The times., 1897-12-05


fought February o, 1919, surpassed any
affair or The kind occurring near Wash
ingt0n for downright savagery. II was
fought in Maryland, a short distance be-
yond the District line, on the north side
OF little stream that flows east along
tile north tine of the Rives far:a. The
duel was the result OF a quarrel between
the principals 1T an election In Virginia
the previous year. McCarty, because of
the quarrel, orally challenged AIaajn Il the
unB, sui StanraIly prescribing The terms.
Mason refused the challenge, but said he
woGiG accept a written challenge IN The
plop-r form. The only notice taken Of
Mas1n's answer by McCsrty WAS 10 post
Mason az coward. Mason then Chal-
Icrgru McCsrty, who refused - accept IL,
or the ground that he believed Mason 10
be ID, King III courage. ana that lie did not
me5D business. II appears that ten.
Andrew jackson made IN effort TO ar
range the quarrel. but failed.
The matter was again opened by Mason,
who ius1ru. ted has seconds TO seek Nc
Csrty. ami il he would fight, to send him
a written challenge, ana to accept any
terms he might offer, whether the dis
tance wa three feet or three inches, or
the weapons were pistols, muskets or ri
fles. -
Oh tie seconds seeing McCarty, he pro
posed that the matter should be settled by
Masaa and himself jumping off the Capt.
10, g. Washington together This was
declined rs being contrary 10 established
usagr, aud then McCarty proposed that
Mason and re should sit upon a barrel #
gun 90 Nrder which the seconds should
explode by fuse This was declined for
the same reason, and McC2rty then proposed
that Mason and he should fight with dirks
This was declined also on the same grounds.
February a, 1913. McCarty greed To- meet
Mason the next day al Montgomery court
house. -hc weapons TO be nIuskets, charged
with bGcEshot, the distance ten feet. These
terms were modified so The musketS We're
to be loaded with single ban, the distance
twelve feet, the meeting 10 take place on
tie 9th at the place described. The parties
net on the ground early IN the morning,
both fired together; Mason was instantly
Killed and McCarty wounded IN tie arm.
Il seems probable that Mason purposely
spared NcCarty's life, for it is evident
that Mason could have hit him in the body
easier than in the arm. McCarty is said 10
have Suffered great remorse up 10 the
time OF lis death on account of this affair.
Henry a. Wise was one OF the wings
who supported Tyltrs Administration in
Congress. His colleague, Stanley, op-
prsed il, and be and Wise had many litter
words IN regard TO their action. While
both were attending a horse race, eacn
being mounted, Stanley lost CCntrol Of his
horse. which ran against Wise, aud tie
latter thinking Stanley had run against
lIru t,uroosoly, followed. and struck Sian
ley Nrahhis whip STANLEY aneuged Wise,
Iiis second being Reverdy johnson, or Mary
land. Stanley, accom- panied bv Johnson.
was uracticing with a PISTOL, but showed
such Tad workmanship that Johnson, be-
ing Disguised, took tic pistol ana fired it
himself. TO show his priuciral how 70 shoot.
TIE tai struck knot IL the tree be aimed
al, was flattened. ana caused TO rebound
50 that il struck johnson in The eye, pene-
tTating under the lid. johnson was blinded
in that eye, and it was out Of the question
FOR nin. To continue as reccnd. Stanley
then sclecied McCarty as ms second. and
through his good offices tie quarrel was
settled without meeting.
=
where Mason and McCarty fought, James
Barron and stephen Decatur post-capt7ms
OF thc I nited states Navy, met IN a duel
MarCl p. $50. = Spriug branch erUSsas
an old road that runs north OF the Rives
fam. There was bridge over this stream
end Barron stood oh the east side Of this
bridge and Decatur OF the west side, both
in tic road.
The cause = this duel was the Iposi-
tiou Which Decatur made 10 the rem
statement of Parrvn 10 an active position
in the Navy, be having been suspended and
Put upon Ealf pay because OF a Judgment
or ,o,lIt -i4la rtiai upon his conduct in the
affair of the Chesapeake IN SOY. Al
though Decatur hsd formed an opinion al
verse u ParTOn on account OF that affair.
he sa; upon the court martial AZ the re-
quest Of the Secretary Of the Navy, and
it appears that Barron held him Fesponsi-
bic, Torthe yerdicts which hedeeued unjust.
Ia the cores spondence between them EoIh
declare themselves opposed TO dueliDg,
Barron rerrettlng that he had no other re
course than 10 challenge Decatur, and De
catuT regretting that public opinion con-
pelied him tC accept the challenge Barron
wanted conSidera tion given him OF account
Of his lsinE near-sighted, which Decatur
refused. But DecatuT's second was not
shown Tho CORES pondcnce and he was left
entirely free as to conditions III arranging
FOR the meeting. The weapons were to 0e
pistols and the distance eight PAGES. Bar
ron seems TO have wanted the distance
less because uf his bad eyesight. Bar
ron's second was Capt. Jesse o. EHiotr,
and Drcatur's Capt. William Bainbridge,
both oF lie Navy. cambridge had the Civ
ing OF The word, and rehearsed It at Bar
roli's request, As follows. Present, one,
two. three" neither to fire until after the
word .'one" had been uttered, nor after the
word three"
Decatur told Commodore Rogers that
nothing would induce him 70 take Barron's
life" On hearing tile terms If the duei
ne said lit was too lateto max o bjections.
II other terms had been fixed it was his
determination not To have returned the
fire, bat row al he would do you'd be
70 wcInd BaIron IL a part not vital" u
bctuE remarked that this might cause him
T. lose his own lie, heiS reported as say
ing 'hc would rather lose has own life
an totaNcthclife of II man a glinst VII IN
lac. had 30 ilI-will " closing by Sa ging
he world wound Barron in the hip, eyi-
deLtiy TO diSeuncrrt his aim.
As the principals stood in their pla es
Rarrou said: - hUpein meeting in another
world we win be better friends than We
have been in this Decatur responded:
II have never been your enemy, sir"
THE xcerd was given, both firing at the
word Two but one report being heard.
Roth fell. Decatur being shot in the bowels,
the ball passing through his body,
Barron being wounded in the
hip, where Decatur had said he
would hit him. pecaturdied ina few DAYS
Barron recovered.