The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-04-17
An Admirable
x Crichton
[original.l


in on any subject. was a master of
fencing and all manner of sports, be-
sides being an excellent actor.
/ once knew an Admirable Crichton.
He possessed a genius for everything
except money making. His name was
Lawrence Dudley AS the real erich
ton was in the service of the Duke of
Mantua, tutor to the dukes son, so
Dudley after taking every honor in
the universities he attended, went south
and tutored in the family of a wealthy
planter named La Fourche. He taught
Marie La Fourche music and prepared
young Ben la Fourcle for college.
This was in the autumn and winter of
1S60-61. and the spirit of civil war was
red hot in the south. Dudley had so
fascinated many of the planter fami-
lies that the fact of his being Il Yankee
did not change their enthusiasm for
him. However, it finally came to
his ears that La Fourche had been adj
vised to send him north to save him
from rough treatment. Dudley asked
La Fourche if his presence in the house
hold was compromising.
"By no means replied the planter.
Everybody knows my loyalty to the
south. Moreover. if you leave, Ben
will not be ready for college, and l am
anxious to have him enter next June"
"Then you are quite willing that !
should maintain my position?
"Act your own pleasure"
The next day a printed circular was
received by each and every man in the
place whom Dudley knew, challenging
all Corners to argue the question brew
ing between the states with knife PTS
tol, small sword, cutlass, lance, jave-
lin. halberd, any kind of weapon that
had ever been used by contentious
man. In any other part of the world
such a circular would have excited
laughter. In the south, where the tour
ney Of old has often sprung up like i
flower from root dormant for centu-
ries. the case was different. The young
planters of high degree met informally
for consultation as to what should be
done. They decided to send polite
note to Dudley accepting the challenge
the test to come off in a tourney. The
day was set, though Dudley averred
that the meeting should be no gloved
affair and none but the necessary men
witnesses should be present.
The parties met in a secluded spot
| hedged in by trees There were three
men present, each of whom had re-
ceived a circular, as well as several
strangers who had got wind of the af-
fair and come unlimited The first
man pitted against Dudley was Stew
/ art Anderson. who had studied defense
With foils in Paris and had fought sew
eral duels with the rapier. The two
men faced each other in shirt and trou-
Sers and began to fence. Within a
minute Andersons sword went flying
over tree. With true southern fire
he called on Dudley to finish him. Dud-
ley put his hand on his heart, bowed
low and said he would not deprive the
south of so worthy a gentleman.
The next affair was with pistols, and
Dudley ended it with quick fire, shoot
ing the knuckle off his opponent. This
was followed by an engagement with
cutlasses, Dudley's opponent having
been especially trained with this weap
on while at sea. Dudley parted the
mans thrusts for awhile and then gave
him a blow with the fiat of his cutlass
that stunned him.
This finished the contests so far as
the regular entries We're concerned, but
as the men were putting on their coats
the strangers stepped forward and de
manded a chance at the Yankee. They
were of very different texture from
the young planters, who had fought
honorably and abided by the result
and evidently meant by hook or by
crook to kill Dudley. The planters at
tempted to interfere, but Dudley oh
jected, offering to give all corners q
chance at his life.
The gang put forward desperate
whose skill with the bowie knife was
celebrated. There was change in
Dudley the moment he set eyes on the
man. There can be no fooling will
bowie knives, and Dudley knew that he
must kill or be killed. The onlookers
gathered about, expecting to see des
perate struggle They were disap-
pointed. The signal to begin was Civ.
en- by pistol shot. Almost before the
shot ceased to reverberate Dudley
knife was buried in his opponents
heart
There was an awed silence for a mo
ment. Then the strangers made rush
for Dudley The opponents he had
vanquished sought to protect him, but
before they could do so he had killed
two more of the gang, when the others
took to fight.
Dudley invited his opponents to the
La Fourche plantation, where. stand
ing by a sideboard with a glass in his
hand, he recited an improvised humor-
Gus account of the affair in verse.
How much longer Dudley maintained
his position in the south never learn
ed or whether he entered the Union
army In the seventies visited Italy
and while chatting with friend who
lived there he remarked:
"Ey the bye, we have an American
here for all the world like that Scotch
man who served the Duke of Mantua
He is professor in the university
He can run faster. shoot straighter,
drink harder. talk more languages,
write better verse, deliver better SER
mons than any scholar, pirate or cler-
gyman that ever lived"
"Oh, l know who that is! It's Law
renee Dudley"