The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-05-28

Richmond. Va, May 25.-(Special.)-Cap
tain Page McCarty. the celebrated editor
and duelist, died this evening at the re-
treat for the sick after many days Ill
ness.
CAPTAIN Page McCarty was the last or
the famous southern duelists. He was In
May. 1873. one of the principals In an az
fair that was romantic as well as fatal
He killed John Mordecai. prominent
lawyer, and was himself terribly wound
ed The lady who was at that time the
belle of the south was the innocent cause
of this duel.
McCartv came OF the best stock. One of
his ancestors was speaker of the old house
of burgesses away back In lfl1. lie ana
Mordecai were about the same age. Ihey
were deskmates at the University or Nr-
ginia when law students there just before
the war. McCarty. as a volunteer. was
present at the time OF the cap
ture of Harper's Ferry by r. e. Lee.
He was then a beardless youth. but II
was not long before he was rapidly pro-
NOTED from private and became a cap
tain of artillery.
After the war Captain McCarty turned
his attention to newspaper and 10 inter-
ary work. In the year 1873 he ana MS o1d
friend, Mordecai. were both desperately In
love with Miss Mary Triplett. who was at
that time the most celebrated beauty In
Virginia. If not in the whole south. a
grand ball was given in April Of the year
mentioned and ali the fashionable people
of Richmond were there. On this occasion
Miss Triplett wounded the feelings OF
Captain McCarty by showing a oecluen
preference TO dance with some one eise-
Shortly after the ball the following verse
was printed in local newspaper put lo
name was signed TO 1t:
"When Mary's form divine press.
In Strauss sweetest waltz,
Those lips l, too would ram cdreSs'
Altho' those lips be false
John Mordecai was sitting at a restau-
rant on Main street waiting for his order
for breakfast to be filled when he read
these lines HIS friend. William l.. Roy
all one of the leading lawyers here. was
with him. Mordecai said Il was evident
that NcCartv had written the verse ana
that the''AIary' referred to was Miss Trip
lett He announced his purpose 10 hold
McCarty personally responsible. MT Roy
all insisted that If the author or TINS
publication was to be punished there was
no reason why Mordecai should undertake
to do 1t, as the lady had grown brother
and other male relatives. But the young
lawyer was terribly angry and he would
not listen 10 the advice Of his friends lie
sought the counsel of William r. TriSg'
the present head of the w. X. Trlgg snip
Building Company, OF this city. Mr..
Trigg took the same view of the matter
as did Mr. Royal and Mordecai was final
ly convinced that 1t would be a mistake
for him TO challenge McCarty.
The old Richmond Club was then the
place where the ultra-fashionabl BILE gentle
men of Richmond spent their evenings.
McCarty and Mordecai were members.
One evening McCarty's nephew heard
Mordecai roundly abusing his uncle and
reported the matter to the captain. There
was some correspondence passed and 1t IS
said McCarty denied the authorship OF
the lines. Every body believed that trouble
would be averted after this. 4 few weeks
later McCarty and Mordecai met IN the
cafe OF the club aud some angry words
were passed This dispute resulted in
MordecaI knocking McCarty down. The
latter at once sent a challenge TO a duel
and Il was promptly accepted. The meet
Ing place Was Just outside Of lakewood
cemetery, which is in the suburbs of
Richmond. Ii was an ideal May morning
william l.. Royal and William r. Trigg
acted rs seconds for Mordecai and Colo
mel William j.. Tabb and John ;. Mere
dith were there as friends Of McCarty. DR..
Hunter Mcclure. who had been StOnewaU
Jackson's chief medical director and who
attended that great soldier after he re-
ceived his fatal wound at Chancellors-
willie. was present as surgeon for Nor
decai Tho Iate Dr. ]. 5. Dorsey Cullen.
who was surgeon on General James Long
streets staff. went along to attend Me
Carly In case he received wound
Both men faced each other with the
courage and GOODNESS each possessed. At
the first fire the ball from MOrdecal's pis-
toll struck McCar,y in his right thigh.
Nordecai was shot In his abdomen. Both
men had to be carried from the field. Nor
decai died two days later. McCarty's life
was despaired Of for several weeks. but he
finally recovered.
This affair occasioned a tremendous SEN