The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-12-29


the pale of recognition" retorted
Drake, haughtily.
But you were the assailant," as.
serted the officer with some warmth.
Very true; but l hit him not be.
cause of the billiard game, but be-
cause he wrote letter to my brother,
DR.. Drake, that was derogatory to his
fiancee, and that on the very day of
his marriage"
Duryee left in hot anger, declaring
that he would post Drake as coward
and that brought the young lawyer,
Miller, into the quarrel. The follow.
ing day the attorney carried chal-
lenge from Drake to Duryee, but
Lieut.. Hampton Westcott, of Duryee's
vessel, refused to permit the midship-
man to accept until Drake had given
| satisfaction to Griffith.
II shall never put myself on a level
with that degraded individual until he
makes apology for the wrong done my
brother, the doctor, and his BRIDE"
| was brakes ultimatum.
Miller Dragged In.
News of the controversy had spread
among the naval officers at New York
and Philadelphia, and there was sharp
criticism of Duryee because he had
not accepted brakes challenge, de.
spite the hair-splitting ruling Of
Lieut.. Hampton Westcott. So, to
clear Duryee of the imputation of
cowardice, some friends in New
Brunswick, N. j., wrote to Miller, the
attorney, asking that the whole mat.
ter be referred to a committee whose
decision should be final. To this
Miller responded that, as Duryee had
not accepted the challenge to fight,
for reasons best known to himself,
he and Drake looked upon the Incl.
dent as closed.
The affair would doubtless have
ended there had it not been for the
entrance of Midshipman Hunter into
the dispute. On March 10 he visited
Miller, demanded the letter written
from New Brunswick and went away
in hot anger, because Of the refusal
of the lawyer to hand it over.
| A few days later the New Bruins
wick letter was printed, and Hunter
| demanded immediate satisfaction.
Miller disclaimed any responsibility
for the publication of the letter, but
the explanation was not accepted, and
on March IL Lieut.. Westcott bore a
cartel to Miller. The attorney again
insisted that he had no connection
with the publication of private cor
respondence and declined to accept
the challenge.
Three days later Hunter posted
Miller as a coward, concluding his
declaration with the gratuitous asser-
ton that the Philadelphia lawyer was
a liar as well as a poltroon. This
rapid fire oratorical bombast stirred
Duryee to action, and he sent an
acceptance of brakes challenge, but
that scion of society retorted that an
adversary who had waited to screw
his courage to the sticking point
would not be accorded the honor of a
meeting with a gentleman.
Miller quickly took up Hunters
challenge and sent his acceptance by
Lieut.. Edmund Byrne, an intimate
friend, and Westcott was deputized
to arrange with Byrne the time and
place of the meeting. It was agreed
that the duel should take place in
Delaware a short distance below the
boundary on the morning of the next
day, and that, besides, the seconds,
each duellist should be represented
by one friend.
The Duel to the Death.
The parties to the affair were on
hand at the appointed time and place
and after the distance had keen paced
off and instructions given as to the
method Of firing, the principals took
their places. Not word had passed
between them.
Gentlemen, are you ready?" cama
the question.
Each duellist assented
"Fire-one-two-"
The last word Of the count was lost
in the report of the pistols, which
were fired so nearly together that the
separate reports could scarcely be dis.
tinguished.
Miller turned toward his seconds;
his face was deadly pale; his pistol
dropped from his hand; he placed one
hand over his breast, then fell heav-
lily to the ground.
Hunter advanced toward the fall.
en- man, and in a loud voice that was
filled with emotion, cried: Gentle
men, assure you that had no en-
nifty toward that man. His blood
must rest upon the heads Of Others
who have. dragged him into their quar-
rels. Is he badly wounded, doctor?"
he asked, with evident tPepidation.
HE will not live five minutes" was
the reply. you put the bullet
squarely into his breast" Kneeling
about the dying man the little group
filled with varying emotions, watched
the life of the young lawyer quickly
| flow out.
81 would give my life If 7 could
restore that man to life," cried Hun
ter, as he saw the dying gasp OF his
victim.
Agitation and Reform.
The report of the duet, when it was
published sent a thrill Of excitement
| ovar the country and created a SEN