The Washington herald., 1907-08-18
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

was hurt though Randolph humorously
said: You owe me a coat, Mr. Clay"
for bullet had passed through the skirt.
When Yicksburg. Miss, began 20 be
thriving city, It occurred TO the citizens
that ferry connecting her with the
Arkansas shore would be the proper
thing. A boat was ordered, and came
down from Pittsburg. to be given a great
celebration. Then the citizens realized
that there was 30 settlement, no road.
nothing, on the other side Of the river
to which passengers might be ferried,
II is said that an enterprising man began
TO exploit the merits OF the dueling
grounds over there, and that encounters
became a regular event, the captain Of
the boat provoking quarrels Of some kind
so he could get up a crowd that would
go over and see the finish. So popular
did the ground become that Sargent S.
Prentiss hater OF duels. was drawn into
a difficulty with Gov. FoOte, and won
that mans greater enmity by telling a
! little boy 10 get down out Of a tree for
fear the governor would hit him in his
wild firing The sand bar IN front Of
Natchez. Miss. proved n great dueling
spot IN its day and time Once when DR..
Maddox and Samuel Wells went out 70
have a private settlement Of their dif-
ferences, their seconds and the specta-
tors finally became involved. and before
the law could take a hand eight had been
killed and fifteen wounded. James Bowie.
for whom the war-knife was named, and
who was afterward a hero OF the Alamo,
was one Of the active seconds.
Border quarrels were so common as to
be an everyday incident. 4 descend
ant Of Gen. Philip Schuyler. when going
West, was insulted by a celebrated des-
| peradO. They agreed TO night il out in
a dark room with pistols and knives.
Major have a julep ready for me in
/ fifteen minutes Schuyler said. as they
went in. He later claimed his julep, but
not until he had been nursed through
| several serious wounds, and the outlaw
| had been buried. The governor gave him
a reward, and he came home. The last
| duel in Kentucky had a less bloody at
! mosphere A preacher named Bowman
/ was challenged by the town tough, be-
/ cause OF the things the preacher had
/ said. Exercising the privilege Of the
/ challenged, the minister said that the
weapons for each must be a half bushel
| Of potatoes. the size Of the fist and
/ thrown one at a time. The bully was
/ furious. but fearing 10 be branded a
| coward. consented. His fury made him
a bad pitcher. and about the third round
a plump Triumph took him in his
short ribs and he was in bed for a week.
a ehastened and wiser man.
When the old Santa Fe trail was haunt
ed by Indians, White Wolf captured and
killed a white woman, passenger on one
Of the stages. Her death was avenged
by Lieut. David Bell who. with twenty
men. challenged White Wolf, with an
equal number, TO combat The fight was
4 terrible. and when the Indians retired
| fifteen Of their number were dead, and
only four or FIVE Of the whites. Abraham
! Lincoln and James Shields. State audi
tor OF Illinois. once went over 10 the
Missouri side Of the river 10 settle a per
sonal dispute with calvary broad swords
I of the largest size. Two friends in
tervened and the fight was declared of.
Members of Congress have not scTupled
to fight duels. They did not adjourn
/ Congress in order 10 see II done, as an
Irish court was wont TO Go, bur many
winked al IT, on the old Marlboro
road. in Maryland Jonathan Cilley, Of
Maine. and William J. Graves, Of Ken
lucky. settled dispute with rifles at
ninety yards. Ciiley being killed Seven
years before. in 1881. Congressman Spen-
Ger Pettis. OF Missouri, and Maj. Thomas
Biddle, [. s. A, settled a Ike difficulty.
TWO years before the civil war United
States Senator BrOderick. Of California,
and ex-Chief Justice Terry. Of that state.
fought out a difference. and when the
result was known Terry was tried for
murder and acquitted.
Tomorrow Bread from stones