Third Quarter 2001 Meeting -- Lair No. 3
On August 11, 2001, Lair No. 3 of the RR&R met at the Doylestown Moose Home to hear Peter Marino's account of a duel that never was -- a dispute between Charles W. Brooke and Daniel H. Mulvany, two lawyers from Norristown, Pa. The dispute played out in a series of letters to the editor of the Montgomery Democrat and included accusations of ghost-writing poison pen letters, plagiarizing poetry and shady business dealing. The public dispute rose to such a pitch that Brooke wrote to Mulvany, calling him a "liar and scoundrel." Mulvany replied by saying that he was willing to resolve this matter according to the "laws of honor," i.e., the laws of dueling. Only problem with Mulvany's response is that he made it to Brooke while the laws of dueling call for such a reply to be made to Brooke's second. Peter instructed the assembled Rascals and friends in the 25 laws of dueling, so that we might not make the same mistake when faced with a similar circumstance.
Before Peter's presentation, Dan Morrison read "When the Evening Gets Down to Cigars," the 1993 poem commissioned by the RR&R and penned by Sam Hazo, state poet of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Among those present at this meeting were:
