Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-03-20
Twenty-one Duels in One Day.

1Hc lHiFcisllS vi Jelltl, ana, lnGeeQ, the
whole city have passed through a week OF
intense alarm and anxiety. which are far
from being at III end even now On one
day twenty-onc serious duels took place
among the students, and the arms used not
having been properly cleaned, all those who
were wounded had their blood poisoned.
About forty young men are lying in the
hospital in Il serious condition. One great
iavorite, the only son Of wealthy parents,
had his mind upset by an intense attack of
fever, and committed suicide by taking
strychnine. He died after terrible agony
that lasted many hours. Two more have
died already, and there is little hope of
saving more than one-half of those who are
still in Il pitiablc condition This dreadful
calamity will no doubt serve to make uni
versity dueling very unpopular in Germany,
If not with the young men themselves GER
talny with their relations. Its difficult for
an Englishman to believe on what pre-
lenses due! will sometimes take place.
At Heidelberg an English friend once lined
ut the table dhote, and being seated right
opposite to young man who wore the
badge Of Il corps" across his breast. he
could not help noticing the extraordinary
manner i'll which this young man took his
meal. At first he admired him for the skill
iul manner in which he managed his knife.
which necessarily passed from his plate to
his mouth heavily laden as it was with
green peas.
But when the student, having finished his
meat, took up his gravy with the knife the
Englishman began to feel his blood boil
within him. Pudding with apple sauce fol-
lowed, and the student operated with his
dessert knife just as he had done with the
larger knife. But the Englshman could
control himself no longer. In n hoarse
whisper he addressed his vis.a-vis, saving
You will cut your mouth open if you don't
leave of eating gravy with your knife"
The student looked up and answered:
what is that to you? / can cut my mouth
open to my ears for all you have Il right to
interfere" "Oh, nonsense said the En-
slishman cody: ''you can't expect q de-
cent person to let you butcher yourself at
dinnerG; ''Oh, butt can though, and YOU
shall see! Drummer Jungc!" With that the
student rose and left the room. Drummer
Junge stupid fellow J signifies as much as
Il challenge.
When the students seconds came to ar
range details with the Englishman he was
terribly surprised at the serious consequent
ces of what he had deemed q most natural
remark. He offered to apologize, and beg
Scd them to remember that he knew moth
ing of German customs, and had believed
himself in the right But the seconds de-
cIared their friend would accept no apollo
gy, and they even limited that the En-
glishman had probably been told that
his opponent was Il lirst-rate fen
Ger, the pride of Heidelberg. OF course.
when matters took this turn the English
man spoke in very different tone. and
everything was arranged for 4 duel with
pistols, he being no fencer He spent a
dreadful night, because he was told that the
young student was in such {; foaming rage
that his only desire was to see his opponent
lie dead on the ground. The Englshman
did all in his power to have the matter ar
ranged. but he did not succeed, and on his
way to the trysting-place he said to his Sec
onds:
'lt is y dreadful shame that I should have
to kill this young man because he does not
know the proper use of his knife and fork
Still, it would be just as unfair to let him
kill me-
The Englishman intended firing in the air
if he had the second shot, but chance was
aversc to him. He had the right to shoot
first he aim was dcadly,the young Teuton
fell without II groan.
Next day the Englishman travelled to the
town where his victims widowed mother
lived. and at the end ola two hours CONVEX
sation he convinced her Of his sincere regret
and his wish to serve her. She admitted
that her son had not died through his fault.
but through the mistaken notions of honor
current among the youth Of Germany
IisHa" letter 10 tn" London D0iiy Nrms