The Washington times., 1902-08-25
"REMINISCENCES OF
THE FIELD OF HONOR
Story of the Famous Mordi-
cai-McCarthy Duel
A NOTED VIRGINIA TRAGEDY
Tilted by His Affianced for Mordicai,
Mccarthy Finally Challenged and
Killed His Enemy-Was Never the
Same Man Afterward

Perhaps few living men, in this sec
tiOn at least, are so thoroughly con-
versant with the now obsolete but once
| favorite method of settling the differ
ences of gentlemen, the duel, in all its
many nice points. especially as it OBJ
tained before and after the civil war in
the Old Dominion. as is ex-Judge W. G.
Riley. of Virginia
For many years Judge Riley was in
| the consular service OF the Govern
ment, under Grant, Harrison. and Cleve-
land, and he is a familiar figure in
| Washington. having hosts of friends in
the National Capital
The Judge has himself appeared on the
FIELD of honor" on more than enc occa
sion. both as principal and as second for
| some friend, and he is therefore au
thority in all matters pertaining to the
''duello" as a medium for wiping out
an insult to orfe's personal honor. In
| times agone a meeting on the field was
| the recognized method among the gen
| tlemen of Virginia when ones integrity
| pugned. 1t was the only"way, in fact,
| approved by the members of the F. F.
| ". and social ostracism awaited him
who displayed the white feather or failed
TO avenge an insult in the prescribed
manner.
Sitting in front of the Raleigh Hotel
few nights since. the judge discoursed
In reminiscent way to a party of
friends of the period when the duel was
| in vogue in his native State.
Mccarthy -Mordicai Duel
The death few years ago of Capt.
Page Mccarthy, in Richmond" said he.
"forcibly recalls to memory the hign
standard OF hcnor possessed by the
women of the South and the eagerness
With which they sought to avenge a per
sonal insult. The Mccarthy Mordicai
duel. in which the latter was killed
and the former wounded on the field of
honor Is more or less familiar to all Vir-
gtniars. But the part In the sad affair
which was played by the mother OF
young Mccarthy has never been so gen.
orally known to the public. The affair
occurred over a then celebrated Rich
mond beauty, Miss Triplett. a leader
in the aristocr2tic circles of Richmond
at tho White Sulphur Springs, and wher-
ever else the beauty and wealth of Vir-
ginia happened to assemble Nearly all
The participants in the affair have now
passed away. Mccarthy was an ex-
ceedingly brilliant young man of lit
erary attainments. Both were lawyers.
but Mccarthy never practiced. prefer
ring Journalism to the profession of
law. Mordicai was a highly talented
and. moreover. an exceedingly handsome
man. Both moved in the highest So
ciety and were social leaders. 1t was
generally known by their friends that.
young Mccarthy and the beautiful Miss
Tripiett were betrothed before the ad-
vent 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 II was whispered about among
their friends that the engagement be-
tween Page Mccarthy and the belle of
Nirginia's capital had been broken off.
and by the lady. Mccarthy took it
greatly to heart, and before long there
appeared in a publication In Richmond
a couplet in which Miss Triplett was al
luded to as coquette and fiirt, though.
of course. not giving her name. Every
one at once knew who was meant as
well as knew who the writer was Nc
Carthy. needless to say was the author.
Mordicai and Mccarthy meeting soon
after this event. the former rather
haughtily inquired of his rival IL he was
not the author OF the couplet in ques-
tion. and upon McCarthy's refusing to
answer on the ground that Mordicai had
no authority to demand an answer the
latter knocked Mccarthy down. and be
fore any further damage could be done
friends of both parties interpcsed and
restrained the two men. Mccarthy was
physically his antagonists inferior, but
was full OF grit Both were in the full |
vigor of young manhood. 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 a short time such was
the social ostracism visited upon him |
by the ladies' and gentlemen of his ac-
quaintance that he was sorely humili-
ated and mortified at the open snub-
bing he received. Some weeks later Me
Carthy entered a Richmond cafe and
there in unmeasured terms he denounced
Mordicai as a poltroon and a coward.
The latter. entering the place while Nc
Carthy was still speaking asked the
latter If he was not speaking harshly CT
him Mordicai. Upon Mccarthy repeat
ing his insulting language Mordicai
again knocked him down. his eyes be-
ing blackened and other injuries being
inflicted. Friends again separated them.
but the affair had now gone too far to
be settled In any way 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
brave woman. and upon his relating the
story of his second encounter with Nor
dicai. Mrs. Mccarthy said to her son:
Mother Offered to Be Second.
Page. this will never do for the Nc
Carthys. You must fight this man
Said he. Mother. l have retreated in
this affair so long that l am afraid no
one will carry my challenge to my op-
ponent-no one will act as my second"
If no one else will" said the mother
Il will carry it myself: | will be your
second"
''She sent for two friends of the fam
lily and the challenge to mortal combat |,
was delivered to Mordicai that very
night, The old Fair grounds on the
western utsliirts of Richmond was Sc
lected as the place of meeting and the
time was set for daybreak the next
promptly at the appointed time both