New-York tribune., 1903-03-15
FIGURED IN FAMOUS DUEL
Pistols Used by Burr and Hamilton
ON Fatal Field.

Rochester March Il (SpeciaD-t makes one
breath come quickly TO feel his fingers curl roo"U
the grip Of the pistol from whose muzze sPeu '"o
bullet which killed Alexander Hamilton nearly one
hundred wears axo. Beside il in the old snasree.
lined wooden case lies its mate, the one VIM" ~
Hamilton fired into the air as ne ieh i'o
wounded that morning Al Weeha"hen' -
strange trick Of fate that pistol the one r.
did no harm has ,,uffered tho more from -. .
Colonel Rurr's deadly weapon is as go - ~
a. Oheu he aimed straight for the heai' y. -
man whom ne hated with a hteiohs i" ,..,,n.
nave bloody history. these tW" slehoei' o,,d
r;sIoIs and survive as grim Witnesses u - h,.
and a school OF manners "hich nave e
forever - a., Netor
The owner OF these historic weapons 70 80
Richard Church. Of No. lls lroup-s''' 49,. h,s
formerly Of New-York city Ihey caiii.
,,oesession nv right o descent, for ne IS inc So
- < ,ho ,,ar Sho loaned them not only 10 HAM
,,ton but also TO Hamton's SON Inc -.
Gathers name John b Cnarch'
6.v was tbs intimate frlcnd OF "
Isfaxette Rocha mbeau. Adams ana "'iiei ~
-, q, III. carly DAYS of this country he hdo
!. rornantic career himself and WAS a oiose 80
,,snjon Of Charles Fox and PITT IN f'is -
Church has among his store Oh '''f
,-.nh letters one from Fox Of most 'ha' 49,
,,,-o 7, tells its recipient when ne cah
.,nnct the remainder OF debt when FOX e'''
trac:ed over the cards. ~,
But to return TO the duelling pistols John o.
r-hurcb came 10 Boston III 177o from England as
,d.ruriter Soon after the revolution broke
n
~, IN fury and he cspousod the cause or IN .he
Colonies. At its close Mr onuIcm Hsr Me and a half
Soing thence London. in l7sS He TeIurnen @ IN ~
msTicS SeDnrEs in M to o oh% aHDk jay at then
No 42 Broadway: New-l erk .ltS t,.o ouST Wordons
9 eanFhop So d pair Of dIfinf tell fo4emo rs5os
n Hooden dsr ndsg in those DAYS and pistols
sere OF his make The code Was 4o al Gentle
man who set himself up as sncn ;soIs GIeia
60 be witnout his set Of dueilins The
ses aPe Ras'es Smooth bore in build 80
oasTs I5G sBd tntlpGts foTapece se Pe Of
heavy he polished black Tn Mansn and lnT srIs
sne bnid About na inch back Of each mu11e one
oshed brs ssrr Sishe aPew II his Bead 9Se on his
sdversary and dropped him in his S t,Scks; frr him
% }2h i've 3 vears before re Nv had ed
albany and 1erea9fa spur Rnrrs relations with
she Holland Land COMPANY Burr leafngI aianat;ons ~
hsq Church % replied that he had no eHGlanat@ns
to give, what he had stated ne ES Ts,'rr ws not
"a tisfied and challenged .hurcnr net e # Wee
HTo%Py Eb,eB SfGeBea aas snG s Ttrea @ feqentsd
sn those days by gentlemen Who deSs1 r,,rr missed
r,Trex WhiIe Churrhs bullet cpped button on
urTs oO9r Then For ydhs 5hrse Php ffTT iinon sSan
Gers son had difference with j. Ii oi1tnn Eoh was
TIA on almost exactly the same ground Sreb wneFS
his fsther ff5l tm9 sn9 er Of Major church.
tone ~ fIamiltons second and borrowed his fath
V-hen Alexander Hamilton received Fnrr nt ma
-. ID 5aridad TO accept. he sad In MI hurc
-bo 80 his brother-in-law: Il don't KNOW WHAT
1,ea pons TO use against Burr ,.,,. o-,,;.d
Church. Il teed them on Burr and th"y n'doe HIS
buttons fly 81, A.. .-.,,io roe,,ltS now
recorded as part Of history ..o &c Ham,
rho ristols were given into the Keeping W .l Tlf.
s,.or.s second Nathaniel Pendletor III: Ia ~ IA
yJosa ok who attended Hamilton after ne lri' .,
4hot Pen6ietor gathered them up ana TOOK 1htlh
with him to the harge on which the oZins f1anto II.
fto1 was being conveyed across the 1nnS'h ln
ti,n Reward house. He writes that Hamilton s5s'
tIr and clanrinc AZ In" pistols in IN" case san
.sfIa,-. aye, that pistol II Is cooked anu
loade.s fired. it viii h" r-1ll|1 as ne
<cu I,l- l,riii,i shipping the leaves from a tree
n rr RrIrr- hnad hut he MAS ignorant 70 the emo
,b.1 IN v.-an,n hal been discharged Ien6int'hl
rat,.roed III, pistols church the next ga. MAJOR
s-l7-i-f, 1a1~ thai tho pistols siN SorNlC" t"i''
4ftrrvard affairs of honor but Wlth"l' hrd"-
i,4c i,i.rs.I from -if51.F adversary