The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-17
DUELS IN THE DARK.
Deadly Contests Between Men Who
Could Not See Each Other.

One In Which Lord Byron Was Victor.
Strange Duel Between officers With
Snake and Dark Room For Two-A Ter
rible Battle For Mexican Beauty.
The history of dueling contains many
stories of duels that have been fought in
the dark. The famous encounter between
Lord Byron, the great uncle of the poet,
and Mr. Chaworth took place in darken-
ed room in Pail Mail. Only rushlight
pierced the gloom, and it showed two men
fighting desperately for their lives A
terrible enmity had sprung up between
them, engendered by simple discussion
upon the game laws and the battle was
waged in grim earnest. After some flu
rious passes Chaworth sent his sword
through the waistcoat of his opponent and
left it there for second, thinking that he
had pierced the body. Lord Byron took
advantage of the pause to run his sword
through his antagonist.
A strange duel if such it could be call
ed, occurred in the Bengal presidency.
Two officers who had fallen in love with
the charming daughter of an English
planter agreed to curious mode of arbitra-
ton. They decided to shut themselves up
in a dark room in which a poisonous snake
had been confined for several days and
leave the reptile to decide their fate. Re-
firing to the room in question, it was not
long before they heard the hiss of the hun
CRY snake as it writhed around the room.
Presently one Of the lovers felt sharp
sting in the thigh, and looking down he
saw the glittering eyes of the snake.
He gave wild shrek and fed to the
door. His companion, thoroughly alarm
ed, did the same, and they rushed with
frightened faces from the room. Once
over the threshold, the bitten lover fell
down in a swoon, induced more by fear
than actual injury. His rival fled in the
direction of the young lady's house, leav-
ing his enemy PROSTATE on the ground.
Much to his surprise, however, the victim
of the snake bite appeared on parade the
next day as if nothing had happened 1t
transpired that his servant had been in
trusted with the preparations for the duel,
and to avert a tragic termination of the
quarrel he had placed vicious but entire
ly harmless snake in the darkened room.
A more serious encounter between Brit
ish officers happened in 1858. Captain Phil
lips Of the Bombay depot quarreled with
one of his lieutenants, man named Shep-
herd, and duel with pistols was decided
upon. The two men adjourned to the pa
rade ground in the dead of night, and q
native servant belonging to the senior OIL
Ger held candle at an equal distance from
each combatant. At the first fire the cap
tain was killed. His opponent was after
ward convicted of the granddaughter of his
superior and sentenced to a long term of
imprisonment
India has been a fruitful field for duels
of this description. Some years before
dueling in the army was prohibited two
| English officers stationed at Agra fought
| duellin the dark. The mail from Eng
| land had just arrived, and the men were
| naturally anxious to see the newspapers
of the mother country. One of the officers
| took a bundle of papers from the mess
room to his quarters although regimen
| tai regulation prohibited such a practice. A
| brother officer interposed, words passed,
| and in the fever of excitement one man
| struck the other. He resolved to wipe out
| the blow, phrase which was then I'M
| derstood to mean a duel to the death.
| They met by night in disused quarry,
| and in the encounter one of the men re-
| ceived wound which ended his life.
| A terrible duel in the dark was fought
| on Mexican ranch not long ago. A girls
| beauty and coquetry were the potent
causes of the quarrel. She laughing agreed
| to marry the one who could lasso the 9th
er in the dark. They went on the plains
one DARK night, accompanied by some
cowboys who had heard of this novel mat
rimonial tournament. Both were mount
ed ON fiery mustangs, and each had raw
hide lariat fastened to his saddle bow.
Among the vaqueros Of the plains they
had a reputation for skill in handling the
lasso. They could lasso runaway horse
or send the snakelike rope whirling around
the horns of maddened cow.
The spectators therefore expected that
the novel duel would be quickly decided.
The encounter, however, was a somewhat
prolonged one. For a time each kept out
of range Of the lariat or lodged it as it
came whizzing through the air. On the
prairies men are quick at hearing, and
each man spurred his mustang when he
heard the lasso uncurling itself against
his head.
For over an hour this strange fight was
waged. Then one of them felt the run
ming moose CATCH and with wild shout
he pulled the rawhide rope until his cap
tive was unable to move. The lariat had
settled on the shoulders of his rival an6
had firmly pinioned his arms. The vic
torious vaquero pulled his victim from
his horse, dragged him hand over hand
across the intervening space and in the
excitement of the moment shot him~dead
Little did the Mexican beauty think that
her playful challenge would have such 9
tragic ending.-London Tit-Bits.
They Held On.