The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-18
SOMENEW MEXICO DUEIS
IRREGULARITIES or THE OLD-TIME
CODE OF the SOUTHWEST.
Illustrated by Some Encounters That Arc
sun Remcmbered-Thc Buiiet-
Scared Monument.

fho Org, monuments erec ted In THIS coun-
try 20 commemorate the result OF U W
civil war. IT was put there 10y the va,
trIotic legislature OF a Territory WhiSn
was pledged statehood by the nation u,
solemn treaty forty-seyen years $50 .r ~,
IL stll denied the enabling act. ~
marble panels Of the broad base recleee
,hs battles ana the vaIor By which loyal
New Mexicans turned back the ,oi,i ~
crate movement which was hlln.u W
cieavo the Union along the ROCKY Mo o,a,,
tain line Above the sentiment. May
the Union He Perpetual,' rougn, e ,se
f1guring CASH is seen in the corner OF tne
sandstone shaft. II was made ~ r'" ~
bullet. IL serves as reminder "a
duel fought under an un"ri.,1m ns for the
clearly defined as were the rules TOT .ne
yneetines In the South before the war.
and yet entirely different from them. ,,,,
The story OF Clay Allison's duel WIN
Mace Bowman was recently reNlNeu- ~
generation. or perhaps two or three gem ZEN
erations ago as the sands or iife ran
rapidly with the desperate men or thls
REGION In the 70's Allison had great ia'le
in New Mexico IA killer. Ma"
Towman was a deputy sheriff He was
thought by his friends 10 be the quiches'
man with a pistol i'm Colfax county.
These two men met I'm Cimairon one
dav. and In front OF Lamberts bar soon
arrived at an understanding that neIV 1i
night the man who was the sloWest Win
his gun" must die. All the afternoon
Clay Allison and Mace Bowman wa,cneu
r.
az the FIRST shot The frontier duellist
OF those DAYS recognized IL as an AXIOM
that the first shot was no ADVANTAGE un,
less II could be delivered IN time 10 XII
before the return fire. Ana so Doth All
son and Bowman hesitated 10 draw nrst
each knowing the certain dcath "hloh
must be the sequel To the hrst hostlle
motion. They drank togesher 'hey
joked. they laughed gieefully: Each was
ready 10 XIII the other. Neither wanted
10 die. And so the day ended without
either having found an opportunity. MI
tual friends then declared the duel on.
The principals backed out OF the room
and left CimarrOn by roads leading In
But that is not the story the bullet
wound in the Santa Fe soldiers monu-
nent inspires. Here. in the middle or
a bright afternoon. with the streets Nm
of people, was fought a duel which illus
trates better than the meeting OF clay
Allison and Mace Bowman the fine points
Of the frontier code as 1t once existed,
more effective than any law on the
statute books Joe srnson and Van
Smith were the principals In the plaza
meeting. They were gamblers. Each
waA interested in a saloon. Stinson had
come TO Santa Fe with the record OF at
least ono killing in the northern part OF
the Territory. He was large man, a
couple o. inches over s feet and built
powerfully. His manner was aggressive
and hts tongue ready Smith was the
small quiet, gentlemanly gambler, the
Oakhurst of the mining camp romance.
OF few words and without record as
a ST OF or KILLER
one night In 1876 these two types of
gamblers. met in poker game which re-
next day both were drinking They
came together in a saloon. Smith made
some remark about BLUM before which
Stinson had lost his nerve the night pre-
viOus The big man said II was lie.
f.tI tod IL
situation. In FIVE minutes II was set
tied hrst that Santa Re was not large
enough for these two men; second. that
neither was ready 10 leave. The logical
conclusion was an agreement 20 fight. In
a businesslike way the preliminaries were
arranged. The plaza was 10 be the
field Of honor. Each man was to have
his choice OF weapons and 10 shoot as
long as he pleased The time was Fixed.
IL was arraged that the duel be fought
within twenty minutes from the compile
ton Of tho terms. Then occurred one
of tho strangest features OF the AFFAIR.
Smith" said Stinson. I'm bet you s.
YOU Won't meet me on the plaza within
the twenty minutes"
'I'll 20 you" said Smith
The money was put In the hands of a
stake holder. The men parted. each go
Ing direct TO hi. saloon, with the per
feet understanding that they were 20
meet on the plaza In twenty minutes and
try TO kill each other. The plaza Is tho
lung OF Santa Fe 1t is one city block,
with the chief business houses fronting
upon II. II has lava and shade and
walks and se1ts. At the time Of this
duel picket fence surrounded IT and the
gates which opened into IL were swung
In place by weights. The life of the
ancient city centres about the plaza
Stinson entered from the west side OF
the square before the time was up. He
had got his six-shoOter. his fsvorite yea
pom. and had started at once for the ap-
pointed place. He walked 60 the centre
OF the plaza and stopped. with the mon
ument between him and the direction
from which Smith must come. Smith
was not so familiar with the pistol He
preferred the Winchester. one minute
before the time was up Smith came out
OF his saloon, crossed the street. and en-
tered the east gate OF the plaza He
carried the repeating rifle. with the barrel
IN the hollow OF his left hand. his right
hand just back Of tho lock. and his finger
the gate Stinson reached around the side
of the monument and fired. The dis
lance was fifty yards. The bullet went
through Smiths left arm and into his
hip. The arm dropped and the weight
OF TIE gate swung against the wounded
Ihans leg Smith scarcely halted from
The shock, but kept steadily on toward
threw up the rifle with one hand and
fred. 4 chip OF sandstone whzzed
ey sunson's head, but the bail was de-
ntcted.
stnson. from the shelter OF the monu-
ment. nred away until his pistol was
empty. lie dared not expose more than
a hand and an eye and not another Of
his shots took effect. Smith moved up
slowly, peering on one side and then the
other, trying TO set a glimpse OF Stinssn
The latter waited Until he saw he had
exhausted his cartridges Then he
backed down the wax to the west, keep
irg tho monun ent between him and
Smith. Before Smith discovered that
the other was AT his mercy. Stinson had
reached the western gate he Sprang
out and across the street and into the
shelter OF his saloon Just as Smith came
around 20 the west side OF the monument
Win the streets and stores fun OF peo-
pie, not a bullet hurt anybody except
smith. one shot entered the bottom OF
behind which Jeweller sat mendng a
watch.
Both men were considered 20 have vim
dica'ed their courage. The code OF tho
frontier was satisfied. reconciliation
took Ijacc promptly. and when Van
Smiths arm and leg got we'll the duel
on the plaza became a reminiscence, with
the cash In the monument for It's sole
record. St.nson was a son of a minister
In Maine. He had served ~ tire var
and lrifted West. lie IL now in the Cal
ifornia Soldiers Home. Smith was
ani after the plaza incident no ore asked
him impertinen; questions. He Is now
m FL raso.
In th> early days there took place At
Santa Ff one OF these deliberate frontier
duels. which possessed extraordinary fea
plls OF the Territory. They were XII
lers" by profession ana with reputa-
titns 20 sustain. Each had heard Of the
othcr. In order 20 settle before this