The age-herald., 1897-10-03
"REMINISCENCES 0F SOME CALIFORNIA DUELS
MORTAL FIGHTS ON THE FIELD OF HONOR IN
 THE EARLY DAYS
A Period When Exuberance in Speech Meant Chal- lenge and the Fighting Was in Earnest-Trfes
 That Led to Mortal Co1nbats
From the New York Sun.


 death of Dr. Samuel Handy, who, nrst and East as principal, second, surgeon, and umpire, appeared on the field of honor oftener than any one else in Cali fornia, has revived memories of the long liz of mortal duels in the Golden State. From 1850 to 1859 there were an- nuadly q score or two of duelS between Americans in this state, and from 1850 to 1855 they were even more frequent. The Me2dcans and Spaniards had be- sides dozens of duels. John w. Landon who came from Maryland and edited a sensational political newspaper in Sac ramento in the early fifties, fought four duels in three years. He killed one man, Halsey Barman, and was finisdf shot once through the chest and at another Mime through the shoulder.
 The code was the commonly accepted nlode of settling serious personal grlev- ances in California during the fifhes. Most of the duelists were young law yers. politicians, and editors. Dozens of duels were fought by lawyers be- cause of intemperale speeches in court, and political speakers were known to attack a candidate publicly, with the knowledge that a challenge to the field of honor would be sent the next day. There was no fooling about most of the California duels, either. Pistols or rifles were the usual weapons. Sometimes shotguns loaded with an ounce ball or with buckshot wape used On a few occasions the hatred of the principals for each other was so intense that tdn-y de- cided to empty Ineir seven-snootsT pis- tols at each oth-r. Two dusls were fought as late as 1874 in the viciAity of Los Angeles, and ore in what IS now Ventura county, that between Judge Davld Hasslar and WJuton Tuck CT, in 1878. But the senument against the duel grew fast and strong in the early sixties, and in the administration of Governor Leland Stanford, 1o6l-6o, the law against sending or receiving cha1- lenges was rigidly enforced, and several men served sentences in state prison ror participation on the field of honor.
 One of the bitttrest duels ever fought in California was between State senator Chauase Lippincott and Robert Tevds, naar Downieville forty ears ago last July. Tevi5 was a handsome, brilliant man of 2, a. younger brother Of Lloyd Tevis, who has since become multi millionaire of San Francisco and was for years the president of the Wells Fargo Express company. Robert Tevis was a native of Kentucky, graduate of Yale college, and a chum in colEe ge of Wayne Macy eagh. He came to Caii- fornia in 1853, and few years later as- pired to go to congress. In order to get before the public as a speaker, he arranged to make the Fourth of July oratfon at DownieviTe. When d1e had spoken an hour some of his political enemies the democrats, had the anvi s fired, and thus drowned his voice. Tevis quit the speakers stand in anger ana modification. LA few days later the Sierra Citizen published an account of the celebration and said that Tevs and alis fool-K now-N Nothing party had bes n laughed out of Downieville The young orator, smarting with rage. published a
 a. frTNi editor of the Citizen, as a liar and a, sneak The duel followed. Several hundred men witnessed 1t. The she11ff and his posse came upon the scene to disperse the crowd and arrest the duel- fists. When he found that the spot was not in this (YubaD county, he made no further efforts While the barley with the sherdff was in progress Tevis and Lippincott, each with his seconds, were a half mile apart practicing with shot guns, which, loaded with an ounce ball, they had chosen as their weapons.
 At noon the seconds called the prlnci- pals and placed them on their posts. Tevis was tall. wfry. and slender. He had boyish expression. One of his friends said recently to the wrdter
 "He was abstracted and his speech was faltering, but his resolution never wavered and his desire to spin his ene- ny's blood was the keenest AS he stood there, gun in hand, waiting the signal to shoot, dle seemed to me to be a RnOStly nldHh Sta1fulIhS o11 lllS tuiSC ol the world. have never been able to effaoe that picture from my memory in asl these years"
 Lippincott was a short, broad-shoul- dered brawny man with dRep-set eyes. He was an expert shot and had used a shotgun hundreds of times Just pre- vious to facing his adversary, he said:
 l"This is strange. I've never spoken to young Tevis in my life, and never saw him but twice before. But the custom of my associates dn California demands I must mest him here in mortal com> bat I hope he is a good shot, for both of us cannot live after what has passed in public"
 Tevis and Lippincott faced each other thirty paces apart. The crowd of spec tatons, as silent as death, stood few yards to ons side. IA silver piece was tossed and Tevis' second had the first choice of guns. Whep the principals had received their weapons already cooked. Henry Halliday stepped forth and callsId:
 Are you ready?"
 ''Ready," replied Tevis and Lippincott at the same moment
 They, raised their guns almost to the "One, two, three, firer said Halliday in measured tones.
 He had no sooner said "fire!" than both guns were discharged. A heavy -- smoke rose arid young Tevis was s9en reeling and trying in vain to keep on his feet Lippincott stood stolid a~d pesred through the powder and smoke at his adversary. IA lock of his hair had been cut away above his @eft ear. When the friends of Tevis reached dlim he was dead The big bell had gone through the heaut and body.
 Hppmcom and his friends turned and wen away at once He was never known 70 speak again of the duel He fled 10 Nevada. but anne back the next winter and served out his term as state senator He went to Illinois shor1y afer that and served in the civil war with such distinction that he became b.gadier- general For several years he was the republican state auditor of Illinois.
 Accustomed as the Gal fornians of rhe early fiftTes were to shootings and to reckless spilling of human blood, the old time miners will never forget the duel that took place in Plumas. in no1.h- ern California. in May, 1856. Ex-Assem- blyman Frank Peeler, now of Los An