The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1904-09-15

ference OF quartet ana nave Detu
fought With deadly weapons and with
a purpose TO take life.
The challenger has generally been
n who was confident that be could
worst his adversary with pistol or
sword. but there have been many in
stances where men, Roaded % des-
peration by persecution or Islander.
have challenged the ones who made
life unbearable even when they felt
that the chances were against them
but Ike the man who m%editstes sui
eide. they felt e 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 " life, and the
happiness OK his family"
In France and Germany duelinr en-
Joys a certain amount OF popularity.
although the laws forbid Il. and. until
a half century ago. a fight with swords
or pistols between prominent men In
this country. who wished to settle a
contention. was by no means nco
mon. and a description Of several Of
these incidents occupies many pages
Of American history. They Invariably
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 o. weapons. but In vari-
Gus other ways, ONE Of them under
the most dramatic circumstances and
with the most tragic results. The
methods employed have been most
original; some have been nendish.
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 skin Of the challenger
with either weapon was world re
nowned. However. Crockett accepted.
aud. being the challenged party, had
the right 10 name his choice Of weap-
onS.
He had gone into the wilderness OF
numerous occasions and with his
Drawn and a sharp axe had cleared
hundreds Of acres OF timber land. His
proNess with the hrOadaxe was ia.
miliar TO everybody. and when he
chose broadaxes as duellng weapons
his challenger hastily apologiEed 20
him. Then what might have been a
famous duel was ayerted. Crockett
regarded his would,be antagonist as q
coward. and he proved Il.
The hero Of the broadaxe. a few
years later. fought 10 the death with
n little band o. brave men in the
Alamo. Of whom Il vas written: Mar.
athon had her messenger % defeat;
the Alamo had none" The moral q
this incident is obvious.
A few years ago two Swedes went
out upon a railroad track In a In
the mountains OF Pennsylvania and
fought until an express train Killed
them. Both saw the approaching
train, aud tainted each other 70 con.
tinuo fighting where they were, They
hRttled 10 the death.
Daniel O'conneile son was ehai-
ienEcd by an English student TO hght
He went 10 his father. the great
emancipation. and asked what be
should do. The father advised him TO
accept. 10 choose pistols. the condi-
lions OF the aght 70 be that. facing
each other and tooing a mark. they
should place the muscles Of the pis.
tolls IN each others mouth. and, upon
the word from a referee, they should
nre simultaneously, when young
o'Connelrs conditions were made
known the bullying HTlton declined TO
nght.
Two expert swimmers. whose rcpu.
tRiions are international. engaged IN a
hot argument one night several years
ago al = beach near Boston. and a
novel duel vas the result They
agreed 10 sUim a. mienlRhi. straight
a 70 sea. IN the rays o; tina moon
Hight. no beats to follow. until one or
the other became exhausted. They
swan several miles, and The Boston
swimmer toved his adversary baek
20 the beach and restored him 10 con.
s~ciousness,
A duel IN the clouds credited TO two
French ~aenonauts terminated In the
death OF both. Il was deliberately
planned and executed.
Less than ten years ago two locomo-
tive engineers IN Texas, who had sew
cral petty differences which they
wished 20 settle. decided upon a most
original duel Taking two engines.
they went out upon q plain on tho
same track, and when half a mile lay
between them they whistled for the
beginning OF hostilitles, opened the
thrOttles wide and hurled their loco
motives al each other with tremen.
dous speed In q few seconds there
vas q frightful crash, the boilers ex-
ploded and the explosion was heard
for miles. attracting a. large crowd to
the scene. II was found that the two