The Ouachita Telegraph - Louis J. Barbin and Alfred B. Messick Duel

Date: Aug. 2000
Submitted by: Lora Peppers <lpeppers@ouachita.lib.la.us>

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The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, November 23, 1877
Page 2, Column 4

A SUNDAY DUEL ACROSS THE STREET
A Young Man Killed.
        Last Sunday our hitherto quiet little town was the scene of considerable
excitement in consequence of a hostile meeting on the streets of Marksville,
between two young men, named respectively Louis J. Barbin and Alfred B.
Messick, which resulted in the death of the latter.
        To make this matter clearer to our readers, we will state the first origin
of the difficulty which led to such a fatal termination.  The Monday
previous to the difficulty, a crowd of persons met in a jovial manner in
Marksville, and got on spree, very soon, whisky had its effects on all, and
instead of spreeing in a friendly manner, they got to quarreling, which
resulted almost in a general fight, and in the melee Alfred B. Messick, who
was of the crowd, was struck by a young man named Arthur Barbin just over
the eye; the parties were all finally separated by the officers, and it was
expected that when they would get sober, that there would be nothing more
said of their drunken spree.
        But not so with the deceased; he came in town last Sunday with the
expressed determination of having satisfaction from some one for the blow he
had received above the eye.
        About half after 10 or 11 o’clock A.M. in the store of G.L. Mayer & Bro.
Louis J. Barbin and the deceased met, and Mr. Barbin bade deceased good
morning; this friendly salutation was not noticed by the deceased; almost
immediately afterwards deceased went up to Barbin and told him that his
(Barbin’s) brother had recently struck him over the eye, and he wanted him
(Louis J. Barbin) to take it up.  Barbin remarked that he was in no wise
responsible for the acts of his brother, and desired to have nothing to do
with the matter; deceased then told him that he must, and thereupon Barbin
asked him how he proposed settling the matter, and he was told by the
deceased, with pistols; Barbin then observed that he was unarmed, and
deceased told him to go and get armed, and remarking to some of the
by-standers, that Arthur Barbin’s brother and himself were soon to settle
the matter.  Louis J. Barbin then went and armed himself with a Colt’s
pistol and upon returning, both combatants took their positions almost in
front of the store of G.L. Mayer & Bro., on each side of the street, and
both were armed with pistols.  Deceased fired three times before Barbin
could fire once, as his (Barbin’s) pistol snapped twice and after snapping
twice he succeeded in firing once, the ball striking Messick in the face,
near the nose, producing almost instantaneous death.  Messick lived about
ten or fifteen minutes afterwards, deceased was a Kentuckian, 22 years old
and was a young man of fine promise and we greatly deplore his untimely
death.
        An inquest was held over his body, the coroner’s jury entirely exculpated
L. J. Barbin.  Subsequently the case was judicially investigated, and L.J.
Barbin was honorably discharged. – Marksville (La.) Bulletin.

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