Evening star., 1901-02-16
A FAMOUS TEXAS DUEL.
The Tragic Story OF William HALEY
Recalled by His Death.

The Tragic Story of William HALEY
Recalled by His Death.
From the st. LoLis Globe Democrat.
William Haley, the chief lieutenant OF
the noted guerrilla, Charles Quantrell, dur
ing the war of the rebellion, who has just
passed away at the State Insane Asy-
lum, in ST. Joseph, Mo, a victim of
paresis, was one OF the figures in a
duel fought on the plains Of Texas as he
was fleeing with Shelby and a handful or
eX-confederates from the United States to
seek an asylum under the reign Of Max
imilian in Mexico. After the last remnant
of the guerrilla band had been hunted to
earth HALEY escaped to one Of the com
mands under Gen. 10 Shelby, which was
then making its way to a point on the
Brazos river in Texas. with the expectation
of making a final attack on the federal
forces and supplies at Corsicana.
Shelbys army was marching toward Aus
tin. near where the duel between Haley,
who was then a first lieutenant in one Of
the companies, and a captain Of a company
in another regiment occurred The duel
was witnessed by number of Shelby's men
who are now residents OF st. Joseph and
Major Edwards, who accompanied Shelby
to the City of Mexico, returning only after
the army was disbanded and upon the re-
fusal Of Macmillan to accept the Ai!ssou
rians into the service of the empire.
The duelists, both young men, quarreied
about woman, fair young thing, who
was the captains by right OF discovery,
the lieutenants 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 lieu
tenant 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 sig
nficantly and made answer: This must
finish what the blow has commenced 4
woman worth kissing IS worth fighting
for"
The name of either duelst has heretofore
remained unspoken Most of the men who
witnessed the tragedy have long since
passed to their reward, and it is only s:ncs
the death of HALEY in St. Joseph that one CT
his comrades in arms, who witnessed the
tragedy. has volunteered to give his name.
There are those today living in Marion
county. 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 battles Of the south
found a grave when her battles were
ended. The lieutenant challenged the cap
tain, but the question of its acceptance
was decided upon before the challenge was
received. These were the terms: AT day
light the principals were to meet one mile
from the camp upon the prairie, armed each
with a revolver and a saber They We're to
be mounted and stationed twenty PAGES
were to wheel and fire, advancing or re-
naming stationary, as they chose. In no
event were they to pass beyond line 200
yards in the rear Of each position.
So secret were the preparations and 50
sacred the honor Of the two men that al
though the difficulty was known to 3O0 SOL
diers not one Of them Informed Gen. Shell
by. The general would instantly have ar
o1 rfr ,fy n1o ND nol
mise, as he had done once before under cir
cumstances as urgent, but in no way SINH
lar. 1t was beautiful morning, all balm
and bloom and verdure. Two and two and
in groups the men stole away from the
camp and ranged themselves on either
flank. A few rude jokes We're heard. ana
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 were
already the scars Of three honorable wounds
upon his body; the fourth would be his
death wound.
They were placed, and sat their horses
like men who are about to charge. Each
head was turned a little to one side the
feet rested lightly in the stirrups, the left
the right hands held the deadly pis- -,ls,
loaded fresh an iIour ne, :. "a ~
"Ready-wheelR inE .ssnesstee1snrned
upon pivot as On. ssss g
The Fs1ei Lieutenant saeT /; ,na,sas fsufn s,s
full i gallop, firihS 70 s,ss uS,. sTSsee
snsa snspssFs sSsy ysss sses ssps.,ss sp a s.s
1Uas Was ABREAST abr ae Of thy it itsaant and ni6k
at him at deadly range: Too late! tie
muzzle almost touched the captains bair
and fired. The horse dashed away rider
less, the captains life blood upon his trap
pings. There was race IN the grass. a
somewhere in the white hush and waste OF
eternity. Comrades buried him before the
sun rose. before the dew was dried upon
the grass. and returned from the scene OF
combat without word OF comment upon
Tientenant Haley sought his quarters,
took a cup of coffee, short nap and, with
his comrades, resumed the march toward
the Mexican border. They crossed and
went straight to the City of Mexico engag-
ing in battle at almost every step of the
journey finally to ,osrs feash ~ dhes ste m
emnire rejected. HALEY and a few COM
panions organized into band for ail early
return to the states. He dared not return
pendence. Mo-, because a price had been
placed upon his head. He was scarcely
more than a boy. being then not twenty
one years Of age. AI.ea steaitny can at
left the next day for Salt Lake City, where
for many years he discharged the duties
of a peace officer In that wild and unset
tied country. Many outlaws fell victim to
his unerring aim with the revolver. ana in
the course of a decade the feeling against
him and the guerrillas Of the civil war had
so much ameliorated that he returned to
Iosenh nol!ce force. In his demise passes
away one Of the characters which the civil
war produced among the boys of Missouri
yet in their teens
..You promised to raise my salary. sir.
when times got better
ayes. But how could ! foretell this