Evening journal., 1913-11-10
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Challenge General Webb
Waited For
BY Holland.

General James Watson Webb fought
two very sensational duels while lie was
the editor Of the once famous and in
hnential New York Courier and En-
quirer,' said General Thomas /. James,
who was an intimate friend of General
Webbs family, TO me at a time when
we were both looking at very fine por-
trait OF General Webb. Each of us
spoke OF the very striking resemblance
physically in face and feature between
Commodore Vanderbilt and General
Webb Both We're handsome men, es-
pecially in their old age.
"Afier one of his duels-the last one
which he fought and IN which he was
wounded in the knee General Webb
was arrested and prosecuted for violat-
ing tho New York State law which for
bade any person leaving the state with
intent to tight duel
His family was so greatly distressed
at his arrest and at tine prospect OF inn
prisonment in the state prisons pun
ishment which he surely would have re-
ceived had he not been pardoned by
Governor William II. Seward-th they
begged him to promise them not again
TO accept challenge 10 duel and never
TO issue one
"fie gave that promise without any
mental reservation. There came q time,
hsweyer, when he felt compelled to
break IT, Very few people knew OF the
incident In all It's details at the time,
and none but members of General
Webhs family and a few intimate
friends have any knowledge of it now.
General Webb with Mrs. Webb and
one or two of his children was in Wash
mgtOn ina 1896 at the time when Pres
ton S. Brooks assaulted Charles Sumner
while Sumner was writing at his desk in
the Senate chamber The assault greatly
aggravated the excitement and bitter
feelings which prevailed throughout the
country at that time and which cuimi-
mated when the great issues of the day
were submitted TO the arbitrament OF
war
THE New York Courier and En-
quirer, OF which General Webb was the
editor and owner, published an editorial
in which some very harsh descriptive
terms respecting Mr.. Brooks were used,
"a day or two later, while General
Webb was writing at his desk in the
sitting room at the hotel, two gentle
men called Mrs Webb was in an ad- |
joining room. The door was partly (
open. She heard these two gentlemen
say that they had been authorized by
Mr.. Brooks to bring a challenge to Gen (
eral Webb, the challenge being based
upon the alleged defamatory article
which was published in the Courier and
Enquirer.
"AIrs. Webb did not know whether her
husband would remember his promise
not to fight a duel or not but before she
had q chance TO interfere she heard Gen
eral Webb say; i did not write the arti-
Gle 1t was written by my associate,
Mir. Andrews. But / am responsible for
anything which appears in my news
paper and ] will assume personal re-
sponsibihty for that article. Further
more, / made some years ago a promise
10 my family never again to accept a
challenge 10 fight aiduel; but / am going
20 break that promise BY the eternal,
l viii accept that challenge to fight this
man
"'Before you take any action. how
ever. gentlemen, ] would suggest that
Won wait day or two Ii probably
would be better for me to hold myself
responsible for something that
with my own hand wrote. | will there
fore write an article for my paper and
sign il with my name, and / promise
you that il will be in comparison with
the article which has offended your prin-
cipal as vitriol to milk When that arti
Gle is printed ] shall await your pleas
ure.'
"The gentlemen said that they would
postpone further action till the article
appeared. Then with the excessive cour:
tesy which the duel requires, they eX-
prssed their distinguished consideration
for General Webb and withdrew.
"The next day but one, a vitriolic ar
ticle denouncing Brooks, even going 40
far rs to call him a coward, appeared in
the Courier and Enquirer over General
Webb's name. lie waited for three days
in his rooms at the hotel not going out
even for a moment For he expected TO
receive call from the gentlemen who
had earlier brought challenge, renew
ing that challenge.
Con the fourth day General Webb
said to his wife that he had waited long
enough TO hear from the parties and
that he had made up his mind that they
had decided not to renew the challenge.
He was in Washington week longer
and heard nothing, nor did he receive
any explanation giving reason why the
first challenge had not been renewed"
LAWYER DEAD IN RED.