The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-01
JUST p CHHT.
By W. {. CHRISTIAN.

The reputation that the Southern
States had for duelling, seems to have
basis for present existence ut least III
the minds of Spaniards. who have lately
been diverting themselves with challen-
ges TO our statesmen and soldiers. fltz
Lee has just been selected by Lieutenant
Ramon dc Carranza as q desirable tar
get. Captain Sigsbee. 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
il. AS to Fitz Lett may be certain
that he will throw Carranzas's challenge
aside with Il chuckle-with a chuckle
that it would not, perhaps, have received
say twenty or even fifteen years ago.
Mr.. Carranza and other duelliStS of the
Latin people ought to be told that Vir-
ginia, as well as all the Southern States.
is now practically out of the duelling
business.
1t is astonishing how Fitz Lee escaped
q duel during the gubernatorial cam
paign, in which John $. Wise was his
unsuccessful opponent, except on the
theory that the principals in such occa-
sions are considered exempt Yet there
We're Il number Of duels around about
that time. one of them social. sometime
before. namely the Mordecai- Mccarthy
duel, in which Mordecai was killed and
Mccarthy badly wounded. Poor Nc
Carthy, IL man of brilliant promise. never
survived the distress that has seemed
TO follow him since The surgeons in
that duel were. i think. Drs. Hunter
Mct1uire and Cullen. and among the
seconds were Mr.. VIM. r. Trigg, now
of the Richmond Locomotive Works. and
VIM. l.. Royal, a prominent lawyer Of
Richmond. The duel was fought in the
afternoon about 4 o'clock. near Oak
wood cemetery, and shocked Richmond's
social life rs. perhaps, it never was
shocked before. Both men behaved
with admirable nerve. Mccarthy having
received frightful wound at the first
shot, Mordecai being unframed In the
second shot, Mordecai was MORALLY
wounded.
There were other duels. political--the
Mahone-Bradley Johnson duel. 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
a 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 wound
i'll a duel, which was similar in every re-
spect, the ball taking the same course
with the same result. Capt. Hope. it
WIS thought, never fully recovered from
his wound.
Probably the four most notable duels
that clustered around the Malone
regime. were those between Beirne and
Elam, ELAN and Tom Smith (son of
Extra Billy Smith. once Governor of
Virginia.. Beirne and United States
Senator Riddleburger. and Riddleburger
and ey Congressman Geo. $. Wise. The
Elam-Smth duel was brief and to the
point, Smith putting shot into Elam's
chin. which ended the affair. ELAN was
then on the Richmond Wing writing Ma
homes editorials for him. and was as
near-sighted as he was game. The late
Richard II. Beirne, editor OF the Rich
mond State told me that as he looked at
him when they met, he could but adj
miro the courage of the man: that he
remembered distinctly the quiet cool
ness in his eye. clam was badly shot in
this encounter. Bierne coming off with
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 parlance "bloody
one"
Beirne went into the affair angry at q
taunt from Elan of which Elam was
master. The cartel was zone, two. three
fire and advance" Speaking about it
afterwards. Bierne said to me that after
the first shot, TIE pause came. Elan
lifted his arm and that he (Beirne) think
ing he was unframed, was about to adj
vance, when Elan staggered, and all
was over. ELAN had received wound
from which he recovered slowly. He is
now. | think, one of the editors of q
Norfolk paper. The ''taunt' of Elam' 5
was, referring to Beirne's previous meet
ing with Riddleberger. that he (Elaml
when he had met Smith had not forgot
ten his caps. Beirne went into rage az
this. | was with him when he read IT,
and he challenged Elan Immediately.