The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-20
FATAL DUELS In DAKOTA.
TWo D~EsPERhTE FRATs WITNESSED
FROM THE DECK or a STEAM.
hOAT ON TIE MISSOURI.

boAT ON THE MISSOURI.
with the lenEth OF = leg Between Them
Eucsuntcr en- n bridge rre-tIe Resulted
In Death Of Censatnnts In the Fan.
Frop the 81. Paui Pioneer Press.
BISMARCK. n. d.. Feb. l2.-"old.timers alonr
the Missouri will no doubt recall two duo,,
which were fought in the carly days" said an
old-time steamboat man who was employed in
the palmy days In stcamboating along the river.
"They differed considerably from the ordinary
affair OF honor in tho manner In which thcy
were fought and in tho further fact that both
of them were fatal. and to both contestants in
each instance. Ono of them was fought with
rifles from opposite ends OF a huge cottonwood
log. probably thirty feet in length. and the other
took place on the trestle OF the big VI. ssova
River bridge when IL was in course OF erection.
I was an eyewitness OF each of the encounters.
both Of which were seen by a largo number Of
people.
Near Chamberlain, 8. D.. a good many year,
ago there lived two brothers, lin and Lafaye,,s
Sunderland. They were typical bad men OF tho
frontier and dangerous characters in an encoun.
tsr. Tall, lean. active, sure-sighted and quick
Of aim. they were ugly customers. Their rcru.
tation was general along tho Missouri River.
Each of them had one or moro no,chcs on IL.
handle OF his revolver. indicating that some I'm.
man being had fallen TO his aim. No man cared
to offend either Of them unless he was lookin.
for trouble and prepared for battle. as trouble
was sure to follow when either Of them felt that
his dignity had suffered insult. 1t was pecn.
liarly appropriate that these two bad charao
tiers should have seen at to rid the world
Of each other. which they did eTcctually in
consequence Of q quarrel between them.
When steamboating was in its glory Along
the Missouri Tho human ~ wooa -,
along the stream drove a profitable business n
supplying the passing boats with fuel. There
were established yards along the river at such A
distance apart as was most convenient for tho
boats, and they run into shore at these yaris
whenever their supply of fuel got low TO re.
plenish 1t from the supply always to be found
on hand. A heavily loaded boat making a ;rio
up stream consumed a good many cords "
wood. and the expenditure for fuel was no
small amount. Prices ranged from 50 to S5a
cord. and when the owner of a yard sold a
supply TO q passing boat he had done a verr fair
days work. and received a very fair days in.
come. The wood was always paid for in casa
by the clerk OF the boat, and the patronage OF
the boats was much sought after by the ownern
Of the yards along tho river.
"The Sunderland brothers varied their ca.
reers as bad mon by wood chopping. and thew
had established a yard about ten or twelve'mi,cs
from the present site of Chamberlain. The yard
was a partnership concern. the brothers being
supposed to divide the proceeds Of whatever
sales were made. But as usual with such char.
acters. there was not even Common honesty be-
tween them. and II either man was able to mako
a sale without the knowledge OF the other he
deemed IL the part of wisdom and good finance
to pocket the entire proceeds and say nothing.
Q were making a trip up the river late in
the season with a heavy load of freight, and put
m n 4 N M NCnnhr var 70 z..
stock of fuel. which had been heavily drawn
upon by our ploughing against the swift cur.
was present at the yard. and We made
known our needs. and sent BOOSTERS ashore 10
ten cords OF wood. and the clerk paid Sunder-
land ten crisp fiye-dollar bills in settlement OF
the gang plank and push sst ont PF ihso Ing 10 sSs
Lafayette Sunderland made his appear.
anee from a neighboring copse OF woods and in
had been taken. By this time we had swung out
into the stream. and the clerk called across the
Jim for the wood. From the deck of the boat W,
could discern n heated controversy between tho
brothers; The reputation of the two men
such as TO create a general interest on
board the boat as TO the outcome of the quarrel,
nouement. After perhaps 1--WE minutes OF alter.
cation we saw jim suddenly spring to the end OF
a : huge !otson wood log which lay near and ssiSe
q rifie which rested upon the end of the log. Bus
and although jim was the first to move La.
p,s ~ ~ othSi INV VI IL sb2
where his rife rested. and had seized 1t before
i'm could take aim. Two slight puffs Of smoke
sharp reports. and the two men fell almost sim.
1ltaneously. each where he had stood. without
shot, and there could be but one result 10 such
nuel; The brothers were stone dead. each Killed
~ the other, and over the division OF $50.
homiclde was not uncommon in those Gays.
,ithough the killing OF brother by brother in a
iusi OF this description was a little out OF The
The other duel took place on the tres,le OF
he big Missouri bridge between Bismarck and
me upper deck OF a steamboat at the Bismarck
anding when our attention was attracted hy
%restle. which was on the opposite side Of The
liver and perhaps half u mile away. We
We saw some dark object fall from the Srestie -
ne rocks: seventy feet below. Investigator
disclosed that two OF the carpenters who mad
ion; ana hard words were followed by blow,
intii ono OF them attacked the other withl
1t was an extremely periIous place Tor
n encounter OF the description which followed.
vide enough to admit OF the laying OF the rails,
sitn a space OF a foot, on each side. There we're
Vas strewn with huge boulders. A fall from he
restle was certainly fatal. The workmen saw
area % PEI struggle with apprehension, but
restle.
The Two belligerent wqrkmen grappled with
I the ~trcstle. Backward and forward tkCy
and struggled; each seeking TO overcome
ne other and cast him from the dizzy height.
lnaily they battled to the very edge Of no
restie and one OF them lost his balance aai
wunE out over the edge. Realizing that 10
Ias doomed. he clung TO the other with the
envy, OF despair, and. unable to loose himself
rom the grasp OF the falling man. the second 4
ns men slipped, swHyed. and fell over the e !-e,
, the rocks below. The rest Of the workraea
ere horrorstricken and peered over the c:c,
, zee the TWO unfortunates lying prone on Tie
rip OF the other and stone dead. Hardy q boae
The body OF either but was broken.
TOLD BY THE OLD CIRCUS NAV.