The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-05-03
JUST p CHAT.
By W. E. CHRISTIAN.

States had for duelling, seems 10 have
basis for present existence at least III
the minds of Spaniards, who have lately
been diverting themselves with challen-
geS to our statesmen and soldiers. EitZ
Lee has Just been selected by Lieutenant
Ramon de CarranZa rs 2 desirable tar
get. Captain Sigsbcc. also. has been
challenged by this late member of the
Spanish legation at Washington. Cap
tain SigSbec is quoted as saying that on
receiving the challenge he does not
know what disposition he will make of
it. As to Eitz Lett may be certain
that he Will throw CarranZaSS challenge
aside with 4 chuckle-With q chuckle
hat it would not. perhaps, have received
say twenty or even fifteen years ago.
Mr.. CarranZa and other ducllstS of the
Latin people ought to be told that Nir-
Ginia, as we'll rs all the Southern States.
is now practically out Of the d%uclling
business.
1t is astonishing how Fitz Lee escaped
4 duel during the @ubcrnatorlal cam
paign, in which John 5. Wise was his
unsuccessful opponent, except on the
theory that the principals in such occa-
Sions are considered exempt. Yet there
were Il hummer tl tltlS dIoltIld ABOUT
that time. one Of them social. sometime
before. namely the Mordecai-NIcCarthy
duel. in which Mordccai was killed and
Mccarthy badly wounded. Poor Nc
Carthy. a man of brilliant promise. never
survived the distress that has seemed
to follow him since. The surgeons in
that duel were. | think. Drs. Hunter
Mcclure and Cullen. and among the
seconds were Mr.. VIM. X. Trigg. now
Of the Richmond Locomotive Works. and
VIM. l.. Royal. Il prominent lawyer Of
Richmond. The duel was fought in the
afternoon about 4 o'clock. near Oak
wood cemetery. and shocked lsichmOnd'S
social life as, perhaps, it never was
shocked before. Both men behaved
with admirable nerve. Mccarthy having
received Il %frightful wound at the first
shot. Mordccai being unframed. In the
second shot. Mordecai was mortally
wounded.
There were other duelS. political-the
Mahone-Bradley Johnson due in which
Bradley Johnson was on time. but in
which Malone did not show up. The
late James Barron Hope. the Virginia
poet and editor of the Norfolk Land
mark. was one of the seconds. He was
Il most accomplished and polished and
gallant scholar and gentleman. and
as principal had himself been on the
field of honor" And strange to say.
when James Barron Hope fought, |
think, with Pembroke Jones, he received
Il wound in front, the bullet circling the
body under the skin. and lodging near
the spine. His grandfather. Commodore
| Barron. it was said. received Il wound
in Il duel. which was similar in every re-
spect, the ball taking the same course
with the same result. Capt. Hope. it
was thought, never fully recovered from
his wound.
Probably the four most notable duelS
that clustered around he Malone
regime, were those between Reirne and
ELAN. Elan and Tom Smith (son of
Extra Billy Smith. once Governor of
Nirginia). Beirne and United States
Senator R~iddleburger. and R%iddleburger
and cx-Congressman Geo. S. Wise. The
Elam-Smith duel was brief and to the
point. Smith putting a shot into Elam's
chin. which ended the affair. ELAN was
then on the Richmond Wing writing Ma
homes editorials for him. and was rs
near-Sightcd as he was game. The late
Richard +. Beirne, editor of the Rich
mond State. told me that rs he looked AT
him when they met, he could but ad-
mirc the courage of the man: that he
remembered distinctly the quiet cool
ness in his eye. ELAN was badly shot in
this encounter. Bicrne coming off Will
i two holes near the hem Of his thin sack
coat the same ball from Elam's pistol
having twice pierced it. The cartel was
what is called in code p%arlance 4 bloody
one"
Beirne went into the affair angry at /:
taunt from ELAN of which ELAN wa<
master. The cartel was "onc, two, three
fire and advance" Speaking about il
afterwards. Bierne said to me that after
the first shot, the pause came. Elan
lifted his arm and that he Beirnc) think
ing he was unharmed. was about to ad
vance, when Elan staggered. and al
was over. ELAN had received a wOun,
from which he recovered slowly. He is
now. | think. one of the editors of /;
Norfolk paper. The "taunt' of Elan:
was, referring to Beirne'S previous meet