Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-07
DUELING ON THE CONTINENT.
The Deadly Mode of Fighting which Pre-
walls in Russia

Over 1000 duels occur annually in
France alone, says the Pal Hall Gazette.
The enormous majority of these encoun-
ters take place between private soldiers.
In every French regiment are to be found
two or three first-class swordsmen COM
monty called deS tdteUrS, whose especial
business is to test the nerve of any re-
cruIt suspected of a deficiency of physi-
cal courage. On the most frivolous pre-
text the tdteur fastens a quarrel on the
unfortunate nOuyeau and the unanimous
Vsice Of the regiment declares that honor
demands blOOdshed. The encounter takes
place in the presence OffOur nOn-cOmmIs-
stoned officers and of the regimental tenc-
ing master, who stands by, sword in
hand, ready to parry any too dangerous
thrusts. The weapon used IN the cavalry
is the sabre, and in the infantry the ordi-
nary sword bayOnet, and the issue is gen.
orally harmless enough, although cases
have been known of the tQteur himself
coming to grief through the recruit going
for his adversary.
In society, and especially among gen.
tlemen connected with what the French
term Ia petite pTeSSe, very similar rule
prevails, but with one important mOdifica-
ton. The t0teHr is here conspicuous by
his absence, and the young aspirant to
social or journalistic hOnGrs is expected
ing quarrel with some eligible opponent
The weapon used in these affairs OF honor
is almost invariably the small sword, the
pistol being considered tar too dangerous
an arm-the issue of these encounters is
as a rule scratched finger or forearm.
Occasionally, when political or other con-
siderations render even a scratch undesira-
BILE, pistols are resOrted to, but with pc
culiar precautions. Thus NJ. Gambetta
and De Fourtou-the former being one
eyed and the latter nearly blind-were
put up in dense fog at 40 PAGES to eX-
change shots with very short barreled
smOOth-bOre pistols. In short, nine out of
ten French duels may be looked upon as
mere farces, played for the amusement Of
the gallery. The excellent Eealth enjoyed
by Nj. ROchefort, De Cassagnac and Garlic
des Perriers, who among them have been
out over 90 times, adds strong confirma-
ton to this view of the matter.
In both Italy and Spain duels are fire.
quent; but in both countries the sabre s
used, to the almost complete exclusion of
the small sword. Indeed, the prejudice
against the latter arm is so strong in Italy
that it is all but impossible to find seconds
who will consent to act in duel y epee.
The natural result is that, while fatal
issue is rare, the ugly gashes in the face
are very common. In both these cOun-
tries the penalty Ordueling, as in France,
is merely nominal.
Throughout Germany, including Prus-
STA, Austria and the minor States, very
different rule prevails. With the eXcep-
ton of the Oft-described "Schlaeger'' duels
among university students, which are
still Winked at, encounters between civil
ians are punished with considerable Sc
verify, the ordeal of single combat being
a privilege practically reserved for the
army. In the event of two officers falling
out, a court of honor EhreRgeTicht), gen.
orally composed of five superior officers
and presided over by the Colonel of their
regiment or the General command
tigates the whole affair and decides
whether an apology shall be rendered and
accepted or whether an encounter is nee
essary. The decision of the court is final,
and any officer refusing to comply with it
would be compelled to retire from the
service, while any duel unauthorized by
the court would infallibly lead to the cash
iering of the offenders. Pistols are almost
invariably used, at a distance OF twelve
PAGES; and, German officers being as
rule very good shots, fatal consequences
are not lnfrequent. By strange anOm-
ally, the verdict of the ehrengericht does
not entirely cover the responsibility of
the cOmbatants. In the event of a fatal
issue, the survivor is liable to suffer
IbIll Vi ODEu dIISSb III d IOIlIGSS. Varying
from two to six months. A German
officer thus finds himself placed in the di-
lemma Of refusing to fight and being COM
PEELED 10 retire, or of fighting and running
the risk of being placed under arrest for
doing so.
In no country are duels more frequent
or more murderOus than in Russia; the
Russians being, especially when in their
cups, as quarrelsOme among themselves
% 70 r1rnUorhfQ llTT pnI1vtnOIrC IN for
eigners. The mode of combat universally
adopted is that termed the duel Ia bar
riere; the opponents being put up at ID
PAGES, with liberty to advance five PAGES
each at given signal, and to fire at will.
Should one Of them fire and miss, his adj
versary is entitled to complete his five
PAGES before returning the shot. Many
cases have been known in which a
duelist, although mOrtally wounded, has
yet retained sufficient strength to take
steady aim and fire with fatal effect. The
great Russian poet, Pushkin, was killed
in a duel la bGTTiere, after severely
wOunding his antagonist.
In the Baltic provinces a system pre-
walls which at first sight appears even
more murderous. The adversaries are
placed only three PAGES apart; the pistols
are held with the muZzle pointing up
ward, and are brought down and dis
charged at given signal. 1t may appear
| almost impossible for two men to miss
each other at so short a distance, but
this is not the case. Each of the OppO-
| nents Is so desperately anxious to gain
the least fraction of second on his adj
versary that, on the signal being given,
the weapons are often brought down with
so hurried and violent a jerk that the bull
lets bury themselves in the ground. AT a
duel fought last year at Riga between an
officer and a student in this fashion,
three shots were exchanged without any
result, while at the fourth discharge the
student had the great toe of his right foot
cut clean off by his opponents bullet"
THE London correspondent of the ABaericIn
Register Paris, relates this: An epicurean
! Bishop was neatly taken in by smart boy at
Banbury. Being DESTROYS of tasting the ia
nous cakes, he beckOned to the lad to come
to him TO the window of the railway carriage,
and asked the price of the cakes. "Three
| pence EACH" replied the boy. Giving him six
/ pence, the Bishop desired him to bring one,
and added, as he was running OF, "Buy one
| for yourself with the other three pence"
| Presently the boy returned, munchiag his
''Banbury," and, handing three pence in cop