The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-12-02
WILKES WOUNDS
One of the New York Duelists
Turns Up in Chicago With
q Bad Arm.
The Other One, Mr.. McVeigh,
Who Was Wounded i'm the
Leg, May Die.
The Story Of Wilkes as to
How 1t Happened to Be
Fought.

CHICAGO, Dec. 2.-The wounds Of
Paul Tupper Wilkes, received in the
sensational Wilkes McVeigh duel,
fought Nov. IL at Fort Lee, on the
Hudson, were hastily dressed by sur
geon in the Office of the Auditorium
theatre. Mr.. Wilkes shortly after left
the city for Kentucky. He arrived in
town on Thanksgiving day, but his
stopping place was kept secret by his
friends, His destination in Kentucky
is unknown, but he will be the guest Of
friends at some country place until the
complications resulting from the duel
have subsidized.
Wounds Have Not Healed Well.
Mr.. Wilkes wound has not healed
rapidly, and the surgeon called was
compelled to lance the arm. Owing to
the fact that the wounds of the other
principal in the duel have taken a dan
gerous turn and blood poisoning is
feared, Mr.. Wilkes was entertained dur
ing his stay in this city, where he is
well known, with great privacy. The
famous affair, fought out to bloody
.
days ago, was the result Of q quarrel at
the Astor House cafe on the evening of
Nov. IL.
The Origin Of the Quarrel.
The origin of this quarrel never be-
came known, and not until now was
even hint of the cause given out by
Mr. Wilkes.
"Mr. McVeigh and myself were din
ing at the Astor House." he said, and
with us were Frank Butler and Robert
Ratcliffe Owens. Mr.. McVeigh, during
the course of the conversation at the
table, made a remark concerning a Ger.
tain persona remark felt I wvs JUS
titled in resenting. Hot words followed
and, if I remember rightly, l denounced
Mr.. McVeigh as coward and q cur.
There was but one way of set
tlement, of course, and the dinner
party at once broke up. Mr.. McVeigh
notified me that he would send friend
to wait upon me with challenge. 1t
was arranged that the friend should
meet me in the Hoffman House cafe.
Mr.. Owens, Mr.. McVeigh's cousin. was
chosen, and found me at the appointed
hour, and place. Mr.. Frank Butler
had departed Immediately after, and
after a long search found him at the
Standard theatre. He at once con.
sented to act for me, and he and Mr..
Owens were soon in consultation.
Proposed n Fist Fight.
1t was my privilege to name weapons
and terms, and not desiring to foolishly
jeopardize life, l proposed that Mr.. Nc
Weigh and meet in my apartments al
the jefferson hotel, strip to the waist
and fight it out with bare fists until one
of the other Of US were satisfied. My
terms were refused on the ground that
Mr.. McVeigh was a sufferer from hem.
orrhage from the lungs, and that such
an encounter as l proposed took him al
a. disadvantage and might prove fatal tc
him on account Of this physical weak
ness. Being informed of this fact l de.
cided ON pistols.
Fired Three Shots in tn. Air.
1--WE met in the morning with the re
suit which is pretty generally known
At no time was it my intention to xii
Mr.. McVeigh, and l made a solemn
resolution to fire my first three shots il
the air. This did and have in my
possession affidavits to that effect from
five Of the six persons who were on tn,
field. Having myself been wounded il
the left arm by Mr.. McVeigh, after
had exhausted three of my five shots,
felt justified in taking sterner measures
I fired and inflicted wound in my an
tagonists thigh.
Unfortunate but Unavoidable.
"The duel, while unfortunate, wa
apparently not to be avoided, and tn
comment it has aroused is not unnat
ural in view of the fact that New Yorl
is not located in France and is essen
TALLY nineteenth century in it's view
of things"
Mr.. McVeigh is newspaper man,
writer Of short stories, and leadin;
member of the Southern Society of New
York
Mr.. Wilkes is famous throughout tn
West as the slayer of George Shepard
one of the leaders of the Riel rebellion
and his second, Frank Butler, is lee
turer of considerable renown. a son O
the late Colonel George S. Butler
United States consul to Egypt unde
President G rant, and of Rose Eytinge
the we'll known actress.