The San Francisco call., 1909-09-12

~ HcH lUO OI0pc men StQHd JdCe 10
face. though they come from the
ends of the earth.
II T viii be SO years ago at dawn to-
morrow when chief justice of the
supreme court OF the state and a
United States senator from Califor-
MIA faced each other at 10 PAGES, near
the William Higgins ranch IN San Ma
-teo county. just across the San Fran
cisco county line, q dueling pistol in
the hand of each ready poised for the
signal Around them were gathered
small group Of serious citizens. each
one realizing that every succeeding
minute made momentous the history
Of their state. The sun was appearing
q above the san Mateo hills. AS the
first golden shafts touched the uplands
and the purple shadows began to diff
fuse in light Of early morn. the COM
mand rang out,
The crash of pistol shots cut into
the silence Of the morning. The sena-
tor flung his right arm before his face.
t0ttered. feu. The hand which grasped
the destinies Of California grew limp
and nerveless and the pistol fell to
the ground And the people of Cali
fornia knew that by the rules OF the
devils code Of honor Chief Justice
David Smith Terry had shot and ia
tally wounded David Colbrith Brod-
erick senator at Washington from
California.
Thus Il was, half century ago-and
Il is doubtful even TO this day, whether
the passing years have healed the
wound caused BY the speeding ball OF
the southern 5urist- The old argu-
r7enrs. accusations and bitter faction
stisn1 which severed the state in the
7,.e- s-iT1 have their echoes. At in
tervals-long intervals and growing
longer-One may catch again the war
ring note Of BrOderick or anti-Brod-
erlck. These, however. are but
echoes. the turmoil has died away anS-
tn times great charity the descend
ants Of the spectacular pioneers pass
bv the pettiness, the barbarity, the
ebuse and political tirade. and see
naught but two massive figures facing
each other at 10 PAGES. with the sun
rising over the San Mateo mis- anu
tbs command of death ringing out
Most Noted Duel
81 LEI II remain. Whatever may De
the opinions Of the controversy
whether one holds with Terry or with
Broderick, whether the natural sym
natbies are with southern "chiv or
70 the reckless bravery Of the times.
nersonified IN the most picturesque
en6 fateful duel between two lead
ING personages and which STANDS
forth vividly in the history OF the
west Never was a duel in the United
States followed by such public clamor.
Never was a community so entireiy
swept of it's feet by a death What
was taken TO be the accepted order
Of things was thrust into the oack-
ground. The political face OF the state
was changed. More than this, how
. ever. greater than the public clamor'
~ more import to the state than the
transition OF political thought. was the
fact that the revolver shots, heard on
the morning of September 16, 1853,
sounded the death knell Of dueling. A
few other contests We're settled on the
field Of honor, but they were lnslg-
fffcanf in character The community
had awakened TO the true nature OF
the duello and sickened and heart
broken over the result. turned with
disgust from a practice so directly
contrary 10 the basic principles Of
American thought and justice, so child
fish in its inception and awful in its
elimination.
The pathos OF the death OF Brod-
erick. the one dominant fact which can
not but impress the reader of tales of
those early days, is the cause of the
Quarrel It's very insignificance made
more startling the contest
The duel followed the Broderick-
Cwin campaign of 1883 1t is useless
20 enter upon the details Of this fierce
political fight The feeling was so high
400 Saser1se tnat 1t is well nigh i'm
possible TO secure fair and accurate
account of what occurred. A short
resume Of the lives of Broderick and
Terry is all that is necessary TO obtain
an understanding OF the cause leading
ND TO the duel Broderick was a north
erner. the son of an Irish stone cutter,
whose greatest achievement was that
he aided in cutting the marble pillars
in the capitol building in Washington.
The answering and ayowed ambition
Of the son was 10 I'LL a senatorial seat
in the halls which his father had by
his labor decorated. and that he finally
succeeded in doing so is characteristic
OF the man.
Terry was Kentuckian, brave to
the point of recklessness. a man of
education and attainment. and who was
elected chief justice of the supreme
I. court in 1855. He had reputation as
IRE eater, and his past performances
with his bowie knife hads given him
recognition such as was accorded to
men Of his stamp during those days.
Both men were hot tempered and ex-
ceptionally prone TO cast aside reason
In their exc1table moments. The pc