Member-only story
The Duel Over A Woman 2 Men Fought With Tarantulas
In the 1880s, an alcohol-fueled society party in Chicago led to a very unusual stand-off between two lovestruck men
Love can make people do foolish and crazy things. When a rivalry is involved, all sense of sanity can go right out the door. Nothing personifies this more than a 19th century duel fought between two men vying for the same woman. However, instead of using their fists or other traditional weapons, they used something entirely foreign to the concept of mutual combat — tarantulas.
The August 12, 1887 issue of the Evening Mail detailed a curious story out of Chicago. Two men, one named Victorio (a mining speculator), and the other named Pedraza (a ship owner who had recently arrived from Mexico) met for the first time at a ball hosted by three well-known ladies from the Windy City’s Hispanic society.
Both men, influenced by the consumption of wine, met a woman that they both immediately became smitten with. They openly argued in front of her, each trying to claim her as their own. No mention was made if she had an interest in either of the inebriated gentlemen.
Although the days of dueling had been rapidly disappearing from fashion, after a bit of back and forth Victorio challenged Pedraza, who…
