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

John Stuart Mill · en
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.


             BETWEEN MR. ANTONIO GARBONIA AND MR. KECHOFF.
                             July 4, 1840.

A meeting took place in one of the Kilburn fields, adjoining the New
North-road, St. John’s Wood, between Mr. Antonio Garbonia and Mr.
Nicholas Kechoff. On the first fire Mr. Garbonia received his
antagonist’s ball in his left groin, and fell. Mr. Kechoff advanced to
the wounded man, shook hands with him, and immediately quitted the
ground with his friends. The cause of the meeting arose from disputed
betting at a billiard-table.


BETWEEN THE EARL OF CARDIGAN AND CAPTAIN HARVEY GARNETT PHIPPS TUCKETT.
                          September 12, 1840.