Evening star., 1896-01-04
MADE IT HIS BUSINESS.
Representative Catchings' Story of q
Crack Missfssippi Duelist.

Representative Catchings' Story OF q
Crack Mississippi Duelist.
Representative Boatner Of Louisiana has
returned to Washington from New Orleans,
and his friends are expressing their graft
fication that the affair of honor +" in which
he was involved was settled without an ex-
change of shots. His associates in the
House look upon him a man who would
fight. but il is doubtful that, as an abstract
question, he believes in the propriety of
dueling. He would probably have fought,
had 1t been necessary, simply because 1t is
the custom In that section, and he is not
tmid. There are few men in Congress now,
even among the old school southern men,
who believe In dueling. There are many
perhaps who. like Boatner, would fight IL
they thought 1t necessary to preserve their
names from reproach, but they no longer
look upon that sort of thing as natural and
proper.
Catchings of Mississippi was telling the
other day of some of the early dueling in
mississippi. Now a man losses his citizen
ship for duelng in that state. but there
was time when 1T was regarded rs quite
the natural and proper thing to settle diff
cGlties that way.
Catchings told a story of the experience
OF young man who went to Vicksburg
from somewhere east, New England or
Pennsylvania, some time before the war.
HIS name was Robin. He was a mat
ter-of-fact business man, young and of
qriet. gentlemanly manners, not used to
southern ways, but disposed TO let people
alone. He came there to be cashier OF one
of the principal banks, a position which
carried with it good social standing. In
the spirit of the times, it was determined
by the men Of the circle with which he
might be expected to associate to make a
test of his metal. They began by one of
their number picking quarrel with him.
He avoided the quarrel and did not see its
Dllrn0SQ fhnr iad
MIN embroiled, without success. Then they
began to put indignfties upon him and to
insult him. His only mode of resentment
was to say that they were blackguards and
that he would have nothing to do with
them. In short time they bad him os-
tracised. He thought he was ostracising
them He seemed to be entirely uncon-
scious of any loss of dignity or standing I'm
the community, and TO look upon his isola-
pon as simply his own voluntary retire
H'ent from what he considered bad COM
pany. Meanwhile. he had become an OBJ
1ect OF contempt among the cavaliers and
nnally II began to reflect upon the bank of
which he was cashier. One day, after
some particularlygross insult had been pass
ed over by him with his accustomed silent
contempt, the president of the bank took
I'M aside and explained the situation add
ing that he must regain public respect or
ne would have to sever his connection with
ed of him, and it was explained that he
would have to challenge one of the Offend
crs AID fight a duel.
oh" he said Il can do that. if it is
necessary. He sent Immediately q chal-
Nnge to the man who had last put an IN
dignity upon him. This man was one who
mad fought before, and was regarded as a
most accomplished duelist. He promptly
accepted the challenge; they fought with
pistols, and both were dangerously wound
ed As soon as Robin got well he took up
MS tormentors IN orde-, challenging them
systematically and deliberately. He fought
ing others of his antagonists. The ostra-
cism was declared OF, and he was made a
non or He prospered. became wealthy and
prominent, but had the reputation of the
most dangerous -duelist in the state.
He simply devoted himself to the code
Is'ght ana left, for little provocation or for
none. he challenged men and fought them.
1t became his chief pleasure In life He
tuilt a massive stone castle on the heiehts
overlooking Nicksburg, which cost an inn
mense amount Of money and was known
as Robbip,s folly. In this he had a long
room fitted up as a library and armory'
Here he had an sorts OF weapons which
might be used in dueling. Hung about the
walls We're broadswords, foils, pistols. etc.
labeled with the particular duel they had
been used in
The spfritless Yankee had become a ter
ror. No one dared to offend him. He was
Just looking around for some one to fight,
His extravaganza finally brought financial
reverses upon him. Suit was going to be
brought against him IN the courts for a
large sum of money owed by him to some
parties outside the state. When he was
nc tined OF II. he wrote note to each one
OF the members OF the yicksburg bar, noti-
Tying him that any lawyer who took the
case would have to fight q duel. But one
lawyer could be found willing to take the
case. ne was promptly challenged by Rob-
bfn They fought, and both were so serf-
ousiy wounded that they We're confined to
their beds for several months
Ihen 1t was discovered that Robin was
insane When forced into the first duel
the sight of his fallen antagonist had un-
balanced his mind and made a monomaniac
OF him. Sane on all other subjects he had
become entirely irresponsible on this. and
his career had been simply that of a duel
asylum.