The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1904-09-23
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From time immemorlal duelsf lave
been fought in every land undf b the
sun. fTemeditated combats haT TAX.
en- place between two persons Tor the
purpose OF deciding some private ali.
/ ference or quarrel and have been
fought with deadly weapons and with
a purpose TO take life.
The challenger has generally been
one who was confident that he could
worst bis adversary with pistol or
sword. but there have been many In
stances where men. goaded 10 des.
peratlon by persecution or Islander,
have challenged the ones who made
life unbearable even when they felt
that the chances we're against them,
but like the man who mcdltates sui.
eide. they felt II was the easiest way
10 end their troubles. However, In
most cases. duellsts are either selfish
or wantonly thoughtless. for the duel.
lst values his honor above the life OF
his antagonist, his own life, aud the
happiness Of his family"
In France and Germany duellng en-.
Joys n certain amount OF popularity.
although the laws forbid II, and, until
a half century ago, a fight with swords
or pistols between prominent men in
this country. who wished to settle d
contention. was by no means uncomI
mon, and a description OF several of
these incidents occupies many pages
OF American history, They invariably
resulted fatally for one and sometimei
for both OF the combatants, so that
duellng became exceedingly unpopular
with Americans.
Duels have been fought not onll
with all kinds OF weapons. but in Vari
Gus other ways, some OF them undei
tho most dramatic circumstances ant
with the most tragic results. Thl
methods employed have been mos
original; some have been hendish
with the outcome utterly hopeless FOR
elthor duellst
Davy Crockett. frontlersman. Indian
tighter and congressman, was once
challenged to mortal combat by a
famous duellst in Washington. Crock
ett'a bravery was unquestlonable. but
the odds were against him with sword
or pistol for the skill Of the challenger
with either weapon was world 70
nownod, However Crockett accepted,
and. being the challenged party. had
the right 10 name his choice OF weap
ons.
He had gone Into tho wilderness on
numerous occasions and with his
Drawn and a sharp axe had cleared
hundreds OF acres OF timber land. His
prowess with the broadaxe was IA.
miliar TO everybody. and when .iS1
chose brOadaxeB as duellng weapons
his chr1iengcr hastily npoA-aizad ~
him. Then what might have been a
famous duel was averted. Crockett
regarded his wouldbe antagonist as
coward. and he proved II.
The hero OF the broadaxe, n hdw
years later, fought TO the death with
a little band Of brave men IN the
Alamo. OF whom II was written; MAR.
athon had her messenger OF defeat;
the Alamo had nome The moral OF
this Incident ia obvious.
A few years ago two swedes went
out upon a railroad track In a cut In
the mountains OF Pennsylvania and
fought until an express train killed
them. Both saw the approaching
train. and tainted each other to con.
tnue fighting where they were. They
battled TO the death.
Daniel O'Conncll's son was chal.
lenged by an English student to hght.
He went TO his father. the great
emancipation, and asked what he
should do. The father advised him to
accept. TO choose pistols, the condl.
tons Of the fight to be that, facing
each other and toelng a mark, they
should place the muzzles OF the pls.
tolls in each others mouth, aud, upon
tho word from a referee. they should
fire simultaneously. When young
O'Connells conditions were made
known the bullying Brlton declined to
fight.
Two expert swimmers. whose ropu.
tatlons are international. engaged In a
hot argument one night several years
ago at beach near Boston, and
novel duel was the result. They
agreed TO swim at midnight, straight
out TO sea. In the rays OF the moon.
light, no boats to follow, until one or
tho other became exhausted. They
swan several miles, and the Boston
swimmer toweo his adversary back
to the beach and restored him to con.
sclousness.
A duel In the clouds credited to two
French aeronauts terminated in the
death OF both. II was deliberately
planned and executed.
Less than ten years ago two locomo
tive engineers In Texas, who had ser
eral petty differences which they
wished 10 settle, decided upon a most
original duel Taking two engines
they went out upon a plain on the
same track. and when half a mile lay
between them they whlstlod for the
beginning Of hostilitios, opened the
throttles wide and hurled their loco.
motives at each other with tremen.
dous speed. IN a few seconds there
was a frlghtful crash. the boilers OF.
ploded and the explosion was heard
for miles, attracting a large crowd to