Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-17
The DueIs of. German Students.


The student strips Off coat, vest and shirt.It
is considered e1eminate to wear wooden under
clcthing-and puts on an old shirt which will
not be injured by blood. Then huge goggles
are fastened over his eyes. and he is haTnessei
into continuance consisting OF numerous
bands across the back and thick mating In
thick collar Is tied around his neck, on his right
arm is a glove, from the wrist almost to the
shoulder, thickly padded, and then he is led to
chairs IN the middle OF the room, where the two
given. When all these precautions are not
taken it is called fighting with dangerous
weapons, and is more severely punished In
case OF detection. The sentence for killing q
fellow-student reaches sometimes the extreme
severity OF several years imprisonment, no
more than three or four.
ing for blood. A friend puts sword into each
ones hand and holds up bis arm to prevent 1t
from getting prematurely tired. Each has q
cap on. There is a touching OF hats, q cere-
m0nious bowling and an interchangfng OF words
between the seconds, the combatants raise
their arms In the air and the show begins. No!
not yet. Halt! and the caps are removed from
their heads, they raise their swords once more,
the seconds touch them and one shouts clos, I"
and they go at 1t. 1t seemed to me not fair
match. The one was much shorter than the
other, judging from the style OF blow not as
strong, and above all the taller was corps
student and the shorter not. There were four
set-to's that day between corps students and
not corps students, In which the former con-
corps is bound by its rules to practice fencing
two or three hours every day.
But the little fellow took his punishment man.
fully. The tall one rained blows on him furl-
Ously and did, finally, come on conQueror, not
however. without some scratches. Three or
four times the seconds cried halt! and each
tighter bent his head forward for inspection, but
them in calling the duel over. 1t did not last,
how ever, more than five minutes In all. Then
the little fellow was delivered to the tender
bread and ham. Wv
Then came another duel between two more
other this time also. After two or three unim-
portant affairs there came one between STU
dent from Zurich and q Berliner. The latter
cond aoMn ok and Is
business. His opponent was smaller but ap-
peared just as determined. They had to fasten
a silver plate over an old wound on his head to
prevent any dangerous consequences, and fix
him up otherwise, so that it took quite long
time pelore he was ready. Silence was pro-
claimed for half an hour. In exactly one minute
and half, the Zuricher was led OF with an
ugly cut from the upper nght-hand corner OF
his foIehead clear across to the lower corner OF
his left eye. The goggles had been carelessly
1t was bad wound, but the surgeon 10 attend
ance seemed to enjoy it. could not help pity
ing the poor fellow, who had come all the way
from zurich to get such slash In less than two
minutes.
In several cases one OF the combatants was
led off with the proviso that they finish another
time; but this second edition OF the same work
seldom comes out. 1t is only an easy way OF
letting one down when he Is Overmatched.
What gave occasion to the duels did not sue
coed In learning In a single case. Probably
some real or fancied insult. They have also q
acknowledgements, where two are elected to
represent two different corps on the field OF
honor, merely for the sake OF having repre-
eentatt0n. One student had been depOsed from
his VerDtn0upp, and WAS irving tn fight his WAY
back to favcr.-[ Prey. E. r. Payson in Utica IN.
~ Htrald