Connecticut western news., 1909-05-06
A Veterans ArmOr
Rx LAURENCE FOSTER CHURCH

By LAURENCE FOSTER CHURCH. [Copyright, 1909, by American Press Asso-
 ciation.l
 Here is a story l rescued from some old family papers that had not been overloaded in half q century. l have reconstructed 1t from its original letter form, preserving the first person in which it was written:
 I came to New Orleans in 1S45 from France. l was sitting one evening, soon after my arrival, in cafe when an elderly man, about fifty-hVe think, stepped up to me and with broad southern accent said, You are M. Desmounes of Paris, I believe, suh."
 "I am and at your service, monsieur"
 'I am a stranger in the city, sub. am a planter from the interior of the state. I desire the services of some one familiar with the code duello and have been told that you have othctated on several occasions at meetings among gentlemen. If it would not be too much to ask, suh, would like you to act fo' me in an affair of hona', suh."
 He was a typical Louisiana planter of the period. but withal having a sol dierly bearing-tall. erect and with grizzly gray hair.
 ''I shall be happy to serve you, mon- sieur. But l should like to know something about the case"
 Certainly, suh. My opponent de- clared publicly that General Jackson at the battle of New Oleans used cot ton bales fo' breastwo'ks. 1 told him that he was mistaken. He persisted. I gave him the lie. He challenged me-" I was surprised. l had not then learned of the various methods among gentlemen in vogue in the city of pick ing a quarrel which was based on an other cause.
 Were you right?" l asked. Certainly, suh! I was present at the battle, suh."
 And who Is your opponentr'
 Camille Trudeau, suh." Camille Trudeau! Is he here? Why, my dear sir, he has been out twenty times and always killed or winged his man."
 "So 1 have heard, sUh."
 | After failure to induce Captain St. Leger-the name he gave me-to find a way out of the difficulty, consented to act for him. His opponents second informed me that his principal, who was twenty-five years younger than | St. Leger, would not kill the captain if he could possibly help 1t. St. Leger, as the challenged party, selected pis- tols and a ground under the levee | few miles north of the city. We pro ceeded thither at daybreak the next morning. I noticed that the captain stepped from his carriage gingerly and walked on to the ground with slight limp. There also seemed to be some thing the matter with his left arm. We placed the contestants thirty paces apart. The captain told me that he was a poor shot and named the dis tance himself. They fired at the drop | of a hat. Trudeau was unharmed. 1 St. Leger received a ball in the leg | that nearly knocked him over. But he maintained his balance and awaited the signal for another round. Trudeau looked surprised. He had aimed at the captains leg just below the knee and knew that he had placed his bull let there. Such a stroke should be sufficient to put any man out of the l fight. We endeavOred to induce the old man to, withdraw, but he would not hear oft.
 Just before the next signal 1 saw Trudeau looking at his opponents right arm, as If he intended to shatter it. I was not surprised that he changed his intention, for he could not carry it out without killing his man. When the shots rang out Trudeau was still unharmed. St. Leger's left arm swayed and then hung limp. He stood as steady as ever.
 Trudeau turned pale. Was he to continue to put holes in his adver- sary's members without any percepti- ble injury? I confess I was puzzled. Trudeau appeared to be rattIed. The captains shots had been drawing closer to him, and this doubtless had an effect upon his nerve.
 St Leger insisted on another round
 When their hands were raised for the next shot 1 thought 1 noticed a | deau's pistol. The captains face was a study. It showed plainly that this time he was determined to kill his op 1 ponent and showed, further, great con fidence in his ability to do so. 1 be- Iieve Trudeau considered that his owr life depended on taking his opponents But his nerve had gone, and he looked 1 anXiOES The caDtain stood Straigll as a ramrod on his wounded leg, whicl he had not permitted the surgeon tc examine and on which no blood wa, visible l looked to see it oozing frOn under his pantaloons where they were strapped over his boot, but looked il vain.
 At the next fire Trudeaus bulle knocked St. Leger's pistol out of his hand, glanced and buried itself ill , tree Trudpau fell with a hole in th(