A
TERRIBLE DUEL
Details of the Fatal Fight Between Pue and Marsh in the Town of Bandera.
Col. J.H. McLeary has received a letter from Bandera giving the following
details of the killing of Arthur Pue, at Bandera: "I have just returned
from attending Arthur Pue's funeral. The poor fellow died yesterday, the 23rd,
about one o'clock p.m. from the effects of his wounds. I suppose you have
ere heard of this most terrible affray that has occurred in Bandera.
The particulars are these: Arthur was drinking a little on the evening of
the 22nd, and got to playing cards with a man named O.C. Marsh. The latter
was cheating, and Arthur detected him, telling him not to do so. Marsh pulled
his pistol around in front of him, when Arthur quickly drew his revolver and
told Marsh that he did not wish to hurt him, but he would not let him get
the drop. They both afterwards walked to the bar in Hay's saloon and talked
for an hour or more. Arthur offered to make it up but Marsh refused. Arthur
then told him that he knew that as soon as he (Marsh) could get the drop on
him, he would kill him, but to make a dead shot, for unless he did, he (Pue)
would kill him, as he was a dead shot and always got his man. This was about
nine o'clock p.m
A little while before ten, Marsh told Arthur that he was going out, and did
so, walking out of the saloon and down the steps. After Marsh had been gone
ten or fifteen minutes, Arthur remarked to George Hay "I wonder what
has become of that fellow for if he gets a chance at me he will shoot me".
Arthur then stepped to the door and looked out. Not seeing Marsh, he walked
out on the platform, or gallery. Just then George Hay heard Marsh exclaim
"Now, Pue, I've got the drop on you, and I'm going to kill you."
Then came two distinct and successive reports from Marsh's pistol, both shots
taking effect in Arthur's back. Arthur wheeled, when a third shot cut a gash
through Arthur's left eyebrow. Pue then fired and broke Marsh's right arm,
the ball penetrating at the wrist and coming out near the elbow, severing
the artery and showing conclusively from its course that the arm was at the
time extended in the act of firing another shot. A second discharge of Arthur's
pistol, and the ball struck Marsh, in my opinion, just above the right eye,
passed down the neck and came out of the right shoulder, killing him instantly.
Some think that when Marsh's arm was broke, he attempted to crawl under the
gallery, or platform, on which Arthur stood, but I think not, as he had not
time, for Arthur fired too rapidly. They say that Arthur's second shot came
out the eye. Arthur was all the while on the platform, some four feet above
the ground where Marsh was standing, and to have received a shot in the shoulder
which would have come out at the eye, Marsh must have doubled himself completely.
At any rate, Arthur killed him after he himself had been shot four times,
three of the four shots, too, of a nature to be fatal. Poor Arthur only lived
until noon next day. The firing was at night, and no one was in the saloon
except George Hay and a negro at the time of the fight. Neither of these saw
the parties during the firing. When it had ceased, Arthur called out "O
George, come here; I'm badly shot and expect IÕm killed" Hay went
out to him. He was standing on the gallery with his pistol in his hand. When
Hay appeared, Arthur asked him, "where is that fellow? I want to shoot
at him again. I can't see much. The shots have partly paralyzed me."
Hay could not see Marsh where he had fallen, and told Arthur that there was
no necessity for further shooting--that Marsh was dead. Arthur said he was
satisfied then. Hay helped him, and sent the negro for the doctor. I had gone
to bed but got up as soon as I heard of it and ran down to see my poor old
friend before he died. I found that many citizens had reached the spot, and
the doctor was there, but all we could do was to sit up with Arthur and try
to comfort him in his last hours. He was possessed of enormous vitality, or
he could never have fought after receiving the shots he did.
The
article appeared in the April 1, 1880 edition of The San Antonio Express,
a weekly newspaper.
Both the photo and article were contributed by Les Minear.
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