The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-25
STORIES ABOUT DuELS.

washington Post; The old newspaper
man. sitting in front of one Of the down
town hotels, dropped the paper, in
which he had been reading of the wide
ly-adyertlsed duel between Prince
Henri of Orleans and the Count of
Turin, the incident that set all Europe
agog with excitement. He adjusted his
spectaces and said:
at makes me feel sad for the younger
generation OF newspaper men now
growing up to think OF the decline of
affairs of honor in this country. They
will perhaps never know the excitement
OF witnessing and reporting n duel--not
the French affairs, but u genuine duel,
such as used 10 be common occurrences
IN the southern states among men OF
honor Murders, hangings and lynch
ings are all well enough In their line,
and give the reporter of to-day an OPP
portunlty to spread himself, but the
rare opportunity for descriptive work
The duel affords Is missing, The hur-
Red drive TO secluded spot In the early
morning hours, the puuetlllous conduct
of principals and seconds, the stepping
of the distance aud placing the prin-
clnaa, the report OF the pistols and the
fash of flame from their muzzles as
one OF the principals sinks to the ground
with crimson spot sullyins the snow
white linen on his partly barred breast;
the hurrying OF surgeons and seconds
10 the wounded ones side, while the
other stands 'motlonless holding his
smoking weapon muzzie down,
"G tell you. my boy. that's q scene
worth chronicllug. The bowle-knIfe
duels in the border days and way back
in the country's infancy, when the men
fought with broadsword and rapier, all
made great stories. New conditions
have come about, though, aud the man
who sends u challenge these days Is
likely TO be made D butt Of rldlcule and
laughed at from one end OF tho country
10 the other, These are days of fists
and courts, leaning to the latter, and u
money value is placed upon honor, an
award OF damages wiplng out insults
that could only be satisfied among gen.
tlemen In my boyhood days In the south
by blood. suppose It Is all for the
best, and although firmly believe In
the code, the last attempt made to fight
a duel In my country resulted so ludl-
crously that am sure should advise
any of my young friends against send
JIG CHhlleUbt uHltNs lIey hhpW ~
soUtety that II would be accepted, and
that they could find some place where
they might fight undlsturbed.
THAT attempt at IL duel referred to
is the last one made In this country, TO
my personal knowledge, to fight strictly
by the code. 1t attracted widespread
attention on account Of the prominence
OF the principals Two young lawyers,
scions OF the most prominent families
in the state Of Georgia. were the oppos-
Ing counsel In celebrated case. In
their arguments they waXed warm and
finally one letslip some word, for which
he was doubtless sorry the moment 1t
escaped his lips but the other heard It
aad turned very pale. Meaning glances
we've exchanged between their friends
IN the court room. The one who had
given The insult continued his argu-
jnent, bringing II TO close with n fiery
reroratlou. This was the closing Argyll
mpnt tn the case, and as soon as 1t was
finished friends crowded around him to
CONGRATULATE him, while his opponent
utalaw was Immediately surrounded by
friends, who accompanied him from the
court house to his chambers. There
challenge WAS immediately drawn up,
tent and accepted.
"s morning paper got wind OF the AZ
fair, printed the story, and the town
was wild with excitement Both OF the
men supposedly had unlimited means
at their disposal. and when 1t was
pnlsed about that the governor was
determined the duel should not occur in
that state, the newspaper men knew
lnatsan attcnp. would be made to fight
y.st outside the border. They were on
tur gul v!ve, watching every move OF
pnncjrals and seconds to see that they
dg not secretly leave the city. The
mornmg paper turned the assignment
orac 10 Butt well-known character,
a sporting reporter who had witnessed
every nix prize fight for the last thirty
ynnrs and who had chased murderers
and outlaws, interviewing men whom
the officers could not locate. Bluii was
tod to get that duel no matter what
the cost, and So arming himself with'a
large roll OF bills and pint bottle, he
began his vigil,
'Blun got an inside tip that no at
tempt would be made To fight the duel
inside the state and SO kept o watch on
the depot and all the train yards. About
o'clock one morning special train
pulled out from one of the yards, tax
Ing southern route, having on board
one OF the principals, his seconds and
SURGEON. Bluff knew that the other man
was In town, but soon got word that he
had left on another special, going north.
Both trains were speeding away by this
time, and Bluff was doing some tall
thinking. He got couple of folders OF
the two roads, containing maps of their
routes and connections, studied them
for about fifteen minutes, then ordered
q special, and he started off In n west
erly direction. II was chance shot, but
Blum took 1t.
HIS special made excellent time, but
q few miles from the spot he wanted to
reach he was delayed for n couple OF
hours by a wash-out The engineer had
been told OF the import OF the trip and
had entered into the spirit Of the chase.
lie put on full head of steam. and the
ties began to float away from beneath
that engine so fast that It looked as
though tho train was running on n
plank walk Just before dawn Bluffs
special rounded curve and slowed up
where two engines, each drawing n sim
Gle coach, were drawn up on siding,
Elan could have shouted for Joy, but,
instead he took pull on the bottle and
tod the engineer TO pull on the siding.
"Blun learned from the trainmen that
The duel was to be fought OH smooth
sulp Of land near the river Just over
the state line. and about four hundred
Yards from the siding. He started in the
direction OF the spot on dead run, and,
breaking through some reeds. came In
sight Of the duelists. Principals and sec
onis wcso dressed de rlgeur and the
distance thirty PAGES, had already
been paced of and the principals plac-
ed. Bun saw two of the seconds haul
lag and pulling away on a pair of re-
r0lyers, while the principals stood bare
L-nI-N I'm the llnhl nf Ihn rlalnH ain