The Portland daily press., 1897-08-06
A FAMOUS DuELINa GROUND
"Bloody Island" at ST. Louis.-Its Ancient
Cottonwood Tree Has just Failen-some
of the Duels Fought There.
(From the St. Louis Post Dispatch


(From the St. Louis Post Dispatch.)
Bloody island" has lost it's famous cot
ton tree. Older than the federal govern
ment. it stood at the head of the island
for at. least century and q half, pointing
| the way to Indians in their canoes, to the
French and Spanish invaders, and to
western settlers. Sunday morning, after
having withstood storms and tempests in
Vulnerable, it yielded its great trunk to
a gently passing breeze and fell to earth,
just as an old man drops into his hnal
sleep. In the shadow OF that tree nave
been fought the bloodiest and herciest
duels ever known in this country. 1t
has looked down upon scenes which have
had no parallel, and in its ancient
| branches were locked the secrets of events
that would fill volumes of history and of
| fiction.
sBloody island lies opposite North ST.
Lo uis in the Mississippi river, within the
| jurisdiction of the state of Illinois. Dur
| ing the earliest days of the West, after ST.
Louis had become located as trading
| post, this bit of land was selected as
we'll concealed spot of neutral ground,
whereon the men of those days could settle
| their differences in accordance with the
code of honor. 1t was convenient, beyond
| the reach of a crowd of mediatorS and
without habitation. Unimportant con-
| f1icts had been fought there at intervals
until the territory of Missouri began to
be governed with some regard for civil
| law. Then it bounded into fame which
| is national to this day.
| 1t was the duel between Thomas III.
| Benton and Charles Lucas that marked
| ''Bloody island as the scene of deadly
encounters Benton had come here in
| 1916 from Tennessee to pratice law. He
was an impetuous, recklessly brave and
i pompous man. Lucas had just been ap-
| pointed United States attorney for the
| territory of Missouri. He was rather I'M
obtrusive, but his eloquence and courage
were unquestionable. The controversy
between Benton and Lucas began in a
courtroom, where they had opposite sides
| in a case at bar. AS was the custom in
| those days, epithets and offensive re-
marks W ere banded, at which the hot
blooded Benton took exception outside of
| tai combat. Lucas declined, on the
ground that his professional statementJ
to a jury should not be made the basis of
| quarrel sufficient to cause him to Jeop-
ardize his own life or that of another
They were of opposite politics. and when
the summer elections of 1917 came on the
| trouble was renewed. There are conflict
ling statements as to the provocatlon OF
the second challenge, but the best evil
dence fayors the story that Benton offered
| to vote and was promptly challenged by
Lucas as not having resided long enough
| in the territory. Benton responded with
his usual invective. referring to Lucas as
a puppy" Then Lucas sent Benton
challenge to fight, which was promptly
accepted. They met at sunrise on
Bloody island,'' August ~, 1877 They
took stations at ten PAGES and fired stimuli
taneously. The ball from Benton's pistol
inflicted a severe wound in the neck Of
Lucas, while the latters ball struck the
ground, DETECTED and caused slight
confusion of Benton's knee.
Benton fercely demanded that the duel
famous contest, became a candidate for
reelection. Then Biddle began to write
articles for the newspapers abusive Of
Pettis, ridiculing the latter claim as
candidate and speaking contemptuously
of him. On one occasion he referred to
Pettis as "a dish of SKINNED milk. )"
Pettis replied with spirit and vigor, each
becoming more and more personal. EARLY
one morning Major Biddle appeared at
the City hotel, corner of Third and Vine
streets, and sent word to Pettis that a
gentleman wanted to seeshim. The night
had been hot, and the congressman had
spent most. of it electioneering in the
southern part of the city. In order to es-
cape mosquitoes andsflnd- a draft, Pettis
had lain down in hallway and was fast
asleep. He sent back word for Biddle to
go away and let him alone. Major Bid
die rushed up stairs and fell upon Pettis
with a cowhide. He piled his weapon
fast and furiously, until Pettis got hold
of sword cane, with which he fought
the major into full retreat. Next day
Biddle was arrested on charge of assault
to kill and bound over to the next term
of the circuits.cour Pettis was easily re-
elected to Congress, and Biddle went up
to Prairie du Chen to pay off the army.
During the majors absence Pettis ap-
piled to Capt. Martin Thomas, an ex-
officer of the army, to become his second
and went into training. Upon Biddle's
return from the North he received chal-
lenge from Pettis and they agreed to meet
az sunrise of August 81. Ben o. Fallon,
brother of John, an ex-officer of the army,
became Biddle's second. By reason OF
being the challenged party Major Biddle
had the choice OF weapons and distance.
He chose pistols, and by reason of being
very ar-sighted demanded the usual
distance be reduced to five feet, which
was accepted. Thousands of people lined
the river banks of North ST. Louis on
that fatal morning, among them John
Mullanphy, who sat astride big roam
horse. They knew that it was duel to
death, with no chance of escape on either
side. The contestants rowed across in
separate skiffs, and when on the ground
Ben O'Fallon said to Capt. Martin
If your principal shoots before the word
is given 1 will shoot you agreed,
replied the captain, 'and l will shoot you
if your principal fires before the word -
Pettis won the choice of positions and
both men took their places. The seconds
stood at right angles between the princi-
pals.
care you readyg" asked Capt Thomas.
eve are they said
zone, two, threel'
+, oNTf
were simultaneous, and both men fell
mortally wounded. The pistols were
fifteen inches long and the outstretched
arms caused the weapons to lap against
each other. Biddle said to his surgeons
81 feel very much hurt, DR.. La ne.
Two days later he asked how Pettis was
and then died. He was buried in the
Old Catholic cemetery at Franklin avenue
and the St. Charles Rock road and re-
moved in later years to Calvary. Pettis