The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-15
BLOODY ISLAND" DUELS
EVENT RECALLING MOST FAMOUS
MEETING GROUND IN THE WEST.
Two Missouri Senators Had Fatal En-
cOunters-G ettis-BiddIe Duel
with Tapped Pistols.
Kansas City Times.

Kansas City Times.
Bloody island" has lost its famous cot
tonwood tree. Older than the federal gov
eminent, it stood at the head of the island
for at least a century and half pointlng
the way to Indians in. their canoes to the
French and Spanish invaders and to Vest
ern settlers The other morning, after haV-
ing withstood storms and tempests innu-
merable it yielded it's great trung to a
gently passing breeze and fell to earth,
Just as an old man drops away to his final
sleep. In the shadow of that tree have
been fought the bloodiest and fiercest duels
ever known in this country. 1t has looked
down upon scenes which have had no par
allel, and in it's ancient branches were
locked the secrets of events that would fill
volumes of history and of fiction.
Bloody island" lies opposite North st.
Louis. in the Mississippi river, within the
jurisdiction of the State of Illinois. Dur
ing the earliest days of the West, after st.
Louis had became located as trading post,
this bit of land was selected as well-con-
cealed spot of neutral ground, whereupon
the men of those days could settle their
differences in accordance with the code or
honor. 1t was convenient, beyond the reach
of a crowd of mediators and without habi-
DNC-A
fought there at intervals until the Terrific
ry of Missouri had begun to be governed
with some regard for civil law. Then it
bounded into a fame which is national to
this day.
1t was the duel between Thomas H Ben
ton and Charles Lucas that marked
"Bloody island" as the scene of daily en-
counters. Benton had come here in 1916
from Tennessee to practice law. He was an
impetuous, recklessly brave and pOmpous
man. Lucas had just been appointed
United States attorney for the Territory Of
Missouri He was rather unobtrusive, but
his eloouence and courage were un1ues-
tionabe. The controversy between Benton
and Lucas began in a courtroom where ha,r
AS was the custom in those days, epltn2tS
and offensive remarks We're banded at
which the hot-blooded benton LOOK eNCep-
ton outside of court.
BENTON'S FIRST CHALLENGE.
Benton challenged Lucas to mortal COM
hat. Lucas declined on the ground that his
professional statements to a jury should
not be made the basis of a quarrel sutfi-
cient to cause him to jeopardize his own
life or that of another. They were of OPP
posite politics, and when the summer cleo
tions of 1917 came on the trouble was re-
newed There are conflicting statements as
to the provocation of the second challenge,
but the best evidence favors the story that
Benton offered to vote and was promptly
challenged by Lucas as not having resided
long enough in the Territory. Benton re-
sponded with his usual inVeCtive, referring
10 Lucas as a puppy" Then young Lucas
sent Benton 81 challenge TO fight, which was
promptly accepted.
They met at sunrise ON the Bloody ISL
and" Aug. IL, ISL They took stations at
ten PAGES and fired simultaneously The
ball from Benton's pistol inflicted a severe
wound in the neck of Lucas, while the lat
ter's ball struck the ground, detected and
caused 3 slight confusion of Benton's knee.
Benton fiercely demanded that the duel pro-
coed Lucass wound had caused a great
infusion Of blood, and his surgeon withdrew
him from the field after il had been agreed
between the seconds that another meeting
be had as soon as the wound of Lucas
would permit. A few days later the differ
ences were adjusted by friends But it was
only temporary. Within few weeks re-
ports reached Benton rejecting on his con-
duct on the field. These he attributed to