A Famous Duel.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 240, 4 February 1888, Page 7

A Famous Duel.

" How many people are there,- by-the-way, who know what actually haj>pened in the Bennett-May duel?" (asks a writer in the "Brooklyn Citizen.") "For an event of such startling interest to the public the newspapers were sadly unenterprising *in furnishing details. Mr Bennett might havo achieved his most famous ' beat ' on record had he designed to turn reporter for his own journal on the occasion, but the journalist was sunk in'the society man, even if his lips had not been sealed by the compact made upon the field of honour by all the parties concerned never to reveal the proceedings. Time gradually relaxed this obligation, insensibly indeed, to most of those who contracted it, and the whole story has been since put together by piecemeal, but never in type. It seems that after the combatants had been duly stationed, and the seconds had withdrawn out of the line of fire, and when the words 'One- two I 1I 1 had been pronounced, the pistol of May went off before the third and final signal had been given. So much the public were apprised of, with more or less certainty, by the papers. May's action was attribxited to no dishonesty of purpose, but to nervousness. The duel was at once interrupted, and a long discussion onsued. The 'code' was consulted, and a sfmilar 1 incident in one of the Jacksonian era of duels was cited as/ a precedent for restationing the "men and allowing Mr Bennett his shot at the conclusion of the resume firing command. Accordingly the men took their positions again, May, 'with his empty pistdl facing 1 an antagonist, who now hadliterally his life to ■give or take. It was a ' supreme moment,' as the French would say, for the defenceless man. -He knew that Bepriett, who had lately gorie through the latest ' fashionable Amusement- of pistol practice with young Belmont atid dthor members* of the jeunesse. doree, 1? oould hit a* silver dollar at more than the distance which nbw separated* them. 'But he v did not flinch. 4 Bennett, ' who in an instant made up his .mind what to do-, ! fired' in th&aii*. Luck had given* himUbe mastery>of the situation.- He -cbuld have 6r maimed -May,' "with 1 personalconse-' Juehces'tVr himself which might have been Veiy indon v^nient. ' 1 'But' the 1 shot ! in> the air wag maliin'g May 'a" present- of his 'life,- and i applying dompletO'balm io his own woundecl \ jHonoiir, . May i oari never offend 'a l gainiv'To.*tiira>''he is virtually ! a 'deadtijianHwl -5 »'"•'-' ?' • ' "/*'> • - J - ; ' * ' nuV-i-^'J '' ?H" - •■"'cV^h.* ■■ . <••