The History of Duelling. Vol. 2 (of 2)

John Stuart Mill · en
On this day a fatal duel took place near Exeter, between Sir John
Jeffcott and Dr. Hennis. The dispute had arisen, in consequence of the
Doctor having been supposed to have uttered words injurious to the
reputation of Sir John, a judge of Sierra Leone. On the 26th of July, at
the assizes at Exeter, he was charged with having unlawfully,
feloniously, and of malice aforethought, inflicted a wound upon Peter
Hennis, M.D., with a leaden bullet, of which wound he afterwards died;
and Charles Melford, Robert Holland, and George Anthony Halstead, were
charged with aiding and assisting him. Sir John Jeffcott had not been
apprehended. The other parties this day appeared in court to take their
trial; and the following is the substance of the evidence brought
forward.

John Corfield Irving.—“I had a conversation with Dr. Hennis, on the 10th
of May, in consequence of which he wrote a declaration. After which, I
saw Sir John Jeffcott, and told him I had come to him from Dr. Hennis;
upon which he asked, if I came as the Doctor’s friend. In consequence of
what he said, I saw Mr. Melford, and I read to him, or showed him, this
paper. I said, I trusted it would convince Sir John that the Doctor had
never made use of the words in the sense imputed to him, and induce him
to retract the expressions he had made use of towards the Doctor in the
morning. Mr. Melford said, the Doctor had admitted the words imputed to
him; upon which Sir John made use of the words ‘calumniating scoundrel.’
I told Mr. Melford I was directed by the Doctor to deny most
unequivocally the use of the words, in the meaning imputed to him; that,
on the contrary, the Doctor had asked a member of a respectable family,
if the reports circulated in Exeter were true. The party said they were
not true, and that Sir John had acted most honourably. Mr. Melford
replied, that the words made use of by Dr. Hennis could not have been
mistaken by Mr. Holland; and he showed me the copy of a letter, written
by Sir John Jeffcott to Dr. Hennis, on the subject. This is the letter:—

                                       “Street’s Clarence Hotel, May 10.

“SIR,