The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-11

Col. w. p. Harlow Chose Shotguns
at Twenty Feet.
From the New York Tribune

From the New York Tribune.
Col. w. P. Harlow, the Mexican
and Arizona rancher and miner who
was challenged by Gen. Charles P.
Eagan. former commissary general of
the United States Army, to fight duel
at Guaymas. Mexico, a month ago, has
come to New York in connection with
mining interests. His suite Of offices
is at No. 379 Broadway, where he was
His version of the duel is substantially
as follows:
Gen. Eagan is trying to secure a
valid title to a tract of coal land In the
state OF Guayplas that is claimed by
Col. Harlow for the Pacific Coast Coal
Company. Gen. Eagan, in the absence
of Col. Harlow from the mines, elected
the Harlow men from the premises.
News does not travel as fast there as
it does in some other places, and 1t was
four days before word reached Col.
Harlow that Eagan had ousted his
men. Then Col. Harlow appeared on
the scenes and ran off all of Gen. Ea-
gan's men. A week later the colonel
appeared at the hotel in GEaymas
where Eagan was a guest. The men
had been introduced a month before,
and had met socially number of
times.
How are you, general?" said Col.
Harlow, bowling politely.
who the devil are you, sir?" ask
ed Gen. Eagan, hotly.
Col. Harlow is about six feet two
inches tall, and weighs more than 225
pounds. He confesses that he has the
Arizona way of getting angry in
hurry.
I'm not the embalmed beef hero"
said he, shaking his fist under the nose
of Gen. Eagan.
General Eagan that night sent Col
onel Harlow challenge to fight a
duel. Mr.. Croker, the United States
CONSUL at Guaymas, resigned his posi-
ton by telegraph in order to act as
second for Colonel Harlow. General
Eagan's second was a Mexican judge.
There is a law against duelling in
Mexico, but whenever men want to
fight there is way found for them
to crafty their desire. AS the chall-
enged party, Colonel Harlow had the
choice of weapons. When Mr.. Croker
asked him what he was going to do he
said
LIN going to fight. I'm too near
sighted to stand any sort of a show
with pistols at long range. and you
know that my title as colonel is Of the
tin soldier variety, as | never had q
sword in my hand half a dozen times.
Write General Eagan a note saying
that my choice of weapons is shotguns
and that the distance apart for us
will be not to exceed twenty feet"
This acceptance of the challenge was
taken to General Eagan by Mr..
Croker When General Eagan heard
the terms imposed by Harlow he re-
fused, Colonel Harlow says, to go on
with the duel The night afterward
Colonel Harlow and his friends dined
at a Guaymas hotel, and in minute
of hilarity it occurred to Harlow that
he ought to play the role of challen-
ger. He challenged General Eagan to
fight a duel, and told him that he
(Eagan) might use a 13-inch gun, but
that as for himself he (Harlow) would
be content with a can of embalmed
beef as a weapon.
The Colonel Harlow was shown the
narrative giving his side of the case.
He said for publication:
THE foregoing are the facts. and
am ready to stand by them. / can
prove every one of the statements by
affidavit of half a dozen men. Cen
eraI Eagan viii not deny them.
thought Eagan would fight a revolving
buzzsaw. but he doubled up in hurry
To be perfectly honest, l am ashamed
Of the whole transaction. but General
Eagan was the aggressor. and his re-
fusal to fight after he sent ehall-
enge has excited unfayorable comment
in Mexico"