El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-31
DUEL ON THE FLAIN
CAPTAIN AND LIEUTENANT
FOUGHT OVER A WOMAN

IhrlillnS STORY OF Deduiy EncOuHler
Between Two of General Joe Shell
by's Officers While His Forces Were
on the Borders of Mexico.
A letter from st. Joseph Mo-, pub
lished in an exchange says:
William HALEY. the chief lieutenant
of the noted guerilla, Charles Guam
trell. during the war of the rebellion,
who has just passed away at the state
insane asylum in this city, victim of
paresis, was one of the figures in n duel
fought on the plains of Texas as he
was fleeing with Shelby and handful
of eX-confederateS from the United
States, to seek an asylum under the
reign of Macmillan in Mexico. After
the last remnant of the guerilla band
had been hunted to earth HALEY es-
capped to one of the commands under
General 10 Shelby, which was then
making it's way to point on the Braz-
os river in Texas, with the expectation
of making a final attack upon federal
forces and supplies at Corsicana.
Shelbys army was marching toward
Austin. near where the duel between
HALEY. who was then a first lieutenant
in one of the companies. and cap
tain of a company in another regiment
occurred. The duel was witnessed by
a number of Shelby's men who are now
residents of this city and Major Ed
wards who accompanied Shelby to the
City of Mexico, returning only after
the army was disbanded and upon the
refusal of Macmillan to accept the
Missourians into the service of the
empire.
4 Woman Worth Fighting For.
The duelists, both young men, quar-
relied about a woman, fair young
thing, who was the captains by right
of conquest. At the night encampment
she abandoned the old love for the
new. and in the struggle for possession
the captain struck the lieutenant fair
in the face.
You have done a serious thing"
some comrade said to him.
1T will be more serious in the
morning." was the quiet reply.
But you are in the wrong. and you
should apologize
He tapped the handle of his revolver
significantly and made answer: This
must finish what the blow mas COM
menced- A woman worth kissing is
worth fighting for
The name of either duelist has here
tofore remained unspoken. Most of the
men who witnessed the tragedy have
long since passed to their reward and
it is only since the death of HALEY in
this city that one of his comrades in
arms. who witnessed the tragedy. has
volunteered to give his name. There
are those today living in Marion coun-
ty. Mo, whose sleep in eternity will be
brighter and sweeter if they are left
in ignorance of how one fair-haired
boy who went forth to fight the bat
ties of the south found a grave when
her battles were ended. The lieutenant
challenged the captain, but the cues
ton of its acceptance was decided up
on before the challenge was received. !
These were the terms: At daylight the |
principals were to meet one mile from
the camp upon the prairie, armed each
with revolver and a saber. They
were TO be mounted and stationed
twenty PAGES apart. back to back At
the word they were to wheel and fire.
or remaining stationary, as
they chose. In no event were they to
pass beyond a line 200 yards il the
rear of each position.
Tragic Hour At Hand.
So secret were the preparations and
so sacred the honor of the two men |
that although the difficulty was known |
to 800 soldiers, not one of them in
formed General Shelby. The general |
would instantly have arrested the prin- |
cipals and forced a compromise, as he |
had done once before under circum- !
stances as urgent, but in no way sim |
liar. 1t was a beautiful morning, all |
balm and bloom and yerdure. Two and |
two and in groups the men stole away |
from the camp and ranged themselves
on either flank. A few rude jokes were
heard and they died out quickly as
the combatants rode up to the dead
line Both were calm and cool, and on
the captains face there was a half
smile. Poor fellow, there was already
the scars of three honorable wounds
upon his body; the fourth would be
mis- death wound.
They were placed and sat their
horses like men who are about to
charge. Eeach head was turned lit
lie TO one side, the feet rested light
y in the stirrups. the left hands
yrasped the reins well gathered up. the
light hands held the deadly pistols.
oaded fresh an hour before. Is
-Ready-wheel," The trained steeds
urned upon a pivot as one steed.. '
FIRE. I
The lieutenant never moved from /
lis tracks. The captain dashed upon {
i'm at full gallop, firing as he came c
n. Three chambers were empty and S
hree bullets sped away over the c
rairie harmless. Before the fourth C
re was given the captain was abreast y
f the lieutenant and aiming at him at S
eadly range. Too late! The lieuten- X
MT threw out his pistol until the muZ Z
lie almost touched the captains hair v
nd fired. The horse dashed away rid c
rless, the captains life blood upon his e
rappings. There was a face in the h
rass, a widowed woman in Missouri v
nd 2 soul somewhere in the white n