The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-04
MOTHER SAID CHALLENGE
SOME FACTS ABOUT 4 FA-
NOUS

And Rather Recent Virginia Duel
Both Had Moved in the Highest
Society and Were Sc clai Lead-
ers.
Perhaps few living men, in this Sec
ton at least, are so thoroughly CONVEX
SAINT with the now obsolete but once ia
vorite method of settling the differences
of gentlemen, the duel in all its many
nice points, especially as it obtained
before and after the Civil war in the
Old Diminion, as is eX-Judge w. u.
Riley of Virginia. The Judge has him.
self appeared on the field of honor
on more than one occasion, both as
principal and second for some friend,
and he is therefore authority in all
matters pertaining to the "duello" as
medium for wipng out an insult to
ones personal honor.
THE death a few years ago of Cap
tain Page Mccarthy in Richmond
said he, ''forcibly recalls to memory
the high standard of honor possessed
by the women of the South. and the
eagerness with which they sought to
avenge a personal insult. The Nc
Carthy-Mordicai duel, in which the lat
ter was killed and the former wounded
on the field of honor, is more or less
familiar to all Virginians. But the
part in the sad affair which was played
by the mother of young Mccarthy has
never been so generally known to the
public. The affair occurred over then
celebrated Richmond beauty, a Miss
Triplett, a leader in the aristocrat cir
cles of Richmond at White sulphur
Springs, and wherein else the beauty
and wealth of Virginia happened to as
semble. Nearly all the participants in
the affair have now passed away. Nc
Carthy was an exceedingly brilliant
young man of literary attachments
Both were lawyers, but Mccarthy new
err practiced, preferring journalism to
the profession of law. Mordicai was a
highly talented and, moreover, an ex-
ceedingly handsome man.
Both had moved in the highest So
ciety, and were social leaders. 1t was
generally known by their frienls that
young Mccarthy and the beautiful
Miss Triplett were betrothed before the
advent of the handsome Hebrew. AS
soon, however, as Mordicai appeared on
the scene it was remarked that the lady
treated Mccarthy coolly, and it was
not long before 1t was whispered about
among their friends that the engage
ment between Page Mccarthy and the
belle Of Virginia's capital had been
broken off, and by the lady. dcCarthy
took it greatly to heart, and before long
there appeared in a publication in
Richmond a couplet in which Miss
Triplett was alluded to as coquette
and f1irt, though, of course, not giving
her name. Every one at once knew
who was meant, as we'll as knew who
the writer was. Mccarthy, needlesly
to say, was the author.
"Mordicai and Mccarthy meeting
soon after this event, the former rather
haughtily inquired of his rival if he
was not he author Of the couplet in
question, and upon McCarthy's refus-
ing to answer, on the ground that Nor
dicai had no authority to demand an
answer, the latter knocked Mccarthy
down, but before any further damage
could be done friends of both parties
interposed and restrained the two men.
Mccarthy was physically his antagon-
lists inferior, but was full of grit. Both
were in the full vigor of young man
hood. Friends of both men arranged
that the matter was to be settled by
both parties not again speaking to each
other.
Needless to say that Mccarthy
chafed under the insult terribly, and
In short time such was the social
ostracism visitel upon him by the la
dies and gentlemen of his acquaintance
that he was sorely Inundated and NOR
tilted at the open snubbing he received.
Some weeks later Mccarthy entered a
Richmond cafe and there, in unmeas-
1lred terms, he denounced Mordicai as
a poltroon and &C oward. The latter,
entering the place while Mccarthy was
still speaking, asked the latter If he
was not speaking harshly of him, Nor
dicai. Upon Mccarthy repeating his
insulting language, Mordicai again
knocked him down, his eyes being
blackened and other injuries being an
ficted. Friends again separated them,
but the affair had now gone to far to
be settled in anyway except on the
field Of honor
upon his arrival at home young Nc
Carthy was questioned as to the cause
of his injuries by his mother, a very
braEe woman, and upon his relating the
story of his second encounter with
Mordicat Mrs. Mccarthy said to her
son:
Page, this will never do for the
McCarthys. You must fight this man..
said he Mother, have retreated in
this affair so long that I am afraid no
one will carry my challenge to my OPP
ponent-no one will act as my second"
''She sent for two friends of the fam
fly, and the challenge to mortal COM
bat was delivered 70 Mordicai that very