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Show DUE- INDEFINITELY PUT OFF' How Wisconsin Congressman Turned Challenge to Deadly Combat Into Matter of Ridicule. The story of the Polter-Pryor duel, the famous challenge of Civil war times whereby a Wisconsin congressman congress-man by ridicule put dueling in disrepute, disre-pute, recalled by the death of one of the participants, is told in interesting style in the June number of the Wisconsin Wis-consin Magazine of History, quarterly publication of the State Historical society. so-ciety. Roger A. Pryor, the Virginia congressman con-gressman who figured in the episode, died a rew months ago in New York city. It was ho upon whom John Fox Potter of East Troy, Walworth county, then representative of the First Congressional Con-gressional district of Wisconsin, during dur-ing April, ISOO, brought nation-wioe ridicule In answer to a challenge to a duel. Congressman Potter offered to fight with bowie knives at a distance of four feet, but Pryor refused because they were "so demnltion vulgar." Most of Mr. Potter's bowie knives, including the one he purchased for the duel and others sent to him after t lie affair, are now on exhibit in the State Historical museum, Madison. |