Year: 1873

ACCOUNT OF A TERRIBLE DUEL, AT MEDICINE


LODGE, INDIAN TERRITORY.


A correspondent of the New York World
writes the following account of fearful duel
which took place at Medicine Lodge, Indian
Territory, on the 4th ultimo. The parties
were Hugh Anderson, noted Texas despera
do, and Kansas man named McCluskey,
whose brother had been previously killed by
the Texan. The correspondent says:


BY the terms agreed upon between Richards
end Harding, the seconds, the antagonists
were to fight with revolvcrs and Bowie knives
to be placed back to back at an interval of
twenty paces-to wheel and fire at a given
signal and after the first interchange Of shots
to conduct the fight as each one should deem
it best to his advantage.


McCluskey, as he emerged from the house
where he made his brief stay, looked picture
of manly strength and vigor. A tight-ftting
buckskin shirt and leggings, tastefully en-
broidered, set off his robust form to great ad
vantage, and it was apparent to all that, in
the event of close encounter he would prove
a terrible antagonist to his rival. His revol-
yer, of Colts make, he carried in his right
hand, while his Bowie, encased in sheath Of
untanned deerskin, rested on his left hip, with
in easy reach. Accompanied by Richards,
who had simply thrown off his coat and placed
an extra revolver in his belt, he proceeded
quickly to the place Of meeting, replying brief
ly to the rough salutations addressed him by
the crowd, but repelling courteously the ad.
vance ola few of the more curious who wished
to learn from his own lips the history of the
present trouble. Thespot selected for the en-
counter was in the open prairie few yards
distant from the larger of the two storehouses.
The grass had been closely cropped by the
cattle, leaving the turf firm, yet elastic, and
just the thing for rough-and-tumble business.
His antagonist not yet having made his ap.
pearance, McCluskey seated himself Oh the
grass and conversed earnestly with his second.


While engaged in taking notes Of what was
passing in the crowd cry of Here comes
Anderson with the old man" caused every
one to turn in the direction Of Harding's
house. Anderson, nerved, probably, by the
knowledge of his great skill with the pistol,
walked along with jaunty, careless kind of
air that gained him many friends among the
lookerson and made him still greater favor
te in the betting. He wore his usual dress,
save that broad belt, in which was stuck
knife, confined his coat at the waist, and he
had changed his light sombrero for military
fatigue cap. He passed by close to where |
was standing and our eyes again met. Save
that the look on his face hardened little and
he contracted his brow to visible scowl,
there was nothing to indicate the presence Of





when, to take the position assigned him, he
had to pass within an arms length Of Nc
Cluskcy.


But little time was wasted in preliminaries.
The twenty PAGES were quickly stepped off
and the principals. placed in their respective
positions. The sun had long since set, and
the dark pail of evening was rapidly settling
on the spot, so that neither could be annoyed
by the rays of the sun, nor could either side
complain of holding an inferior position. The
crowd drew back to what was deemed safe
distance, and the seconds, after moments
consultation apart, advanced to give the sig
nal. The interest at this moment in the pro-
ccedings was of an intense nature and served
to keep the lookers-on in a state of breathless
expectancy. Like statutes the figures of the
two men who were to fight ] outrance loomed
up against the western sky, each with the
muzzle his weapon pointed to the earth, the
intention clearly being to make a "risiug"
shot this is to fire catching the aim while the
weapon is being raised. In this way the
practiced hand rarely wastes his ammunition
in the air by shooting over his adversary's
head, as so often happens when the falling
shot is adopted.