The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-04-25
FAMOUS CALIFORNIA DUELS
Many Had Their start in state SEN
at Chamber.

The state Legislature is once more in
session. In this year 1905 all is well along
the Sacramento. In a peaceful and, in
deed, prosaic manner certain questions
will be settled, while the election Of a
United States senator has been conducted
as love feast In comparison with the
strenuous days of half century ago.
Among the many causes for rejoicing
IN this their day and generation how
many Of our lawmakers appreciate their
Immunity from she exacting decrees OF
the grim code OF honor2 Yet the passing
generation vividly recalls a period in Cal
ifornia's political history when the life
of statesman, says the san Francisco
Chronicle. was not regarded as a safe
risk by the old time insurance companies
for the code was all too often recognized
by these gentlemen as the court OF last
resort
The famous division in the ranks of the
old Democratic party owing to differences
Of opinion on the slavery question was
the primary cause OF many fatal duel
between noted representative men. Re
peatedly the state thrilled with the ex-
citement attending these mortal coinbass,
one 9nair seeming to lead to another.
Conservative papers deprecated the reck-
less sacrifice Of lives which were most
needed In those formative days. Despite
frequent and bitter denunciatons OF the
custom ON the part OF the press and
pulpit, the judgments of the bench and
opinions of the bar and the enactments
OF the legislature. the code continued to
pick its victims from the flower OF man
hood The Alta California bewaed the
apathy OF the general public and attri-
huted the duelling craze to the innate
love Of adventure and excitement which
hlled the minds Of the impetuous fortune
seekers.
During the sos the state was largely in
the control OF the southern wing of the
Democratic party, among which were
many turbulent spirits known as fire
eaters. These Southrons, who regarded
themselves as -the flower Of chivalry."
believed that the political institutions Of
th.s new Western state were their own
heritage In the mid Sos when Senator
Douglas split the Democratic party by
his advocacy of free soil princfDles his
followers IN California, known as Douglas
Democrats. were bitterly reviled by thsir
Southern associates. whose definition Of
treason was dslOyaity to party THUS
originated many acrimonious disputes,
embfttered by a fiow OF mutual vitupera-
tive denunclatious which resulted IN the
frequent efiusiCn Of blood on certain fields
OF honor.
Among those California Democrats who
iiocked TO the support OF Senator Doug
las. State Senator w. I. Ferguson OF
Sacramento became prominent as a .ead-
er. Previously he had incurred the enni-
ity of the chiyalry on account OF the prev
alent belief that he had acted as a media
tor between Senator Gwin and David c.
Broderck IN the transaction Of January
1851, In which II was alleged that Sena-
tor GWin surrendered all the patronage
Of his Office In exchange for the Influence
OF Mr.. Broderick in securing his return
70 Washington. Ferguson was regarded
for some time as n marked man, and lit
tie surprise was occasioned. when. on
trivial pretext he was challenged to
mortal combat By George Pen, Johnston.
a noted duellisl.
loon brawi Johnston had picked a quar-
rel with Ferguson He accused the lat
ter OF having made assertions which Fer
guson promptly denied having uttered
and followed with a more emphatic dis
avowal which led to abusive language
and an attempt on the part Of Senator
Ferguson TO strike Mr. Johnston. The
latter drew a revover. but was prevented |
from using II by his friends. on the /
following day Johnstons challenge was 1
sent and duly accepted, and the meeting
place was designated as a small plateau I
on the northeastern extremity OF Angel |
Island
Early on the afternoon Of Saturday.
Aug II, Johnston. accompanied by his /
friends crossed the bay in a saiiboat /
while a little later Ferguson and his fol- /
lowers took the Petaluma steamer touch |
ing at the shore Of Angel Island. near
the old residence Of Capt Waterman /
The seconds Of Ferguson were Gen il /
NJ Estill and Eugene Il. Sullivan accom-
panied by Drs Hitchcock and Angle
Johnston was accompanied By William
B. Dameron and a noted duellist BY the
uncommon name Of George Washington.
who acted as his seconds. I'D the pres
ence Of seventy-nve witnesses tire terms
OF the agreement were read and at
o. clock OF a brown evening the adver-
sariez were placed just ten PAGES apart.
r. /
ulatton pistols and stood half face to Ire
left expectant but calm, as they waited
the word OF the chief second
Are you ready, gentlemen?" he asked
Ready" they both replied.
"Fire-one, two, three, stop" sounded
the words punctuated by two pistol shots.
which. however, sped past their marks
twenty feet apart. Again they ired and
missed each other. On the third friai
MI. Ferguson empticd his pistol at the
ground rS' at the feet OF ds Johnston % inc ine
tense feeling OF suspense thrilled the
spectators. many OF whom believed john
ston would discharge his weapon In the
air. thus terminating the AFFAIR.
breathlessly the onlOokers awaited the |
result as the words "One, two" followed.
AZ the word stop" following three"
they looked to see his weapon rise up
ward. For two or three seconds Johnston
hesitated. and Just as the word three
rang out In the hushed evening air he
Jerk and fired straight at his awaiting
Victim: AS the smoke from his pistol
cleared, his face grew livid with baf-
l led rage for smiling and serene Senator !
ferguson stood erect and unscathed. !
Ihe pistols were again loaded and the {
idversarles were moved to a distance OF I
1ut six PAGES. and after a delay on ac- I
'ount Of technical dispute the fateful
words "Fire-one, two. three. stop. were
.p0ken, and both men fired together.
senator Ferguson was seen to whirl Y
itHutiu hUu iafi IN inc arms OF his SefOnI, 4
iigh thigh bone splintered by the half q
unce bullet Of his Opponent while at the y
anne moment Johnston started and drop I
'ed his left hand, which was resting on I
us hip. finger being broken hy the I
enators pistol ball. c
The news Of the wounding OF Senator '
ferguson and his subsequent death three Q
weeks later spread. and the code and g
ohntson received much adverse criticism a
he former being denounced as a relic OF e
arbarism. a
The obsequles OF Senator Ferguson we're u
ttended by the public on masse. Among q
Is pallbearers were such men as j. A. a
icDougall, Col. E. u. Baker who fell V
nree years later at the battle of Balls o
luff; Lansing b. Mizner, Leonidas Has b
ell and his friend David c. Broderlck, d
Tho in just one year afterward followed ri
erEuSon as mertyr TO the same cause. II
No duel IN all the annals OF the West o.
as attracted such widespread attention "
. the famous duel which was fought by 81
nlted states Senator David G. BrOderick
nd David 81 Terry, who resigned his hl
osittOn as chief Justice OF the supreme m
)urt Of California In order to challenge W
Is opponent to mortal combat. To SUM al
iarize the causes which led to this IN
lunter II is enough to say that as a a.
hampton OF free labor Senator Broderck II
} Increased the slavery element OF the W
party during his strenuous &;
ireer that his life was demanded as "a st
lcrihce Judge Terry was known far w
nd wide as typical fireeater; S,tnator "a
roderick had rescrted to the field OF Y
onor in 1852. ~ the settling OF dispute G,
ith J.. Caleb Smith OF San Francisco. in W
hich his watch stopped bullet whose of
limpeded course would have resulted he