The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-20
DUHL|NG BY THE INDIANS
In Some Tribes This Meant
Death to Both.
AN AWFUL TEST OF NERVE
An Eyewitness Describes the Famous
Duel Between Indian Chief Car
penter and White Named Price. A
Wonderful Shot, After Being Des-
perately Wounded.

perately Wounded.
What is the Indian method of duel
lingT" asked the deputy sheriff.
That depends upon the tribe. There
are some tribes where challenge to
a duel means inevitably that both
men must die. When an Indian feels
aggrleved he demands a combat. The
day for the same is fixed far in ad-
vance and is made the occasion of a lit
tie celebration. The entire tribe as
sembles The braves sit in a circle
behind them their squaws and the
young bucks.
The offended man is armed with a
rifle or n shotgun. The challenged
principal is unarmed At word. both
men arise and face each other the un-
armed man barring his breast to the
bullet of his adversary. With eyes
riveted on the little round hole at the
end of the barrel pointed at him. the
doomed man must face the protractcd
ordeal Of expecting death at any in.
slant without the least sign of weak
ening. The eXecutioner may hold his
gun as long as he plcases in order to
try to break down his enemy. He
may raise 1t and lower 1t or hold it
steadily on the man under the fright
ful strain. But not even with an eye.
lid must the unfortunate betray his
anxiety At last the gun cracks and
the bullet speeds its way and the vic
tim lies dying. The slayer hands the
weapon to relative or a friend of the
deceased, and is put through the same
ordeal
Some of the tribes have learned to
fight according to the code of the
white man, however among these the
Choctaws or CherokeeS, which reminds
me of the famous duel in July Of 1888,
when the celebrated Choctaw chief,
Carpenter, fought near the Pine Creek
Indian agency with white man
named Price. Chief Carpenter was
splendid type of Indian, tall and
straight and comely, and he had been
well educated and had natural talents
and natural instincts that put him
head and shoulders over his Indian
associates.
"As usual, this trouble was started
by disagreement over some trivial
matter which caused a dispute and
ended in that the white man called his
red brother liar. Throughout the
trouble the big Indian had remained
perfectly calm although considerably
angered, and as the insult fell he gazed
coldly into the eyes of Price and said:
Your blood shall wash out that
word
Whenever you're ready say the
word, cried Price. You can do your
washing right here and now. if you
please.
mot now, sir, but tomorrow morn
ing when the sun peeps over the top
of that wild plum tree you must be
here, and without fail
The report of the duel spread far
and wide, and at an hour considerably
before sunrise a large crowd had gath
cred on the duelling ground to witness
the encounter. Price was the first on
the field and for a time it looked as
If there would be no Carpenter. But
true to his Indian blood the chief dis
dained coming too soon at the appoint
ed place as much as he would have
feared coming too late, and it was
just as the first rays of the sun stole
over the soft green Of the tree that
the red man stood in place. Not
word was spoken by either man. Both
drew their pistols and raising the
weapons, they fred almost simultane-
ously. Carpenter reeled, but with
mighty effort checked tendency to
spin round and, staggering, fred as
the crack Of his opponents pistol
sounded for the second time. This
time Price jumped high in the air and
landed on his face, stone dead
with a wild shout the crowd press
ed forward to surround the lucky
chief, but before aid could reach him
he fell senseless. Price had been shot
through the heart, clean as whistle,
a remarkable shot considering the con-
dition of the Indian when he made it;
and a shot Carpenter could have made
in the first place, without doubt had
he been as determined to kill as Price
proved himself when his bullet buried
itself in the Indians breast