Year: 1873

Tho prepostcrous performance by which
yell-known gentleman OF this city attempteu
a few days ago TO salve his wounded honor
cannot be allowed to pass without lew
words of comment. We have long outllVed
tho day when dueling, even in the most
reckless and daredevil circles of fast society,
was supposed to be under any circumstances
tho duty of a gentleman. Long ago the goou
sense of American, and English, and we may
even say of Irish communities, learned 10 re-
gard it as the resort of the savage,-an onenSe
as disreputablc as the more violent forms OF
murder. Moro than that; wo have como 10
regard il as not merely criminal but rldlcu-
lous and to hold that the fool who sends or
accepts n challenge deserves to be punished
first and laughed at forever afterward.


This latest case fortunately will only serve
TO render dueling moro absurd than ever
OF the miserable scandal which led TO
it. and which this proceeding must OF
course drag into the light of day, we
have no desire to speak. Whatever sympathy
one must have felt with tho aggrieved person
If there was any real gricvance-is well
nigh extinguished in the sensations, OF far
different description, with which we read the
story of tho excursion across tho DOT
der and the burlesquo combat that 1Ol-
lowed. 1t seems strange that gentleman
who thirsted so strongly for another gentle
mans blood that he must travel to Canada 10
slake if. running infinite risks Of warrants and
police officers, to say nothing Of the risk OF
beinp shot himself, should have been so easily
satisfied with the smell of little burnt pow
der Pray. wherein is he better OIL now that
he has made the bOotcss jOurneyf we have
heard Of insults that can only be washed away
in blood: but We never heard of wrongs
smoked out by the fumes of sulphur. Was II
necessary that Mr. Gray should punish the
man who il said to have wronged hint Then.
why did he not shoot him in the street.
or on hotel stairway, as the custom
is nowadays with murderers in high
life--so to the Tombs like hero, and get an
acduittal on the ground Of emotional insanity
That il the modern fashion of settling quar-
rel between gentlemen. The course which he
saw fit to adopt has had a result which can
hardly be agreeable TO his feelings. lie has not
avenged anything that we can see; and he
has the satisfaction of knowing that he owes
his own life to the prudence and self-restraint-
we suppose Mr.. Heckscher would call it the

generosity-of his enemy. 1t is the farce after
the tragedy.


There is another aspect of this case, how
ever, which must not be lost sight Of These
persons have committed criminal oftenso Of
which the District-AttOrnoy is bound to take
notice. The penalty for sending or accepting
challenge is confinement in the State prison
for II term not exceeding seven years The
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punishment as the principals. To leave the
State with the intention of fighting duel, or
of giving or accepting challenge, in evasion
of tho statute, exposes the offending parties
to the same punishment as if the offense had
been committed within the State. Any one of
the principals or accessories may be held to
testify against the others, and compelled to
appear before the grand jury. There seems to
be very clear case here for the action OF the
legal authorities.