The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-08-12
DUELSlN MISSOURI.
The Field of Honor Was a Com
mon Resort a Century Ago.
BATTLES ON BLOODY ISLAND.

|
the Scene of the Two DueIs Between
Benton and Lueas-Rules of t0s
Geyer- kennerly Meeting.
The Biographies used in the schools
today do not show Bloody island, q
one time notorious dueling resort in
the Mississippi river near st. Louis
The spot remains, but 1t is no longer
an island 1t now is a part of East
st. Louis.
The opprobrious title was derived
from the many sanguinary encoun
tiers which took place on the island
Here 1t was that the fatal affaire
dhonneur between Thomas 81. Ben.
ton and Charles ii. Lucas took place.
One day In 1916 these two men en-.
gagged in trying a lawsuit one repre-
senting the plaintiff and the other the
defendant Lucas was twenty-five
years old, son of a judge and the dis
trict attorney of the territory. Benton.
too, was well known and later became
United States senator. Lucas won the
case. His opponent accused him of
juggling with the evidence. The &c.
cusation was resented, and 1t was re-
! sponslble for challenge issued by
Benton. Lucas refused to fight. say
Ing that he could not be held account.
able for defending his client
Bad blood ensued, and from time to
time the two men the next year often
engaged In harsh words. Finally on
an election day Benton questioned
Lucas right to vote. saying that the
other had not paid his taxes. 1t irked
Lucas, who later referred to his enemy
as a puppy" This appelation was
too much for Benton, who again chal.
lenged Lucas to a duel This time the
challenge was accepted.
The two men met on Bloody island
Aug. IL. 1917. The encounter took
place at a distance of thirty feet. Lu
cas- fell with q bullet in his neck upon
the exchange of shots. Upon the ad-
vice of seconds Lucas declared himself
satisfied. The men shook hands and
went to their homes. The wound was
not dangerous. A few days later the
two men met on the street again, and
like two schoolboys. another fight was
planned This time 1t was to be at
distance of only ten feet Lucas was
MORALLY wounded. Benton was unin.
jured He approached the dying man,
according to custom. and expressed his
sorrow. Lucas flashed forth an accu-
sation of murder. but few minutes
later before dying he recanted and ex.
pressed his forgiveness.
But the first duel that ever took
place on Bloody island was fought in
1910 between DR.. Farrar and James A
Graham. One of DR.. Farrar's friends
challenged Graham. but the challenge
was refused on the ground that Far
rar's friend was not a gentleman. DR..
Farrar was then under obligation TO
defend the honor of his friend. This
challenge was accepted, and as a re-
suit Graham was severely injured and
died after months of suffering.
A second duel on Bloody island &C.
Cured in 1916 between Captain Henry
S. Geyer and Captain George ii. Ken
nerly, both veterans Of the war of
1872 Captain Geyer was for many
years n leader in Missouri politics and
one of the states most able lawyers.
Kennerly was wounded at the second
FIRE and remained a cripple for life.
There were many other duels fought
here between some of Missouri's early
statesmen and pioneers. A few of the
encounters were the Thomas Hemp
stead-Joshua Barton duel in 1916, the
Martin Ramsey affair in 1918, the
Reynolds Brown, Walker-Marmaduke
and Pettus-Biddle.
While duels would not be counte-
nanced under any consideration today.
IL must be remembered that at this time
they were almost as common among
men as fights among schoolboys- II a
man felt that his honor had been i'm
peached In any way the popular thing
to do was to settle 1t by duel, pistols
being used in nearly every instance
There was a certain unwritten ''code"
observed For instance, in the duel
between Geyer and Kennerly the fol.
lowing were the rules:
The ground shall be measured OF
to six PAGES,
The gentlemen shall stand hack TO
back at the distance of six yards from
each other.
At the word March" the gentlemen
shall Immediately step or three PAGES
and turn and fire without further or.
der.
II either party reserves his fire and
continues TO take aim after the other
has fired he shall be shot instantly by
the adverse second.
The seconds shall decide by lot which
gives the word
The only words shall be. Are you
readyT' and. being answered in the az
firmative. the word March" shall be
the order for stepping OF and turning
and firing as above stated.
The weapons smoothbore pistols.
The pistols to be delivered cooked to
the gentlemen after they have taken
their places and to be held hanging
down by the side until after the word
March"
One can readily see why Bloody IS
land should become n popular spot for
duels First II wss near St Louis. the
largest town in the state. The island,
heing IN the middle Of the river. was
,,ora ~ loss saolufad and olco the