German state administration organ, settled certain editorial ditierences just back of San Antonio in Alameda county. Colts' navy revolvers, at six paces. At the third fire Loehr's thumb was carried away by the bullet of his antagonist. The trouble arose from some objectionable personalities in the Democrat.
May, senator from Trinity county, shot Edward Rowe, express agent, in the neck at twenty paces on the 5th of November, 1853, at Weaverville.
Peter Smith, son of Pinckney Smith of Mississippi, officer under Jefferson Davis in the war with Mexico, and subsequently connected with the Lopez expedition against Cuba, fought with William H. Scott at the San Francisco racecourse the 3d of August, with pistols at eight paces. Smith was only twenty-four years of age. He w^as killed at the second fire.
CJiarles Somers and Thomas D. P. Lewis fought with derringers at ten paces at San Francisco the 11th of February, 1853. Somers received a shot in the left arm.
Alfred Crane, physician from Louisiana, in 1853 challenged Edward Toby, clerk of San Francisco assistant aldermen. They fought with navy pistols at fifteen paces. At the second fire Crane was shot through the abdomen, and died next morning after a night of agony.
Rust, editor of the Express, and Stidger, editor of the Herald, dropped their pens one day and seized their pistols. The latter was slightly wounded corporeally, but honor was healed.
During the year 1854, there appeared to be a mania for duels. Editors fought. Lawyers, judges, shoulder-strikers, doctors, loafers fought. The legislature of this year was called the fightmg legislature, and if a week or two passed without the notice of a hostile meeting in the public journals, men looked at each other as if something were wrong.
J. P. Rutland, clerk in the state treasurer's office,
