The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-23
SAYS EAGAN BACKED DOWN.
Colonel w. P. Harlow Chose Shot
guns at Twenty Feet.
New York Tribune 3

t-NSN IElDule.)
Colonel w. p. Harlow, the Mexican
and Arizona rancher and miner who
was challenged by General Charles p.
Eagan. former commissary general of
the United States army, TO fight a
duel at Guaymas, Mexico, a month ago,
has come to New York in connection
with mining interests. His suite of Of
fees is at 319 Broadway. where he was
seen yesterday by a Tribune reporter.
His version of the duel is substantially
as follows:
General Eagan is trying to secure a
valid title to a tract of coal land in
the state of Guaymas that is claimed
by Colonel Harlow for the Pacific
Coast Coal company. General Eagan,
in the absence of Colonel 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 it was four days be-
fore word reached Colonel Harlow tina
Eagan had ousted his men. Then Colo
mel Harlow appeared on the scene. and
ran off all of General Eagan's men. A
week later the colonel appeared at the
hotel in Guaymas, where Eagan was a
guest. The men had been introduced a
month before, and had met socially a
number of times.
How are you, generaI?" said Colo
mel Harlow, bowling politely
Who the devil are you, sir?" asked
General Eagan, holly.
Colonel 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 a
hurry.
I'm not the embalmea beef hero
said he. shaking his fist under the nose
of General Eagan-
General Eagan that night sent Colo
mel Harlow a challenge to fight a duel.
Mr.. Croker, the United States consul
at Guaymas, resigned his position by
telegraph in order TO act as second for
Colonel Harlow. General Eagan'S sec
ond was a Mexican judge. There is a
law against dueIing in Mexico, but
whenever men want to fight there is
a way found for them to crafty their
desire AS the challenged party, Colo
mel Harlow had the choice of weapons.
When Mr.. Croker asked him what he
was going to do he said:
I'm going to fight. I'm too near
sighted TO stand any sort of show
with pistols at long range. and you
know that my title as colonel is of the
tin soldier variety, as [ never had a
sword in my hand half a dozen times.
Write Colonel Eagan a note saying
that nv choice of weapons is shot
guns. 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.. Crock
er. When General Eagan heard the
terms imposed by Harlow he refused,
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 hi
laritv it occurred to Harlow that he
ought TO play the role of challenger
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 con-
tent with a can of embalmed beef as
weapon.
To 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, General
Eagan will not deny them 1 thought
Pagan would fight a revolving buzz
saw, but he doubled up in hurry. To
be perfectly honest. / am ashamed OF
the whole transaction, but General
Eagan was the aggressor, and his re-
fusaI to fight after he sent challenge
has excited uufaVorable comment in
Mexico"