“The breach grew wider with time, each sending word that he meant to kill the other.”

A San Antonio cattle deal gone bad led to a deadly duel in 1886, as reported in that year’s November 8th edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

“A Times special from San Antonio, Tex., says: ‘Information has reached here from Prio Town, the seat of Prio County, of a duel which took place Friday afternoon in Seavala County, near the county line, between two of the wealthiest ranchmen in Seavala County–Hiram Bennett and John Rumfield. The men for several years were close friends and owned many cattle and sheep jointly. About a year ago they dissolved business relations and a difficulty arose regarding the number of cattle in a certain bunch which figured in their settlement at a valuation of $10,000. The breach grew wider with time, each sending word that he meant to kill the other. Friday afternoon the two rich men, with a few cowboys, happened to meet near the edge of the little village of Batesville. They were both on horseback and carrying Winchesters. It was agreed that they should dismount and fire at the word of command from one of the cowboys. They stood about 150 feet apart. Both men were crack shots and each fired at the word. Bennett fell dead, with a bullethole through the brain. One report says Rumfield was wounded in the thigh; another account says he is uninjured. No attempt has been made thus far to arrest Rumfield, who is on his ranch, and would doubtless fight before being carried to jail. The dead man was worth about a quarter of a million dollars in cattle, sheep and lands. He leaves a family.'”