The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-22
VICTIM OF A BULLET.
The Strange Sequel to a Duel in
Connecticut.

The story of duel fought by two
residents of New London county, Conn.
more than thirty years ago, came to
light a few days ago in q, very pecu-
liar way. The story told to a Globe
Democrat man by one of the partici-
pants and the man who got the worst
of the deal, runs as follows:
In 1862 two young farmers named
Josiah Reynolds and Ezra Gorton, liv-
ing in the northeastern part of New
London county, became enamored of a
young woman, who didn't seem to have
any particular liking for either of
them. The young men decided to set
tie the question as to which one should
abandon the field by fighting a duel.
The only available weapons were a
pair of old-fashioned horse pistols. 1t
was understood that each man was to
shoot only with view Of wounding his
adversary. The one that was hardest
hit bound himself to make way for
his conquerer to win the heart Of the
young woman who had set them both
! by the ears.
| Reynolds, in preparing the load for
his pistol, got ball of steel and COW
cred 1t with lead. Before the duel was
! fought the young woman got wind OF
! it and determined to stop 1t. With the
| idea of humiliating them she decided
to wait until they were on the ground
before interfering. For some reason
the men changed the hour for the duel,
and when the girl went to the chosen
spot she found Gordon stretched on the
ground unconscious from wound in
his shoulder. Gorton managed to get
home, and kept his secret so well no
body suspected what had occurred.
Reynolds has never been seen in the
/ sin Of
| it is probable that he fled. believing
that he had killed his opponent Cor
ton had the field TO himself, and maxi
| ing the most of the opportunity he
finally secured the girl he fought for
for his wife.
Gorton had been married about a
year when he complained of pain
lin the back between the shoulders,
and very sooa a very perceptible crook
made its appearance in his backbone
at the point where he complained OF
the pain. Eminent physicians pro-
nounced it curvature of the spine and
for six months he was treated for that
disease. lying for a good share of the
! time in plaster casts.
The treatment was continued for sew
eral months, and finally Gorton said
that he wanted to be taken home from
the hospital and treated by his wife
alone. AS soon as he got in his own
house he told his wife privately that
the ball he had shot into him was the
cause of the trouble, and that if it
was rubbed and pushed away from the
backbone it would work away from it
and he would get well. Mrs. Gorton
took no stock in her husbands vision,
but to humor him she did as he direct
ed her and vigorously rubbed that point
! in his back where the spine seemed
curved several times each day.
For a long time she continued this
treatment, and to her surprise her
husband began to grow stronger and
the crook in his backbone to straighten
out. Gorton finally recovered his
robust health, and his neighbors treat
ed the matter as a miracle.
! Three years passed by and Gorton
apparently enjoyed perfect health. One
day he was in field looking at some
cattle when he fell senseless to the
a case of heart disease, and told Cor
ton that he was liable to die any
minute Gorton was of the opinion
that that was about the case with
! every other earth-born creature, and
Diminishing the doctors, said that he
would try and wiggie along without
them. One day he came into the
house considerably excited and told
his wife that he had seen Reynolds
again, and that he told him to go tC
bed and lie there three months. rest,
ing all the time that he could on his
right side, as it was the ball working
toward his heart that was causing the
trouble. Accordingly he went to bee
and stayed there three months.
Ten years passed. during which time
Gorton was perfectly well. One nigh
he awoke suffering a terrible pain il
his left knee, and when he attempted
to get out of bed he found that the
joint was so stiff that he couldn't bend
it. There were several months of walk
ing with a erutch, then the knee be
came more useful.
One morning GertoE told his wife
that he had seen Reynolds again il
his dreams and had talked with hin
and he had told him that the trouble
with which he was laid up was caused
by the ball and that he must have i
removed. ut seemed ve~y real" saiC
Gorton, land talked with him. HI
told me that he had been killed in
mine in California about a year afte
he left home. He said he went Their
by the name of James Coles, and if
doubted it l could write to Orrin West
c., New, who was his friend at tn,
time of the accident by which he haC
been killed.
Mrs. Gorton believed her husband
story, and the next mail carried a let
ter to Orrin West, inquiring about on
James Coles. In a few weeks an an
swer was received from West, cor
roborating Gorton's dream.
An operation was decided upon an,
the surgeon took from the bottom o
the mans foot a steel ball weighing
quarter of an ounce. There wer
traces of lead upon it, but for tn
most part. it was as bright as the da,
it was cast. The man is now rapidl
D recovering.