Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-12
sTUDEErs' DUELs.
Minister Sargent at a German Students
Duel

Minister Sargent at German Students
Duel
United States Minister Aaron a. Sargent,
now at the court of Berlin, in an interest
ing letter to his son in San Francisco, gives
description of students dnels in Ger
many, of which be was an eyewitness.
The RECORD UNION is enabled to present
copy of the letter:
To-day l aaw one Of the curious phases
Of students life in Germany it was also
one of the manifestations OF the milirar-
ism which characterizes this people. Bis
marck said in his lsst speech ~ the Reich.
tag that the central position OF Germany in
Europe is like magnet TO attract to 1t the
bayonets OF all surrounding powers. An
impression of an eyeE-exittlng danger
stimulates to the utmost the martial ten
denotes of q naturally warlike people, and
these are shown MOI merely by an enor-
nous army Of finely equipped and disci-
plined soldiers by railroads as much or
ganized in the interests OF effective war "a
of peaceful commerce, aud OF abundant
ly supplied srsenals, etc, but also by
the ideas and practices which obtain
among those trained TO peaceful pro
fessions. | had read of students duels,
and heard somewhat of them since arrlv-
ing here, and fec days ago made an ar
rapgemeat, through young American stu
dent at the University, TO os present ct
one OF the semi weekly occasions on which
these affairs are fought out. Accordingly,
this morning, little before S o'clock, my
friend called for me at my hotel, accom-
panied by : young officer il the army, and
we together repaired to the Friedrich
strasse station OF the elevated railway to
90 to the place selected for the duels,
which is at present about three miles dis
tsnt,
IN OLD BERLIN.
At the station we were met by a
Captsin OF one Of the eight corps Ia which
the elite of University students are di-
vided-a tail, gentlemanly, intelligent and
good natured young German. who did me
the honor to act as my escort to the duel
ing arena.
The elevated railway is an immensely
solid and very handsome structure of brick,
with half dozen separate tracks, intended
to be used as union course for all rail-
! roads entering Berlin.
We rapidly passed cut of new Berlin,
across that branch Of the Spree on the
bank OF which is the fine old scloss, or
castle, With its imperial dome, and over
which is the bridge ornamented with a
superb equestrian statue of the Great
! E!ector. We see a maze OF busy, narrow
streets, extending TO the other branch or
the Spree where the original settlement Of
Berlin was made, and again come to wide
streets in new suburb Of The great city,
growing on all its margins. As we pass
| on our rapid fight over the heads of busy
multitudes below, let Ine give you the pre-
liminary information which l gained from
my companions. University students are
DIVIDED INTO SETS, OR CLIoUEs.
OF thousand students, about one hundred
and fifty, from the best families, consider
themselves the elite. These are divided
into eighs corps; the remainder, or com.
| mon crowd, are not admitted into the
corps and are completely ignored by them,
socially and otherwise. This common
crowd are divided into LnnaSB1dnnsbGj1, or
those coming from the same province, and
BurScheRShdtt, whose association Is acct
dental. The eight corps are made up by
selection from new students entitled by
birth, on their expressed preference. Each
corps is known by the colOred caps OF its
members, green not associating with blue,
or yellow with red or green, etc. Two
corps may be on friendly terms, but gener-
ally the corps are technically enemies, and
hold no intercourse with each other except
such official communication az is necessary
to arrange duels. Duels do not occur be-
tween members OF the same corps or these
of athliaring corps, but between the mem.
bers OF rival corps; and any real or fanCied
slight is sufficient TO merit such atonement.
A push, IN passing, even if accidental a
black lock, an equlvocal " ord dropped and
overheard, are sufficient TO set the parties
at each other in the mode | was about TO
witness. There is not necessarily any
malice; it is a conventional provocation,
given and received ordinarily TO afford op.
portunity to fight Not onCeSiu Thousand
times is this kind of duel fatal Scared
cheeks and foreheads, noses cut off, tire
PANIED skulls, and such beautifers of per-
s0nal appearance, are the limit of the pen.
alties suffered. But there is another kind
of fighting often resorted TO, where the
parties do not desist until one or the other
has
A DANGEROUS WOUND,
Where death not unfrequently results. In
Gaze Of death the slayer is, on conviction,
confined for six months in a fortress, with
leave 20 associate with the officers sort
of honorable imprisonment, where he has
everything except his liberty.
But see, we are at the station. As the
police are supposed to be on the qai vice
I to prevent these encounters, new plaza
L.. Al, g.. IL
fad only after several inquiries for such \
"gsrten, the locality beng strange even
TO the captain of the corps. Here we are
at last We enter an arohway, near which
discreetly stands a policeman, to keep
others away, and emerge, after q little
winding, into an open, rear beer garden, IN
which are tables aud chairs, and some
| fifty students drinking beer | am the
guest OF the Green's" and am duly pre-
sentsd (no name mentioned) to a party of
that verdsnt color seated az one Of the
tables, who all rise and bow politely. Du.
ring my stay of several hours, although in
| constant contact with those wearing other
colors, not one OF these last even glanced at
the stranger introduced By the ''Greens,"
while all of that color sought introductiops.
Such seemed the etiquette of the occasion
aver slStlDS snoEt VINE we We're tolu
that a duel was about to begin. We re.
paired to the adjoining hall, room of
about fifty by thirty feet, already some.
what crowded by the students, though
saw none others who seemed TO be visitors.
TWO YOUNG MEN
Were seated il chaiIs facing each other the
right arm, neck and brsast of each were
protected by heavy quilted stuff, aud over
the eyes pair of iron goggles. So heavy
| is the padding on the arm, that two
men support the weight for the fighter 10
| the intervaIs of resk So rr,kacted fhn