The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1904-09-15
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$DUELS ON LAND AND WATER
Strange Weapons That Have Been Chosen to
Decide Deadly Quarre1s. and Conditions
,s~ That Have Caused the Chalenssrs to With
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From time immemorial duels have
been fought in every land under the
sun. Premeditated combats have TAX
en- place between two persons for the
purpose Of deciding some private diff.
ference or quarrel AMI have been
fought with deadly weapons and with
q purpose to take life.
The challenger has generally been
one who was confident that he could
worst his adversary with pistol or
sword, but there have been many in
stances where men, goaded to des.
peration by persecution or slander,
have challenged the ones who made
life unbearable even when they felt
that the chances were against them,
but like the man who meditates sui
eide, they felt it was the easiest way
to end their troubles. However, in
most cases. duelists are either selfish
or wantonly thoughtless, for "the duel.
ist values his honor above the life of
his antagonist, his own life, and the
happiness Of his family"
In France and Germany dueling en-.
joys a certain amount of popularity,
although the laws forbid 1t, and, until
a half century ago, a fight with swords
or pistols between prominent men In
this country, who wished to settle
contention, was by no means uncom-
mon, and q description of several of
these Incidents occupies many pages
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resulted fatally for one and sometimes
for both of the combatants, so that
dueling became exceedingly unpopular
with Americans.
Duels have been fought not only
with all kinds OF weapons, but in vari.
GUS other ways, some of them under
the most dramatic circumstances and
with the most tragic results. The
methods employed have been most
original; some have been fendish,
with the outcome utterly hopeless for
either duelist.
Davy Crockett, frontiersman, Indian
fighter and congressman, was once
challenged to mortal combat by a
famous duelist In Washington. Crock
ett's bravery was unquestionable, but
the odds were against him with sword
or pistol, for the skill of the challenger
with either weapon was world re.
nowned. However, Crockett accepted,
and. being the challenged party. had
the right to name his choice of weap.
ons.
He had gonc into the wilderness on
numerous occasions and with his
Drawn and sharp axe had cleared
hundreds of acres of timber land. His
prowess with the broadaxe was ia.
miliar to everybody, and when he
chose broadaxes as dueling weapons
his challenger hastily apologized to
him. Then what might have been a
famous duel was averted. Crockett
regarded his would-be antagonist as
coward, and he proved 1t.
The hero of the broadaxe. a few
years later. fought to the death with
a little band of brave men in the
Alamo, OF whom It was written: MAR.
athon had her messenger of defeat;
the Alamo had none." The moral of
this incident is obvious.
A few years ago two Swedes went
out upon n railroad track In a cut In
the mountains Of Pennsylvania and
fought until an express train killed
them. Both saw the approaching
train. and taunted each other to con-
tinue fighting where they were. They
battled to the death.
Daniel O'Connell's son was chal.
lenged by an English student to fight.
He went TO his father, the great
and asked what he
should do. The father advised him to
accept. to choose pistols. the condi.
tions Of the tight to be that. facing
each other and toeing mark. they