The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10

compound fracture of the bone resulting
Had he not thrown the limb a little "out
of line" in handling his pistol after firing
it he would not have been touched.
WHEN NUGENT FELL
When struck by the ball Nugeht fell,
and was at once taken in charge by the
surgeons present, Drs. Hastings, Gray,
Bowie and Miles. Cotter having ex-
pressed himself as being satisfied, the
combatants shook hands and agreed to
tracted and Nugent was brought to San
Francisco, where he received the best
medical attention. and was soon enabled
to return to his editorial post.
But his tendency to interfere in the
affairs of the politicians soon brought
him into trouble again, and In less than
month from the date of his first ap-
pearance on the field of honor he re-
ceived his second challenge. 1t was sent
by William H. Jones' well-known poll
tician, who was aggrieved because of
some rough handling which he had re-
ceived in the columns of the Herald.
Nugent was on crutches at the time,
but would not allow a little matter like
that to stand in the way, and he cheer
fully consented to give Mr.. Jones the
satisfaction the latter crayed. Jones and
his seconds were perfectly willing to
wait until such time as Nugent should
suggest, but the latter would not hear Of
having the encounter postponed, and
named Aug b. 1852, as the time and the
Pioneer race course. beyond the Mission,
as the place.
The weapons selected were dueling pis-
tolls, to be fired at a distance Of ten PAGES.
Quite number of spectators were pres
ent when the men were placed in position
for the first exchange of shots. which
cd in f6a lie
charge. however, Nugept Jared better
than he had done with Cotter, for he
brought his man down with a shot in
the right side, the ball glancing and pass
ing through the fieshy part of the back,
infiicting wound of a superficial char
acter.
ONCE WAS ENOUGH.
Nugent was willing to let his antag-
onist try his luck again, but Jones ex-
pressed himself as being perfectly salts
fed with the perforation Mr.. Eugent had
already made. and. the principals and
seconds having shaken hands, all re-
turned to. San Francisco, apparently de-
lighted with their days outing.
After this episode life ran smoothly
with the belligerent editor until the fol-
lowing year, when once more, and for
the last time he was called out" In
Gle to be published rejecting on the illit-
eracy of Col. Tom Hayes, assistant
alderman from the Second ward, and
Hays, in his wrath, promptly challenged
him. Nugent accepted, as a matter of
course, naming as his second Hamilton
Bowie, who was city treasurer at that
time. Hayes's representative was Will
liam Greene, president of the Board of
Aldermen from May, 1850, to May, 1851.
| For this affair Nugent chose rifles,
claiming that the navy revolvers gener-
ally used were too large for his hands,
the latter being, for man, unusually
small At sunrise on the morning Of
June IL, 1853. the principals, with their
seconds, surgeons and a number OF
| friends, repaired to the San Souci House,
a small wayside inn situated about three
miles south Of the Mission Dolores. The
| distance, twenty PAGES, having been
measured of, the two men were placed in
| position and exchanged shots once with
out effect.
| At the second fire, however, Nugent
received his adversary's bullet in the
right arm. above the elbow. the ball
| shattering the bone, then entering his
| side and passing out near the point OF
| his shoulder. 1t was feared that the arm
| would have to be amputated, but by the
| skill Of the surgeons 1t was saved.
| This ended Nugent's career or the field
/ style Of Journalism and made the Herald.
| up to the time Of the vigilance commit-
| tee. the most prosperous paper on the
/ Pacific coast. It's opposition to that or
| ganization. however. was the beginning
Of the end. Its popularity waned, the
In its columns. and Il Was finally obliged
Nnesnf died IN sf1 Erancisco ten q
twelve years onoS