The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-11-01

$DUELS ON LAND AND WATER
( Strange Weapons That Have Been Chosen to
= Decide Deadly Quarrels and Conditions
That Have Caused the Challengers TO With
draw.
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81
Castentenus was a Greek and in
early life belonged to a crew Of pi-
rates which operated in the Aegean
sea. When pirating proved hazardous
on account of cruising war vessels
he had himself tattooed from head to
foot, came over to America and be-
came very popular freak.
During his career as a buccaneer
he became enamored of a very pretty
girl, daughter of the mate of the
blackflag craft which he commanded,
but he had rival. Under oaths which
bound them together they could not
fight, and so they appealed to the
girls father to decide their respective
claims upon his daughters hand. The
father knew Castentenus and his rival
as desperate men, and so he resolved
upon desperate method to test their
love for his daughter. He outlined his
proposition to them and both accept
ed
One night he went into the small
forecastle and set a barrel of sulphur
ablaze, and then ordered both men to
go down into the sitting gases and to
remain there for ten minutes. They
did as he directed, and upon the ex-
piration OF that time he signaled the
lovers to come forth.
Castentenus, who was man of re-
markable physical powers, CROPPED and
staggered up the companionway to
the deck, bearing on his Shoulders the
limp and unconscious form OF his ri
val. Castentenus was bleeding from
the eyes, ears and nose. When he got
into the fresh air he swooned. He
revived an hour later, but his rival
passed into the great beyond. He had
lived but a few moments after being
carried out by the tattooed man.
The woman for whom the great sac
rifice was made never married, for
she was taken sick and died in a few
weeks.
There have been electrical duels,
duels with poison wherein two rivals
have dared each other to quaff
deadly draught at a specified time,
and early last month two Boston long
shoremen engaged in a conflict that
was decidedly novel, to say the least.
The story of the battle in which they
engaged has only Just come to light.
Bad blood had existed between
these two sons of toll and they con-
cluded to settle their differences. Both
were fine specimens of that type of
hardy manhood which is employed in
loading and unloading the great ocean
liners-men who usually settle their
troubles at fisticuffs, which fact makes
this incident all the more startling
and interesting.
One night they went down upon the
New York & New England docks at
South Boston, and, removing their
clothing, they plunged into the wa
tiers at South bay and proceeded to
drown each other. They battled for
at least twenty minutes, during which
time the results were about even.
when suddenly one seized the other nv
the neck and began to strangle him.
AT the same time both sank beneath
the surface. How many feet they went
down is not to be recorded, but the
stranger, becoming exhausted, rose
to the surface. A moment later the
apparently lifeless body of his adver-
sary made its appearance.
In the dim lights cast upon the wa.
tiers by the distant electric lamps the
victor realized that his deadly work
was accomplished, the strife at an
end. Thoughts of arrest for murder.
the electric chair, crowded upon his
mind and his almost benumbed senses
were quickened. He grasped his vic
tim and shouted Justify for assistance
A party returning in a catboat after
pleasant days outing in the harbor
heard his cries and reached both men
Just In the nick of time. They were
taken into the boat and after artif-
cial respiration had been applied for a
time they were restored to conscious.
ness. After bracer or two of brandy
they were put ashore at the public
landing on Long wharf and arm In
arm started for their homes,
A small paragraph appeared in tbe
morning papers which stated that two
men were rescued by yachting party
and cared for until they were able to
go home.
But there had been a duel in the
dark waters Of Boston harbor "the
night before the Fourth" He who
would have been murderer became
q life saver; his magnanimity has
oeen recognized by the man who
might have left him to his fate had
he been as successful in that terrible
conflict as the other, and now both
VOW eternal friendship.