The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-23
A KENTUCKY DUEL
n IN THE DARK
Showing How the Honor Of J. Tom
linson Jones Was Painfully
SatiSfied.

THAT reminds me- said the man who
had spent some time in the South, of
game sat In down In Kentucky some years
ago.
Tell us!' cried the orowd-hands were
running poorly, anyway-aud after some
little persuasion he told this story:
In our particular set down there in
the horse country were Jim Pettingill
and Mr.. J. Tomlinson Jones. When l tell
YOU that Jim Pettingill was always Jim
20 the crowd. and that J. Tomlinson Jones
was always Mister Jones, you will know
as much about the respective characters
OF the two men as could be tod In book.
In addition to that, might say that Jim
In one respect was like the city Of Washing
ton-made up Of magnificent distances.
we were having our usual little Friday
night affair and Jim, as on one or two pre-
vious occasions, was raking In the discs
Of various colors with regularity too fire.
ouent 10 be agreeable 10 the rest OF US
As the game went on this fact seemed to
be getting on Mr.. Jones's nerves, because
IL was not plain TO him how he, J.Tomlinson
Jones. could lose. His manner became Of
fensive, and finally, when II was Jim's deal
and he handed himsen as fine q set Of pot
liftsrs as ever bore the royal faces Of king
queen and jack, preceded by the ace Mr.
Jones exploded.
Sir said he In hk best J. Tomlinson
Jones manner, L do not care to continue
longer in this game. l am accustomed TO
playinR with gentlemen, sir, not cheats"
well, the hush that fell on that crowd
was so deep you could hear IT, For a second
no one hreathed. Then Jim elevated him
self to the limit Of his sir-foot-two, seized
the struggling Observation-Disclosures
pounds OF Jones and dropped It out Of the
window. We heard mufaed, sickening
thud and then all was still
cor course, that broke up the eame.
We all knew Jim was square, but after such
an UNPLEASANT occurrence we did not feel
like playing any more that night. did not
realize, though, what a fine thing Mr..
Jones q self esteem was until the next morn
ing, when Jim sent for me.
s'John,' he said, that Jones person has
challenged me TO q duel / want you TO be
SOf course. I was wiling to be in. Jim
and | talked the matter over, and finally
decided upon a plan which we thought
would make THIS hent UNIQUE IN we nlst ~.
trict was a small hut we had run across
one summer that we we're spending near
10 natures heart, The duel was arranged
10 take Mace in this hut at midnight. The
principals we're TO fight in the dark, en-.
terinR the hut separately, drawing lots
for first chance. Tho first man In was to
begin firing as soon as the second man
entered. Pistols were the weapons Jim
selected. advised shotguns loaded with
birdshot, but Jim Wouldn't have IL. think
! Jim expected ]. Tomlinson TO back out
when he heard the conditions, but j. t.
stuck like q man.
sTwo nights later our little death party
was gathered In front Of this tumble-doWn
! log cabin in the heart OF Kentucky wilder
! meas Contrary 10 our expectations and the
| predictions Of patent medicine almanac
| the moon was shining like a million candle
| power arc light. Under such conditions,
| the man who entered the hut first would
| have such a bunch on the second man that
! n might be considered his goose was cooked
! They drew lots and Jones won.
! with a confident smile which the pale
moonbeams distorted into a ghastly grin
| Mr., Jones received his revolver from the
! surgeon and entered the hut closing the
| door after him. looked at Jim AnNiously,
! but he appeared cool and calm. Jim re-
! oeived his pistol and the rest Of usfell back
! TO a safe distance. He walked TO the hut,
| took one last look At the moon silyered
| landscape and opened the door, There
| was an inhnitesimRl period OF silence broken
| only by the violent beating OF our hearts.
and then ak shots rang out In rapid suo-
| osasion.
II turned away, no, having the courage
| to look at poor Jim's bullet Hddled corpse
but hearing q groan from J. y. J'H second,
! vontured 10 look toward the hut Ths