The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-31

1. .'Anre all. with the finest ladies OF the
..::-----..o oesr company IA nau ,a.I
keep. since it ennobles his mind with
p.tter tho .shts, purifies his heart with
sleaner motives and makes him gentle
w.thop. detracting from his strength
e VIA an Office any lord of the king
dor. might have been proud to hold
", some four or five veaTs after
I. induction into this honorable office
Iere ..ame TO Court news of a terrible
due' fought down in Suffolk, out OF
I'd come alive-two. rather, but one OF
.hsui in a condition worse than death
Tbt first survivor was a son of Sir
= liam Brandon. and the second was
G man called Sir Adam Judson. The
stcsy went that young Brandon and
his elder brother. both just home from
tie continental wars. had met Judson
at an Ipswich inn, where there had been
considerable gambling among them
Judson had won from the brothers a
,1rge sum of money which they had
oil .ghi .cpe. for. Notwithstanding
their youth. the elder beir,y but tsren-
U-siz nrd tie younger abel: tHssr -
four years OF age, they had gained
great honor and considerable Srost In
wars. especially the younger, whose
name was Charles
It Is a little hard to fight for money
and then to lose 1t by a single spot up
on the die, but such Is the fate of him
who plays, and philosopher will swal-
L. ~. or,d sal- f, GOh for-
more. The Brandons could have done
this easily enough. especially Charles,
who was an offhand philosopher. rather
fond Of a good humored fight. had it not
been that In the course Of play one
evening the secret OF Judson's winning
had been disclosed by a discovery that
he cheated. The Brandons waited un-
til they were sure. and then trouble
began, which resulted in a duel on the
second morning following.
This Judson was a Scotch gentleman
Of whom very little was known except
that he was counted the most deadly
and most cruel duelist of the time. He
was called the walking Death" and
1t is said he took pride I'm the appella-
ton. He boasted that he had fought
eighty-seven duels. in which he had
killed seventy-five men, and ii was con-
sidered certain death to meet him. /
got the story of the duel afterward
from Brandon as give it here.
John was the elder brother and when
the challenge came was entitled to fight
| first. birthright out of which Charles
tried in vain to talk him. The broth
ers told their father. Sir William Bran
don. and ut the appointed time father
and sons repaired to the place of meet
ing. where they found Judson and his
two seconds ready for the fight.
Sir William was still n vigorous man.
with few equals i'm sword play, and the
sons, especially the younger. were bet
| ter men and more skillful than their IA
ther had ever been, yet they felt that
| this duel meant certain death. so great
was Judson's fame for skill and cruel
| ty. Notwithstanding they were so hand
| icapped with this feeling Of impending
evil. they met their duty without o
| tremor. for the motto of their house
| was ''Malo Mori Guam Fedr;ii.'
1t was a misty morning in March
Brandon has told me since that when
his elder brother took his stand il was
| at once manifest that he WIS Iudson's
/ superior both in strength and skill. bui
| after n few strokes the broiher's blade
bent double and broke OF short at tn,
hilt when 1t should have gone homo
Thereupon Judson. with u malignant
smile OF triumph. deliberately selected
his opponents heart and pierced It Will
his sword. giving the blade twist as
he drew it out in order TO cut and mutt
late the more.
In an instant Sir Williams doublet
was Off. and lac was III his dead sons
tracks. ready to aven-c him or to die