Unusual Wild West Duels August 3, 2014
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
Duels out in the unconquered west and in the badlands of Mexico should, by rights, just be a matter of six shooters and a fast finger and a faster hand. But here are three examples that show that nineteenth-century eccentricity over duels also reached far beyond New England. Let’s start with a particularly nasty one. The only sensible explanation for this duel is that the two duellists REALLY wanted to hurt each other. The date is 1889.
American mail news to hand states that a singular duel has been fought Taos County, in Mexico. An Indian settler named Waukinshee and Juan Verga, a wealthy Mexican cattleman, repaired to a spot six miles from the town of Taos at the break day to settle an old grudge. The weapons were butcher’s knives, each man to submit his hand his opponent and have one finger cut off, the cutting to be done aternately, and the man who first evinced signs of pain to be stabbed to the heart. The Indian by toss secured the first cut and deliberately taking the hand of his enemy, with a quick stroke severed the forefinger. The Mexican never uttered a sound. The Indian reached out his hand and off came his thumb. This continued in silence until the cattleman had lost four fingers and the Indian four. When the Indian reached for his foe’s left hand, the latter’s second, becoming frightened at tbe fearful flow of blood, sent a bullet through the Indian’s heart. It was thought the cattleman would die.
Here, instead, is a duel, 1891, that would work well in a film. Especially the final backslapping, a nice contrast with the backstabbing that was on show at Taos.
A strange duel is described in advices received from the Cimarros country, on the western borders of Indian territory, U.S.A. rancher named Weaver accused one Bassett of cheating him at poker. Their friends prevented them from killing each other on the spot; but finally a duel had to be arranged. was agreed that two pistols should be put on a table under blanket, only one being loaded, and that combatants should first toss up dollar for choice weapons and then fire simultaneously. Bassett fired first, however, and finding he had drawn the unloaded revolver, folded his arms and awaited death. Weaver took aim at his forehead, but then slowly raised the pistol and fired through the ceiling, declaring that Bassett was too brave a man to be guilty of cheating cards. The combatants became fast friends.
And this is apparently light-hearted but ends in shadows. Look out for the ‘in the excitement of the moment’.
A terrible duel in the dark was fought on a Mexican ranch not long ago. A girl’s beauty and coquetry were the potent causes of the quarrel. She laughingly agreed to marry the one who could lasso the other in the dark. They went on the plains one dark night, accompanied by some cowboys who had heard of this novel matrimonial tournament. Both were mounted – on fiery mustangs and each had a raw hide lariat fastened to his saddle. Amongst the vacqueros of the plains they had a reputation for skill in handling the lasso. They could lasso a runaway horrse. or send the snake-like rope whirling around the horns of a maddened cow. The spectators therefore expected that the novel duel would be quickly decided. The encounter, however, was a somewhat prolonged one. For a time each kept out of range of the lariet, or dodged it as it came whizzing through the air. On the prairies men are quick at hearing and each man spurred his mustang when he neard the lasso uncoiling itself around his head. For over an hour this strange fight was waged. Then one of them felt the running noose catch, and with a wild shout he pulled the raw-hide rope until his captive was unable to move. The lariat had settled on the shoulders of his rival and had firmly pinioned his arns. The victorious vaccerro pulled his victim from his horse, dragged him, hand over-hand, across the intervening space, and, in the excitement of the moment, shot him dead. Little did the beauty think that her playful challenge would have such a tragic ending.
A precautionary tale then! The coquette presumably married the psycho, who ‘in the excitement’ had shot his bound and dragged opponent. It sounds like they deserved each other. Other unusual duels from the wild west or, just as important, proof that any of these are inventions: drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com. As we’ve seen before duels were sometimes invented to massage newspaper circulations.
