The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-13
PULHIGAL GUSSR.
Real Story of Mr.. Day h0ff's Pro-
posed Duel.
Was Angry on Account Of a
Love Affair.
SENT THE CHALLENGE.
Other Man in Case Paid No
Attention to 1t.
His Act Makes Him Ineligible
to Hold Office.

According to a story published by
the Kansas City Times, I. L. Dayhoff,
who has been reelected as state SUI
perintendent of public instruction, may
be ineligible to hold his Office because
CT a constitutional provision.
1t is alleged that Daynoff was once
mixed up in a challenge to fight a
duel. and he admits the charge. There
is section in the constitution of the
state OF Kansas, section TIA in the gen.
eraI statutes of 1901, which reads as
follows:
"DUELLISTS- person who
shall give or accept challenge to
fight a duel, or who shall knowingly
carry to another person such chal-
lenge. or shall go out of the state to
light duel. shall be ineligible to any
ONCE of trust or profit"
According to the story published by
the Times Dayhon was challenged to
fight duel by man named Dickin-
son in the fall of 1883. The Kansas
City paper says this was twenty-five
years ago, but its arithmetic is evil
IDENTIFY very bad. The affair took place
fifteen years ago.
Dayton admits that a challenge was
issued. but that his opponent issued it
and he accepted it He is quoted as
follows:
TT was in the fall of 1889. I was
challenged by a man named Dickin-
son. who now lives in Colorado. We
had been having trouble over some
thing that have forgotten now, and
after an exchange of very fierce letters,
he challenged me. The terms of the
challenge were that we were to choose
our weapons after we arrived at the
meeting place. 1 went to the meeting
place, but he was not there My sec
ond was a man named Darnen.''
Dayhoffs admission would seem to
prove that he is ineligible to hold his
ONCE. and it is stated that a move
may be made to Gust him.
According to another story. which
also seems to come from Dayhoff the
affair happened in 1890 at Great Bend
and was over politics. 1t is stated that
pistols were selected for the duel.
Dayhoff says in this story that he and
his second appeared on time, but that
Dickinson failed to appear.
Neither of these stories are correct
according to those who know the cir
cumstances-there are only a very few
over a love affair and Dayhoff was the
one who issued the challenge.
Henry Dickinson and Dayhoff were
both young country school teachers at
that time They were rivals in a love
affair Dayhoff became very wroth at
Dickinson and finally sent him a
formal challenge to fight a duel, Dick
1nson laughed at Dayhof and paid no
II Dayhoh was very much in earnest
and he won the girl y Dickinson moved
TO Colorado and he now lives in
Granada in that state.
Two years ago when Dayhoff was
nominated for superintendent of pub
lie instruction Dickinson turned up in
Kansas with that challenge and the
correspondence pertaining to it. Nor
ton Albaugh, who was then chairman
of the Republican state committee and
was conducting the campaign heard
OF 1t, and after comforting with Day.
hon and learning that Dickinson's
story was true, he met Dickinson and
persuaded him 10 give up the papers
which were then destroyed
At that time nothing was known of
the constitutional provision referring to
duelling- Albaugh's fear was that the
ectfon was so ridiculous on Dayhoff's
part that it might defeat him if it
were made public Therefore he sup
pressed it, and only a few people knew
anything about It. Neither was it used
IN the recent campaign. and it is today
published for the first time.
1t was only three weeks ago that the
constitutional provision regarding duel
lists was discovered. and thought of in
connection with Mr.. Dayhoff's affair."
Whether anyone contemplates bringing
an action to GUST Dayhoff from his
office the State Journal does not know,
but even according to his own version
of the affair he is evidently ineligible
to hold the office.
So far as is known. this is the first