The herald., 1896-10-28
A Fiery Quarantine Officer at
Victoria
WANTS TO BECOME A TARGET
Strange Lack Of Familiarity With the
Gentle Code
Leads Him to Believe He Has Choice OF
Weapons and Distance and He
Gets Laughed At.
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
VICTORIA, B. c., Oct. 27-victorians
have discovered that they no longer live
in the last years Of the nineteenth CEN
tury, but have gone back to the good old
days when personal differences were
settled with pistols and swords. The
knight errant who has thought to revive
the mediaeval system is DR.. j John A. Dun
can, brother of DR.. George Duncan, late
city health officer, and at present super
intendent In charge of Williams Head
quarantine station. On Saturday last
he sent to DR.. G. l. Milne a letter in
which the latter is challenged to fight
duel with pistols and to name his sec
onds within forty ght hours. The RI
cleus around which center the incidents
leading up to the sensational challenge
Is the crusade the Liberal leaders of
Victoria have lately beer engaged in to
oust DR.. George from his position for
political reasons. DR.. Milne is the de-
feated candidate for the commons and
has Just returned from ottawa. He was
called on Saturday by Dr.. Duncan. who
asked that the matter of his brothers
position be not interferred with, and
suggested that DR.. Milne wire to that
effect to ottawa. DIR. Milne replied that
Duncan had already sent numerous af-
fidavits to Ottawa concerning their side
of the question.
There had been much considered by
the minister OF agriculture, and nothing
further could be done. DR.. John then
became abusive ard Mr.. Milre ordered
him out of the office. Soon after a mes
senger came to DR.. Milre's office ami
presented a letter. which proved to be
formal challenge. demanding an apol
ogy withinf fortyeight hours with pis
tolls at twelve PAGES.
DR.. Milne sent the following reply:
Sir-I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of Saturdays
date conveying the sad intelligence that
I have but forty-eight hours to live un-
less 1 apologize for having remarked
that you We're not gentleman. In re-
ply I beg to say that the gracious
charity which permits you to ascrihe
temporary insanity" as the producing
cause, speaks volumes for your keen
ness of perception in diagnosing your
own character. May l ask you to fur
ther enlighten me as to all the general
characteristics of gentleman?
One thing l observe in. your letter, and
it certainly gives me new light on the
subject-whenever differences of opin-
ion exist, write and say to ones oppo-
nent You are a D. liar The big
D followed by a - indicates, am fain
to confess. such boldness of conception
and expression as satisfies me. upon re-
md In
no ordinary man can carry all the quai.
ities of gentleman daily and pay rent
and taxes.
AT best | am a poor hand at duels, not
having the advantage of early training
or the many years of experience gained
by yourself while an officer in her mai
esty' S service and engaged in active war
fare on the CORY heights of Beacon hill
or the bloodstained levels of Maccaulay
plains, and your many moving adven-
lures by flood and field'--with dog and
rowboat-not to speak of the calm cour-
age engendered by daily contact with
peri,s incident to travelling to ard fro
between battery barracks and your
office, yet l feel l must steal myself for
this affray and adhere to the code, not
withstanding that your very surround
ing5 breathe military fire that appals
me. My recollection of ancient history
teaches me that it always has been the
privilege of those challenged to select
the weapons.
AS the challenger claim the privilege
and must positively decline to assent to
your assumption of right to challenge
and name weapons at one and the same
time. Such proceedings would be con-
trary to all ethics of the code. Lest,
however, you should deem too rigid an
adherence to the code Incompatible with
your bodily comfort and peace of
mind / am willing, without prejudice
to name several sorts, in order that you
in turn may make choice from limited
number. l beg, therefore, to submit to
you my selection and weapons of my
choice:
First-Short range pea shooters at
$4,000 yards. Second-Syringes charg-
ed with Florida water at fifty PAGES.
Third-Toss UP, loser TO take winners
prescription.
/ have the honor to be, sir, your obe-
dent servant, GEORGE L. MILNE.
FINE MOFIAIR