National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-05-31
German Students Duels.

The house which the German student
OF Heidelberg use for tLeir duels says
correspondent, is situated short distanc,
out OF town, and when duel is going on
sentinels are placed communicating from
the house to the town; but this is entirely
unnecessary, for, although the duels ar,
against the law, yet they are wnked ut by
the authorities; in fact, the inhabitants
are rather proud OF them than otherwise
and would be very sorry If they were put
stop TO. The student who took me tc
see the dues and myself started at about
half-past 10 in the morning and walked for
about fifteen minutes. We arrived ut the
house and, after introducing me to all his
corps, we sat down by table and talked
and drank beer, and waited for the duel to
commence.
The ducls are arranged so that there are
duels on three days of a week, whether O
provocation is given or not. The way OF il
is this The director Of the duels takes
the names OF the members of the corps in
regular order, and pairs them of, and they
are compelled to fight, although they may
be the very best friends in the world, or
perhaps even relations. So you see that
when fellow goes into one of these corps
he is compelled to fight, although he may
be very peaceable fellow for, as said
before, they don't wait for a provocation.
but fight any way. The swords that they
fight with are naat Of long and very
thin piece Of steel, y Ich bends very easily
and is as sharp as a razor, so that the least
touch leaves "A mark The students here
are cut horribly, and some of them are
really disgusting to look at, their faces are
SO frightiully SCARED. The head is the
part Of the body aimed at, and Is, in fact,
the only part that can be hit, for the upper
part Of the body is padded so thickly tnat
the sword cannot cut through the padding.
When fighting the sword is held over the
head III such manner that instead Of
sticking it slashes and the eyes being
protected by. large iron spectacles, it Is
very seldom if ever that real injury
occurs, further than cutting up their faces,
and that doesn't last long, for the wound
soon heals up aud leaves a scar, which the
students are very proud of; in fact, they
don't think very much of a fellow unless
he has at least one scar
The largest corps student that ever ap-
peared IN heidelberg was an American.
W hO came here an average-siZcd man, and
went away something to behold, and hav-
ing the honor Of being the best drinker,
and also the best duelist in Heidelberg
lie fought something like hundred duels,
and never got defeated till nearly the last
one he fought, when he got his nose almost
cut off; but, nothing daunted, he stepped
up to his adversary, holding his nose on
with his hand and challenged him to
another dael, which was accepted They
fought, and the indomitable American,
the hero OF a hundred duels, came out
ahead, to the qualification of all his admir-
ing friends. He is considered to have been
the greatest man in Heidelberg (Which he
certainly was as regards sze), and his
name will probably be handed down from
to generation, and looked up to
as something superior, something almost
immortal, by the students.