The record-union., 1893-01-09
ONLY ONE PISTOL.
How a Bloody Duel Was AVerted or
Saturday Morning.
An Affair OF Honor That Eclipsed the
Famous Duel Between Clemen-
ceau and DerouIede.

ACIASt pSIWSSu A1GIICH-
ceau and DerouIede.
There was blood on the moon on Satur-
day morning ere the gray dawn pene-
trated the dense fog that hung over and
around and through the city. The blood
on the moon could not be seen, Of course,
but 1t must have been there all the same.
For two nights hostilities have been
brewing between a well-known ex-
colonel of the National Guard and cor
respondent for an Oakland paper, who in
one Of his letters had made unwarrant-
! edly free use Of the Colone's name in
connection with the organization of the
Third House, Of the Legislature. The
Colonel took umbrage thereat, and on
Thursday night hot words were passed in
an uptown hotel.
Late on Friday night-or, rather, early
on Saturday morning-the Colonel
and the scribe were in the same
hotel, each surrouned by Il number of his
personal friends, including prominent
members of the National Guard, news
paper correspondents and members of
official State bodies.
During the day the Colonel had received
a written challenge to mortal combat
with the scribe's name signed thereto.
Meeting the latter gentleman face to face,
the Colonel drew forth the document and
said lor words to that effect:
Mr. p, are you, sir, the author of
TINS communication, purporting to be
chalIenge to me TO meet you, sir, on the
field Of honor"
On receiving an affirmative reply the
Colonel let go his right and it landed in the
newspaper mans face. He then turned
ana walked away, while five men and the
Motel beIl-boy had all they could do to
hold back the scribe, who tried to get at
the Colonel without waiting to go through
the tormality of a duel.
Matters had quieted down by 2 o'clock
A. NJ, but it was only the calm before the
storm. Subsequently the principals and
thelr respective friends met in another
public place, seconds We're selected, and
1t was agreed that the matter could be
settled only by a duel.
Inc seconds conferred together and de-
clded that the men should meet in a
darkened room; and the scribe, being the
| challenging party, claiming the right to
select the weapons, chose pistols.
The Colonel held that under the rules
OF the code he was entitled TO the selec-
! tlOn OF weapons, and demanded that
broadswords be used, and furthermore
| ne refused to fight in the dark-no brave
nor honorable gentleman would make
such farce OF a duel.
There being no broadswords available
at that hour, pistols were finally agreed
upon, and person was sent away in a
mack TO procure the weapons. Mean
WhlIe the principals and their friends
marched down to Seventh and L streets,
taking different sides of the street so as to
avoid possible conflict en- route.
| on reaching L street the ColonePs
party took up their position on one cor
ner and the scribe's party on the other.
negotiations between the seconds being
conducted in the center Of the street, on
| neutral ground.
Ihe messenger soon returned and in
formed the seconds that but one weapon
OI the desired pattern could be found-a
Colts horse-pistol about foot and half
long. Under these circumstances the
seconds agreed that the proper caper
would be to toss up for the use of the
Weapon-the winner to have the first
| shot, and If his adversary were not rem
dered bOrS ttU c0Ht5ut then the latter
should nave the weapon and take a crack
at the other man, and SO on, etcetera
Clhe distance was to be fifty PAGES. at
winch neither could possibly see the
other because of the fog.
When this arrangement was reported
to the Colonel he became highly indip-
nant He declared that he was a gentle
man, and would engage in an affair OF
honor only on such terms as gentIe-
men were wont to meet on the field in
the days when the code was the recog-
nized medium of settling disputes, as it
should be now.
Another parley was held between the
shivering seconds in the middle of the
street, and Ii was agreed that the Colonel
should apologize to the reporter for hav-
ing struck him, and thus settle the affair
without bloodshed.
To this proposition the Colonel con-
sented only on one condition-that his
opponent should meet him more than
halfway in the street; and the latter, who
was getting tired and sleepy, accepted the
terms.
At the word each stepped five PAGES
toward the other and stopped. Then the
Oakland gentleman advanced alone and
stood before the Colonel, who touched his
hat, la Dli9ltGire, and drawing himself
up to his full hight, said with all the dig
nifty of which he was capable:
Mr.. P, am very sorry, sir, that
your conduct was such, sir, as to compel
me to resent the insult by striking votI.U y
Before further remarks could be made
the clang OF a gong rang out on the cold
morning air, the clatter Of a horses hoofs
was heard on the pavement, and all of
sudden the police patrol wagon burst
through the bank of fog and couple of
policemen leaped to the ground.
Then there was scattering of princi-
pals, seconds, and friends, even the man
ayers of the affair not having been let into
this now and distinct joke. Some climbed
over fences into private yards, some ran
through the streets and buried themselves
in the fog, while member of the State
Board OF --- and an ex-State officer
ran through mud ankle-deep in their eff
forts to escape through the neighboring
alleys.
There were no arrests, but there were a
great many newspaper men and others
who sought their beds about 4 o'clock
that morning in q had lu-scnrnd nc,,di4i