KinSource - Tale of the Week - A One Sided Duel

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Globe, May 27, 1882, p. 5

A ONE SIDED DUEL

A Disgraceful Brawl, Resulting in One of the Parties Being Shot.

No 227 Sixth avenue south is a ranch run on the lodging room plan. For a number of weeks past it has been the rendezvous of a gang of dizzy and reckless railroad employes. If the reports gathered from the immediate neighborhood can be given any credence, the inmates and patrons of this rookery, which is next door to hose house No 1, are in the habit of indulging in all sorts of imbroglios from a war of words to clubs, knives and revolvers. At about 7:30 o'clock last night a fracas of the after kind occurred there. It seems that two young chums, boon companions and filled with budge, named Henry Reed and Thomas Howard, got entangled in an altercation over the endearing qualities of a certain dizzy girl of the domicile. Each urged his individual priority and assumed precedence. To settle the little difference it was argued pistols should be the code. The necessary artillery - 31 caliber - was quickly produced and the bold and defiant antagonists took each his respective position for the duel. Then they wavered, hesitated and finally concluded that neither had made his peace with his Maker and therefore was not ready to switch off. The pistols were lowered and Reed returned his instrument of destruction to his hip pocket. Instantly Howard raised his hand, took aim and fired. The bullet entered the left shoulder of Reed, who dropped to the floor. Howard, thinking he had murdered his victim, sprang from the second story window to the ground and disappeared, and up to midnight no trace of him had been discovered by the "vigilant detectives," who are on his track.

Dr. Ames was summoned and attended the injuries of the wounded man, and after making careful examination concluded his hurt was not mortal.