
piper, lure all those who followed her
to their deaths, though she probably
could have done so had she been
so minded. She did, however,
cause the death of at least
two, and the pioneer as he
made that remark, pointed to the sabers
which were taken out of the ground by
the workmen on Market street. In order
to prevent the temporary stoppage OF
business on the channel whenever the
boat came in, the Whartinger had to
| finally beg lneZ to remain away, and as
she was. good-hearted girl, who was
willing to oblige any body with anything
but her heart, she readily consented.
Three men who had seen military
service in some foreign country (the
pioneers memory had become so cob
Webbed that he could not recollect Just
where they came FROM arrived here
when IneZ was in the zenith of her
glory. Two of them were young men
and the third was in the prime
OF life. Two of them became
smitten with the girl, and, being
of hot. impusive temperament. each
sought to win her for himself, and take
her away. Curiously enough. the man
of the three who retained his compos-
ure, even when Ihez flashed on his eyes,
was one OF the younger eX-soldier. They
were soldiers oisfortune, such as are not
as often seen nowadays as of yore. The
two rivals quarreled over the girl, and
then their dispute turned to question
of honor, the lie having been passed and
challenge for bloody encounter given
and Immediately accepted.
They fought on spot which is now
on Market street, between Cedar and Ell
Dorado streets, as was shown when the
sabers were dug up Thursday morning
by workmen who were eXcavating there
for the main sewer. Near the two
sabers was a brighter sword. Two
skulls and human bones had been dug
up by the workmen before reaching the
swords.
These were the evidences of the pio-
neer's romance. The duel, he said, was
attended by the third member of the
military party and by few friends
whom they had made here. The an
tagonlsts from being warm friends
had grown TO hate each ether
intensely. Such is the effect
of woman's influence on
men sometimes. The conflict conse-
quently was not formal affair merely
to technically wipe out grievance of
one of the antagonists. The blood-let-
ting was done in earnest, and so furious
and evenly matched were the rivals that
when one of them dropped and expired
the other one was done for too. and
there they both died within few mill
uteS of each other.
There were no facilities for coffined
burials in those days such as there are
now, and i'll this case a funeral of that
sort was not deemed necessary. A grave
was dug by their friends, one deep and
wide enough for them both. and they
were laid with the sabers which they
had used in letting out each others
life. Their friend and companion
was so much affected By their death that
he threw his own sword into the open
ing. The mound was heaped up, but
time leyeIed 1t, and there was no mark
to tell where the rivals for IneZ'S smiles
lay.
The sabers were taken by the foreman
of the sewer work to Sheriff Cunning
ham and were placed by him in the col
lection of curious things he has in
his Office, to each OF which
history is attached. Mr.. Gross, the
butcher, got the other sword, which is
brighter than the other two. AS the
pioneer said, their sabers were covered
with blood and dirt when put back In
the grave, while the third sword was
not married by any stain. The skulls
were taken away to be cleaned and
placed in Sheriff Cunningham's mu-
scum.
1t is possible that the pioneer. who,
by the way, did not tell what became of
IneZ, was forcing an application of her
romance to the relics that were OBJ
tanned on Market street. One of the
listeners, Il young man, remarked that
it was a pretty story, but that the skulls
were discovered quite distance from
the swords, and near the swords was
found an old shoe with coin in it. He
said he could not understand how this
shoe could be made to fit into the tale.
''If one of the men woe it" said the
pioneer, 'it would f.. wouldn't it?a' ,,
Then disguSfed with snch modarn