The Fatal Triangle

John B. Mordecai - Mary Triplett - Page McCarty

Source Description: Some Reminiscences  (Pages 70 - 76) 
By William Lawrence Royall 
New York and Washington 
The Neale Publishing Company 
1909

One incident of the year 1873 in which I played a leading part made a great noise at the time. Miss Mary Triplett, one of the most beautiful women ever created by the Almighty, was at that time a reigning belle in Richmond. Page McCarty, an attractive, devil-may-care sort of fellow, who then lived there, fell desperately in love with her, and it was generally understood that they had become engaged to be married. All at once Miss Mary broke off with him and went to Europe, where she stayed possibly a year. When she returned she would not speak to McCarty and would never afterward have anything to do with him. We had a german club that met once in two weeks. The club was usually led by a reckless, bright, audacious fellow named Sprigg Campbell. At one of their meetings Campbell contrived a figure that would throw McCarty and Miss Triplett together for a dance. It was a wanton act intended for cleverness. They met, commenced to dance, but after a turn or two, Miss Triplett disengaged herself and walked to her seat. Every one knew that she intended it as a slur on McCarty. It threw him into a desperate rage. He spoke of it to me after the german, and I have never seen a man more wrought up than he was.

Amongst the young men of Richmond at that time was one named John B. Mordecai. He was six feet two, about thirty-three years of age, and one of the handsomest men I have ever seen. He had served gallantly through the war as a private soldier in the Richmond Howitzers, was a fellow of the most delightful wit, and take him all in all, I think he was about the most charming companion I have ever known. Handsome, gallant, chivalrous, affectionate, and witty, I have never seen his like. He, too, was desperately in love with Miss Triplett.

The night of the german and after it was over McCarty went to the Enquirer newspaper and offered them the following verses which the paper published next morning:

"When Mary's queenly form I press 
In Strauss' latest waltz, 
I would as well her lips caress 
Although those lips be false.

"For still with fire love tips his dart, 
And kindles up anew 
The flames which once consumed my heart 
When those dear lips were true.

"Of form so fair, of faith so faint, 
If truth were only in her; 
Though she'd be then the sweetest saint, 
I'd still feel like a sinner."

 

I was a bachelor then and took my meals usually at Gerots' restaurant. The next morning after the german, I was in Gerots' getting my breakfast, and had just read these verses in the Enquirer when John Mordecai came in. He took up the paper and his eyes fell on the verses. He understood the whole situation at once, and I saw his face get as black as midnight. Laying down the paper he said, perceiving that I understood the case, "I shall kill that fellow."

I remonstrated with him, telling him it was a matter that he had no right to interfere with; that Miss Triplett had a grown brother who would do whatever was proper to be done in such a case, and that he did not know whether she or her family wanted anything done. He would not be quieted, however, but went off to our mutual and very dear friend, Willie Trigg, to consult with him. Trigg told him exactly what I had told him, and between us we got him to promise to let McCarty alone.

That night I met him at the Richmond Club, and being seated together on a sofa he proceeded to denounce McCarty in the most unmeasured terms. A relative of McCarty overheard him and reported the denunciation to McCarty. At that time duelling was dying in Virginia, but it was very far from dead. McCarty sent a friend to Mordecai demanding a retraction and apology, which Mordecai refused to make. I knew that McCarty said he had not written the verses about Miss Triplett, but about another lady named Mary, and I intervened as a friend, and got the matter patched up upon the basis of the verses having been written about another person. Thereupon the matter was supposed to be closed.

 But there were gossips in Richmond, and one, a singularly beautiful and intelligent girl, made her tongue busy with insinuations that McCarty had backed out because he was afraid. These things came to McCarty's ear and put him in a terrible fury.

A short time afterward Mordecai entered the barroom of the Richmond Club where McCarty and Charley Hatcher were. Mordecai ordered a drink, and while it was being prepared McCarty walked up and down the floor right by Mordecai, making reference to the affair and making threats of what he would do the next time he got a chance. Presently Mordecai walked up to him and said, "Do you mean those remarks for me?" McCarty replied in the most insulting manner, "And who are you, sir?" Mordecai answered, "I am a gentleman, at least." McCarty said as offensively as possible, "Ah!" and Mordecai instantly struck him a powerful blow in the face which cut all the skin from over his left eye and felled him to the floor. Mordecai then jumped on him, seizing both his wrists, and had him pinned to the floor, when I, hearing the noise, rushed in and separated them.

McCarty at once sent Mordecai a peremptory challenge by Col. Wm. B. Tabb, and it was agreed that the duel should come off at once near Oakwood, McCarty to be represented by Colonel Tabb and John S. Meredith; Mordecai, by myself and Willie Trigg. The terms were that they were to fire at ten paces. The command would be, "Fire - one, two, three." They could fire at any time after the word "fire," but not after the word "three." The weapons to be used were Colt's army revolvers, all six chambers loaded.

We placed the men, the word was given, both men fired, and both missed. Tabb said to McCarty, "Are you satisfied?" McCarty replied, "Oh, no. I demand another fire." I have quoted everything exactly. Again the word was given, both men fired and both fell. McCarty was badly wounded by a shot in the hip, Mordecai had been struck near the navel, the ball penetrating the intestines. He died on the fourth day after the duel. McCarty lingered a long time but finally recovered, and in a trial was fined $500 and sent to jail for six months. The Governor remitted the jail sentence on the doctor's certificate that it would endanger his life.

This was the famous duel between Mordecai and McCarty. There were several duels after this, but none of them fatal, and the duel in Virginia is now as dead as Chatham's ghost. I think Mordecai was one of the knightliest gentlemen that ever lived on this earth. He was shot on Friday, but did not die until Tuesday. Monday night peritonitis set in and all of Tuesday it was known he must die and he knew it too. They urged that he should send for a minister of the Gospel, but he replied, "No, I shall die as I have lived," and he never uttered a whimper. An hour before his ending he sent for me. Putting his arms around my neck he pulled my ear down to his mouth and whispered, "Remember, Royall, what I told you." I answered, "I certainly shall, John." It was a message to his sweetheart.