A hostile meeting took place this day at Coombe Wood, between Lord Powerscourt and Mr. Roebuck; the former attended by the Honourable H. Fitzroy, and the latter by Mr. Trelawney. On the ground endeavours were made in vain to prevent proceeding to extremities; Lord Powerscourt’s second insisting on Mr. Roebuck’s retracting, or apologising for, certain words delivered in a speech at Bath. Mr. Roebuck received his adversary’s fire, discharged his pistol in the air, and, advancing to Lord Powerscourt, said, “Now, my lord, I am ready to make any apology your lordship may suggest; for certainly, in my speech at Bath, I did not mean to imply anything personally offensive.” With this declaration all parties being satisfied, the affair terminated.
BETWEEN LORD GEORGE LOFTUS AND LORD HARLEY.
December 10, 1839.
A duel was this day fought near Boulogne, between Lord George Loftus and Lord Harley. Shots were exchanged without effect; and the parties returned to Dover on the evening of the same day. The affair originated in certain expressions used by Lord George Loftus towards Lord Harley, on occasion of Lord Harley’s presenting himself to the notice of Lord George, and claiming an acquaintance, of which Lord George had no recollection whatever. Lord Harley stated, that his introduction to Lord George had been at the instance of his brother, Lord Loftus; and, on the faith of this statement, Lord George’s second retracted, in his name, the expressions that gave the offence.
BETWEEN LORD WILLIAM PAGET AND MR. FISKE.
December 20, 1839.
A meeting took place on Wimbledon Common between Lord William Paget and Mr. Thomas Fiske. The former was attended by Captain Baillie, of the Lancers; and the latter by Mr. Nightingale. Mr. Fiske received his lordship’s fire, and fired in the air; when the seconds interfered. It appears that Lord William had called upon Mr. Fiske to deny that he had ever lent money to his lordship, as had been stated in a morning paper; which request was refused to be complied with, on the ground of its being accompanied by a threat; but, after receiving his lordship’s fire, he had no hesitation in declaring, in the presence of Captain Baillie and Mr. Nightingale, that he never had lent any money to his lordship.
BETWEEN MR. WYNN AND MR. BROWN, IN A STAGE-COACH.
May 17, 1840.
The following is from a New York paper:—On the 17th of May, two persons, one named Robert Wynn, and the other Joseph D. Brown, quarreled in a stage-coach between Peru and Chicago, Illinois. Both drew their pistols, fired, and killed each other. One was shot in the head; the other in the heart. They were the only passengers.
BETWEEN M. THROUET AND M. PAULIN PRUÉ.
June, 1840.
The following account of a frightful duel fought near New Orleans, is from the Courier de la Louisiane:—A meeting, as atrocious in the mode of conducting it, as it was disastrous in its result, has just taken place between M. Hippolyte Throuet and M. Paulin Prué, both Frenchmen by birth, and long resident in this city. It originated in a bitterly contested law-suit, and took place in the following manner. The principals were placed at five paces distant from each other, back to back, with a pistol in each hand. At a signal agreed upon, they were to turn round and fire. At the first discharge they fired together, but without effect. Prué then took his second pistol into his right hand; but so precipitately, that it was discharged in the air. Seeing himself thus exposed, without any means of defence, to his adversary’s fire, he presented his bosom to him, and said, “Fire!” Several of the bystanders, of whom there were a great number, trembling for the fate which awaited the disarmed man, cried out from their places, “Don’t fire!” but the seconds interposed, and, demanding who dared to interfere in a matter of the sort, invited Throuet to discharge his pistol against his opponent. Throuet needed not the invitation; but, having kept both Prué and the bystanders for a considerable time in a state of the most painful suspense, still holding Prué covered with his pistol, and grinning ferociously, fired at last, and, the ball passing through Prué’s body, he died instantaneously.