The Middlebury Register And Addison County Journal

A STRANGE DUEL
How a Texan and an Indian Killed Each Other.

The particulars of a recent novel duel in the Indian Territory have just been published. The affair came off at Tishamingo, in the Choctaw nation.

Tishamingo is a small village where the Indians do their trading, and is the frequent resort of hard characters from Texas and other parts of the United States. That region is full of outlaws. Among a dozen or more outlaws sitting in a saloon was a tall Texan named Chalmers. An Indian police officer named Brown entered the saloon and Chalmers insisted on treating. As they were about to drink Brown managed to spill Chalmers' liquor on the floor, telling him he had enough. This enraged the Texan, who demanded blood, and pulled his revolver with one hand and his dirk with the other. Brown also drew his weapon, and a fight was about to open, when the spectators interfered and attempted to settle the matter.

Nothing would satisfy the wounded honor of Chalmers but blood, and so the other white men and Indians fixed up a fight on the following terms: The two men were to stand back to back in the middle of the floor. At a given signal each man was to run out of the room, the Indian through the front door and the Texan by the back door. They were to turn in the same direction after clearing the doors, and begin firing promiscuously.

Both principals agreed to these terms and took their positions. The signal was given and both started from the house, pistols in hand. They faced each other on the north side of the house and opened fire at almost the same instant. Three rounds were fired in quick succession. Then the Indian began to stagger, and, running toward Chalmers with a drawn knife, plunged it into the Texan's breast just as the latter fired his last bullet, which penetrated the Indian's heart, killing him instantly. Chalmers died half an hour after his antagonist. Over fifty Indians and whites witnessed the duel.