The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-10-15
MAN OF MANY
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Strange History Of a Modern
Admirable CriCht0n.

II Admirable CriCht0n.
To say that man Is IN Admirable
Crichton means that he has many &C.
complishments in which his skill Is re-
markable. The original Crichton spoke
twelve languages, could dispute in Lat
IN on any subject, was master OF
fencing and all manner Of sports.
once knew ah Admirable Crichton.
He possessed genius for everything
except money making. His name was
Lawrence Dudley. AS the real erich.
ton was in the service of the Duke OF
Mantua. a tutor to the dukes son. so
Dudley, after taking every honor In
the universities he attended, went
south and tutored in the family Of a
wealthy planter named La Fourche.
He taught Marie La Fourche music
and prepared young Ben La Fourche
for college. This was in the autumn
and winter OF 1S60-G1, and the spirit
of the civil war was red hot in the
south. Dudley had so fascinated many
of the planter families that the fact
of his being a Yankee did not change
their enthusiasm for him. However,
it finally came to his ears that La
Fourcbe had been advised to send him
north to save him from rough treat
ment. Dudley asked La F0urche II
his presence in the household was COM
promising.
by no MEANS" replied the planter.
Everybody knows my loyalty to the
south. Moreover, II you leave. Ben
will not be ready for college. and am
anxious to have him enter next June"
"Then you are quite willing that I
should maintain my positi0n7"
Act your own pleasure"
The next day a printed circular was
received by each and every man in the
place whom Dudley knew. challenging
all Corners to argue the question brew.
ing between the states with knife, pis.
tol. small sword. cutlass, lance, jave-
lin. halberd. any kind Of weapon that
had ever been used BY contentious
man. In any other part Of the world
such circular would have excited
laughter. In the south. where the tour
ney of old has often sprung up ike a
flower from a root dormant for centu-
ries, the case was different The young
planters Of high degree met informally
for consultation as to what should be
done. They decided 10 send a polite
note to Dudley accepting the challenge,
the test to come of In tourney.
The parties met in secluded spot
hedged in by trees. There were three
men present. each Of whom had re-
ceived a circular. as we'll as several
strangers who had got wind Of the at.
fair and come unlimited. The first
man pitted against Dudley was Stew
art Anderson, who had studied defense
with foils in Paris and had fought sew
eral duels With the rapier. The two
men faced each other in shirt and trou'
sers and began to fence. Within a
minute Anderson's sword went flying
over a tree. With true southern fire
he called on Dudley to finish him.
Dudley put bis hand on hts heart. bow
ed low and said he would not deprive
the south Of so worthy a gentleman.
The next affair was with pistols, and
dudley ended it with a quick fire,
shooting the knuckle OF bis opponent.
This was followed by an engagement
with cutlasses, Iudley's opponent hav'
ing been especially trained with this
WEAPON while at sea. Dudley parted
the mans thrusts for awhile and then
gave him blow with the nat Of his
cutlass that stunned him.
This finished the contests so far as
the regular entries were concerned. but
as the men were putting on their coats
the strangers stepped forward and de-
manded chance at the Yankee. They
were Of a very different texture from
the young planters. who had fought
honorably and abided by tho result
and evidently meant by hook or by
crook to kill Dudley. The planters at
tempted to interfere. but Dudley OBJ
1ected. Offering to give all corners a
chance at his life. ...
The gang put forward desperate
whose skill with the bowie knife was
celebrated. There was change IN
Dudley the moment he set eyes on the
man. There can be no fooling with
bowie knives, and Dudley knew that
he must kill or be killed. The onlook-
ers gathered about, expecting to see q
desperate struggle. They were disap'
pointed. The signal to begin was CIV
en- by pistol shot. Almost before the
shot ceased to reverberate Dudley's
knife was In his opponents heart.
There was an awed silence for mo"
ment. Then the strangers made rush
for Dudley. The opponents be had
vanquishcd sought to protect him. but
before they cou'd do so he had killed
two more Of the sang. when the others
took to flight.
Dudley invited his opponents to the
La Fourche plantation. where. stand
ing nv n sidphOard with q glass In his