Both Men Die in Duel Over Sale of Whiskey, 1916

“A Duel for Fair When Both Died,” from the Monroe Journal, August 15, 1916, Monroe, N.C.

A North Carolina Man Was Game Up to the Last Minute—Got His Man

Here is an interesting story told by the Lenoir News. It shows the sublime courage of a North Carolina man who was fatally shot, but who died game and got his man.

Mr. John Lingle of Hudson, this county, was killed by John Terry, one of his mill hands Thursday night at his saw mill near Julretta, Ga., and in turn succeeded in killing Terry before he was able to get away. Mr. Lingle died three hours after the shooting took place; Terry died instantly.

According to information reaching Mr. Joe Lingle, a brother of the murdered man, the trouble came about because Mr. Lingle had ordered Terry to leave the camps or stop selling whiskey to the men. Words followed this order, and according to the story, Mr. Lingle was forced to throw Terry out of the office. This occurred several days before the fatal shooting. Terry left the camp for several days and came back and worked a day or two before leaving again. He did not show up again until Thursday evening at 5 o’clock. Mr. Lingle was sitting in his office working on some books when Terry walked up to the door and fired a double barrel shot gun at Mr. Lingle, both loads were fired at the same time and when clear through the stomach. After being shot in this condition, Mr. Lingle rushed through the door and grabbed Terry, took the gun away from him and threw it under the house. Then Terry pulled a pistol and fired one shop striking Mr. Lingle on the upper lip and ranged back into his head. At this point Mr. Lingle pulled his pistol and fired one shot into Terry’s stomach. Terry broke away and started to run when another bullet from Mr. Lingle’s pistol struck Terry in the back and finished him instantly. Mr. Lingle lived three hours and told the story of the duel.