Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-04
THE FRENCH DUEL.
How Editors Dlchard and Massas went
for Each Other.


From Paris Letter to New York Tribune.
When the signal was given for the attack
Massas rushed upon his adversary. The rapidity
OF his movements was bewidering. He was
very brilliant fencer. Had Dichard lost his cool
ness and forgotten the injunctions of the friend
who gave him fencing lesson, he must have
fallen in the fray. Once the foot Of Massas caught
in thick tuft Of grass and he fell upon his knee
but throwing his head back his eye just escaped
the point Of Dichards weapon. This accident
appeared to- call out in him savage feeling.
He quickly arose and attacked with more
impetuOus feeling than before. 1t was at
this phase Of the duel that he must have inf1ict-
ed the hand and head wounds which in the
heat of the action were not felt Long hair and
the glove concealed the blood from the seconds,
whose eyes could not follow the sword of the
duelist who was fated to die in NJ. Rogat's gar
den. The weapon flashed and was parted. At
last, getting out OF patience with the mOnCtony
OF Dlchards tactics, II. de Massas raised his
hand to make diagonal, downward thrust and
in doing so uncovered his chest. His weapon
came down on the upper part of the armpit As
it was entering the flesh the sword of Dlchard
was thrust to depth Of fifteen centimetres into
the unprotected bosom Of Massas who to hit
home harder had made forward movement
| and literally impaled himself on the weapon OF
his adversary.
The seconds thought at first that Dichard
| alone was wounded. But the single doctor
upon the ground ran up to the other duelist,
crying: ''It's all up with this one. The sword
went far into him and he does not bleed. There
must be internal injury Of fatal nature" And
80 there was An ounce of blood did not trickle
out through the external Orifice. But In making
an effort to speak quantity rushed out through
the mouth. Dichard's weapon had entered in a
santing direction between the ribs above the
liver, cut through the lower portion of the
right lung and touched the heart. Massas
was just able to articulate, ''Wife! Children!"
and to, make the sign of the cross.
The women servants of NJ Rogat's house
hold looked on from an upper window, CRYING
and wrfnging their hands, while the duel was
being fought. His aunt was in a prize dieu chair
before a crucif1x, imploring Mary and Joseph by
their intercession to prevent the combat ending
angels who, the duelists being engaged in a
mortal sin, had clearly deserted them. NJ.
Rogat, when Massas had drawn his last breath.
had his corpse taken into cellar, where 1t
would not rapidly decompose. cruciflx was
placed upon the breast, and the pious aunt.
whole family to 60 and recite the litany for the
dead beside the body. She sent to the parish
church for pair OF wax candles and provision
Of holy water. As repentance was expressed in
the sign of the cross she hoped the best and i'm
plored for Divine pity in behalf Of the dead man.
1t was she who went to break the news to
Madame de Massas at Bots Colonies. None of
the seconds had the courage to face the poor
widow.
It is not true that Nine de Massas went with
the dueling party to Nogent. She was not
aware that duel was contemplated, but felt
that disaster Of some sort was about to hap
pen. In greeting her for the last time her hus-
band explained the agitation he betrayed by
saying that he was going to Paris to wind up
the affairs of the Combat, which was to be ex-
tingufshed that morning. She calculated:
"Thank God! shall now enjoy quiet mind.
The terror that journal has caused me was al
most too CREATOR me to bear" 1t was appointed
that the wife and husband should meet in the
evening at the house of q NJ. Well, her cousin. at
dinner. The corpse of NJ. de Nassas was
borne there in a wagOnnette from Nogent As
she was at the station the chef de care came up
to her with tears in his eyes. He had seen in
the afternoon papers an account of the duel
She could not understand why he appeared 80
sorrowful and sympathetic until She got to
Paris, where, seeing crowds around a kiosk she
asked what the excitement was about and was
told by stranger the cause. The poor lady did
not faint nor cry. She became transfixed with
horror and speeches., and stood gazing stu
pidly at the people that were snatching up the
newspapers at the kiosk. member of the
We'll family came up to her. He saw that she
had been informed of the terrible truth She
gave no sign of recognition, but mechanically
stepped into a carriage which he hailed, and
was taken by him to the house where she was
to have dined