The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-02
IN DUELS FOUGHT TO A FINISH

The recent duel between Charles l..
Wright. editor OF the vicksburg Dis
patch. an afternoon political organ In
that historic city started for the pur-
pose of defeating Thomas C. catchings.
member OF congress-, and Colonel
Charles Scott. former chairman OF the
democratic central committee. and for
mer president OF the defunct RosedaIe
bank. writes James s. Evans in the
Chicago Chronicle. IL the first affair Of
honor under the Quintero ode that has
taken place i'm this country between
gentlemen since the famous Parker
Burke duel at New Orleans. more than
n decade ago. says the philadelphia
Times.
Wright was slightly wounded and
Scott had his honor satisfied. Why
Scott should have even taken umbrage
at anything Wright might have said
with reference to his banking affairs at
Rosedale Is more than his friends can
understand. Scott IL known as the
gray eagle OF the delta. He Is a force
ful character In society. In politics, to-
gether with the lamented Percy, he has
kept the delta in democratic line ever
since the war. The white people own
the plantations and the blacks pick the
cotton. In former times they also tried
to pick the political Offices. That was
before the constitutional convention of
1891. Ii was Scott and Percy who kept
the blacks In line without having TO
resort to the shotgun.
His duel with Wright involves a po-
litical story of national interest, be-
cause IL involves Thomas c. Catchings.
q nTnrntnnnf G0upa tn a,,x-, .~~Igx..l
history. Catchings and Wright had a
fist fight On the streets OF Vicksburg
less than a month z Catchings Is a
powerful man physically and Wright Is
fiaccid Of muscle. Wright was sent
home in a cab and the doctors were
summoned.
Wright and Catchings and the SCOTS
used to train together in the Lowry
days OF Mississippi. Wright was then
editor of the Vicksburg Commercial.
When his interest in that paper was
bought by McNealy he switched about
n selected Pat" Henry, a descend
ant OF the illustrious Virginian. to lead
delta politics. And curious to say, Hen
ry had been a second to two duelling
affairs I'm which Wright had beer for
merly engaged on the other side.
Wright first came into sensational
public notice through a challenge sent
him by Roderick Dhu Gambrell in 1883.
was then editor of the Sword
and Shield. the official organ of the pro-
of the state. Wright was
an anti. There was no duel, but Gam
brell posted Wright in V%icksburg as a
coward: He was not, however. a cow-
ard. either then or now. Gambrell was
a mere youth. Wright was an old man.
Gambrell has since been killed. hav-
met mis- death at the hands of Jones
Hamilton, now adjutant general OF
the state. Hamilton was then chairman
OF the state executive committee of the
democratic party, chairman OF the state
COMMITTEES of the anti-prohibi-
tionists, president of the Gulf and Shin
Island railroad, state senator from
Kinds county, the Warwick" OF the
delta politics and the owner of the most
magnificent home in the entire South.
lay in Jail for a year was de-
tended by the present governor of Mis-
A. j. McLaurin, acquitted, but
returned HON robbed of all political
and social honors. Wright was one of
the ablest defenders of Hamilton. and
his newspaper in its attacks on the
friends of Gambrell got him into innu-
scrapes.
There have been no duels In the south
Tor years, for the reason that public
sentiment has opposed them. The affair
between Parker and Burke created a
great scandal n aroused the moral
sensibilities OF the people. The relig-
lous institutions attacked all such bar-
barrie practices. The public press fought
for laws that would make a death at
hands of another on the field next
TO murder. Laws were enacted in ali
OF the states so stringent on principals
and seconds that duels became unpop-
ular.
Burke's challenge to Parker grew out
Or a political quarrel. Parker then did
not know Burke was a defaulter for
more than 81. 1000. 900, but when the
smoke of h pistols was swept away
the theft became known. Then Burke