Iowa Old Press
Davenport Gazette
Davenport, Scott co., Iowa Territory
April 21, 1842
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY
It is rarely in duty we are called upon to record so melancholy
an occurrence as the one which happened at Burlington on the 11th
inst. It appears from a statement made in the Hawkeye that Mr.
John P. Bradstreet from a fancied insult given Mr. W. G. Ross was
attacked by him in the street. Mr. Bradstreet fearing a rencontre
had armed himself previously with a pair of pistols. Ross made
the attack by firing once or twice with a six barreled revolving
pistol before Bradstreet made the first fire. Eight shots passed
between them, when both were carried away from this place
mortally wounded. Bradstreet shortly afterwards expired. Ross
still lingers.
The cowardly and barbarous practice of carrying deadly weapons
has been productive of so much sin and misery in our Territory
within the last six months, that hereafter, we trust, the good
sense of the community will discard the custom as at least
ungentlemanly.
[transcribed by K.W., Nov 2009]