A sanguinary “affair of honour” took place this month at Brownville, in the state of Pennsylvania. For some time past a slight misunderstanding had existed between Mr. Banner Anderson, of Bolivar, and Mr. Jones, merchant, of Brownville. Near the close of the week, Mr. Anderson came to Brownville, and, according to custom, placed his name on the hotel register. Shortly after, he discovered a remark written immediately under his name, impugning his character, and bearing the signature of R. H. Jones. He then wrote a reply, attaching thereto his proper signature. On the following Monday Mr. Jones called at the hotel, and, seeing the appended remark, became enraged, and declared he would have satisfaction. He walked to the door of a store into which Mr. Anderson had just entered, and called to him to come out. Anderson complied with the request, when Jones demanded of him, whether he had written the remark or not? Anderson answered in the affirmative; upon which, in an instant, each resorted to a pistol, standing about four yards apart. They fired simultaneously. Jones’s ball lodged in the muzzle of his adversary’s pistol, and the contents of Anderson’s pistol lodged in Jones’s breast. He expired in three hours. Anderson submitted immediately to the civil authorities, and was discharged. Upon examination, the whole was found to have been a misunderstanding; and that, if the parties had only conversed together on the subject, no difficulty would have ensued.
BETWEEN MR. CILLEY AND MR. GRAVES.
November 1837.
A fatal duel took place at Washington, between two members of the House of Representatives, Mr. Cilley of Maine, and Mr. Graves of Kentucky. Mr. Cilley had spoken disrespectfully of Colonel Webb, editor of the New York Courier; whereupon Mr. Webb sent him a challenge by Mr. Graves. Mr. Cilley said he would not fight such a blackguard as Webb, but was ready to accept a challenge from Mr. Graves. The following is an account of the arrangements for the meeting, drawn up by Mr. Cilley’s second:—“Mr. Cilley proposes to meet Mr. Graves, at such place as may be agreed upon between us, to-morrow at twelve. The weapons to be used on the occasion shall be rifles; the parties, placed side to side at eighty yards’ distance from each other, to hold the rifles at arm’s-length, downwards; the rifles to be cocked, and triggers set; the words to be, ‘Gentlemen, are you ready?’ After which, neither answering ‘No,’ the words shall be in regular succession, ‘Fire—one, two, three, four.’ Neither party shall fire before the word ‘fire,’ nor after the word ‘four.’ The position of the parties, at the ends of the line, to be determined by lot. The second of the party losing the position, shall have the giving of the word. The dress to be ordinary winter clothing, and subject to the examination of both parties. Each party may have on the ground, besides his second, a surgeon and two other friends. The seconds, for the execution of their respective trusts, are allowed to have a pair of pistols each on the ground; but no other person shall have any weapon. The rifles to be loaded in the presence of the seconds.” Three shots were exchanged without harm: at the fourth, Mr. Cilley was shot through the heart. Cilley’s funeral was attended by six hundred persons, in one hundred and twenty-five carriages. The seconds afterwards published a statement, declaring that the duel was “regulated by magnanimous principles, and the laws of humanity.”
BETWEEN SIR JOHN MILLEY DOYLE AND DR. LOVELL.
March 1838.
A hostile meeting took place near Lisbon between Major-General Sir John Milley Doyle and Dr. Lovell, the Lisbon correspondent of the Morning Chronicle; the former attended by Mr. Brandt and Captain Doyle, and the latter by Major Dodwell and Captain Ruxton. The cause of the duel was a paragraph in the Lisbon correspondence of the Morning Chronicle of the 10th of March, respecting the decision of the commission appointed to investigate the claims of foreign officers upon those of Sir John Milley Doyle; who, considering that the passage was of a tendency injurious to his interests, required that it should be qualified by certain explanations on the part of Dr. Lovell. Sir John having fired without effect, and his antagonist’s pistol having missed fire, the seconds of the latter gentleman interposed; and, having stated it as their opinion that he ought not to make any further objection to giving Sir John a declaration, that he had not intended to advance any opinion of his own in the notice he had taken of the decision pronounced by the commission, the affair terminated amicably.
BETWEEN MR. PIGOT AND MR. CARROLL.
April 27, 1838.
A duel was this morning fought at Newtown Park, near Dublin, between a Mr. Pigot and a Mr. Carroll. At the sixth shot Mr. Pigot received his adversary’s ball in the leg. While the blood was streaming, he called for another shot; but his request was not complied with. The dispute arose at a billiard-room, at a late hour of the preceding night, and they did not return home until they had settled it.
BETWEEN MR. RUSHOUT AND MR. BORTHWICK.
May 8, 1838.
Mr. Rushout having called upon Mr. Borthwick to explain some observations made by him at a public dinner at Evesham, which Mr. Borthwick declined to do, a meeting took place between those gentlemen in the evening at Wormwood Scrubs. After a second discharge of shots, the seconds interfered; and Mr. Borthwick stated, that he was perfectly ready to withdraw any observations which reflected on Mr. Rushout’s character, being convinced that he had made use of them under misapprehension.