News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-06-04
LANCE AGAINST SABRE.
. TRIAL OF skill THAT WAS
STOPPED BY AN ACCIDENT.
rha Unusual and Perhaps Deadly Conn
bar between Ross and jennings
NTnuuted.
,r,,.o,,, tho Gan Franoisco Chronicle.l

Mounted.
from the San Francisco Chronicle.l
The announcement of trial OF skill
of lance and sabre between Captain E.
n. Jennings, formerly of her Britannia
Maiesty's service, and Duncan Q: Ross.
the weil-known athlete, attracted large
crowd to Central Park. The arrange
ment was that both should be mounted,
Jennings to use a lance and Ross to
swing the sabre. Twenty one points
constituted the match, and the winner
of the first eleven was to be declared the
successful competitor. At little be-
fore 4 o'clock both men appeared, clad
in the regulation armor. This consists
of a steel cuirass, buckled on both sides,
and protecting the back and breast
down to the top of the hips. A neck
plate of cast steel fits closely around the
neck, coming down under the cuirass,
and so protecting the upper part of the
chest, neck, and shoulders with double
thickness. Over the head is fixed the
regulation sword mask, made of strong
iron wire, and padded inside with two
inch thickness of hair and channels skin.
This mask covers the whole OF the
only the nape exposed.
Capt. Jennings, attired in white duck
knee breeches and the armor, first gal
loped into the open and took up his
station at the point designated by a
small American flag attached to stick
stuck in the ground. He carried bam-
boo pole nine feet in length, which was
topped by dull spear head. A small
boy, proud of his position as lance
holder, kept two similar weapons In re-
serve, in case of accidents. All three
lances were adorned with diminutive
flag. Duncan @. Ross was not many
seconds behind Jennings, carrying
regulation cavalry sabre, the point Sup
set" and beaten together, making
thickness of over quarter OF an inch.
A sabre is technically divided into three
equal portions-the feeble, or point, the
centre, and the forte, or strong, lying
next to the handle. The forte and
centre were blunted, while the feeble or
point was left sufficiently sharp to cut
the lance pole. Jennings rode bay
horse, while Ross bestrode gray. The
animals were evidently well trained, and
there is no doubt that very interesting
contest would have taken place If most
unfortunate accident had not occurred.
J. W. Fraser was selected as referee,
and Major W. 81. Cross of the Second
Life Guards and Major w. O. Dorrance
of the Ninety-third Highlanders were
Judges. The words Ready" s'For-
ward, "Attack," were the signals for
the fray. The horses leaped. forward
and the riders came toward each other.
Jennings, with his lance, struck Ross as
he was swinging his horse around, and
the first point was awarded to him.
The second and third points were won
by Ross, and the fourth and fifth by
Jennings.
Ross did not win the sixth, and there
was no decision made. Jennings struck
Ross full on the helmet as the latter
dashed past, but Ross turned suddenly
and slashed at Jennings with his sabre
Jennings helmet was knocked from his
head, and he narrowly escaped fall
from his saddle. Then there was a
shout, and at the end of forty yards
blood could be seen running down Jen-
nings' neck. He dismounted, however,
without assistance, and when he hurried
toward the dressing room the crowd
broke through the ropes and surrounded
him, so that it was with difficulty that
he reached the inner rooms. Then he
nearly tainted. A physician was hastily
summoned, and, after an examination,
he stated that Jennings skull had been
fractured. The wound was over the
right ear, nearly four inches in length,
and presented very ugly appearance.
A carriage was obtained, and Captain
Jennings was driven to his room at 81
Dupont street, where everything was
done to alleviate his sufferings.
DIR. Julius Rosenstirn attended the
wounded man about 5 o'clock, and an
hour later Ross and a friend appeared
to make inquiries. DIR. Rosenstirn said
there was no doubt the skull was frao-
tured, while the cash required eleven
stitches to close it. He added that
while the wound was not necessarily
fatal, should erysipelas set in nothing
could save the Captains life. Jennings
was apparently sensible, but the band
ages did not permit him to speak, al
though he waved his hand to Ross when
that athlete entered the room.
Later in the evening Ross was asked
by a Chronicle reporter if he could sx-
plain how the unfortunate circumstance
occurred and he said:
CATER the Captain made his last point
on me, he bent his head forward and
the under edge of his mask came in con-
tact with the upper edge of his cuirass.
The result was the mask was tilted off.
was in the act of delivering 'cut two
at cavalry at that instant. The sword
was in the air when saw the mask fall.
OF course I did all could to ease the
force of the cut, but it was bound to
reach home, and had 1 not stayed the
sabre there is nothing that would have
prevented the Captains head from roll
ing to the ground"
DR.. Rosenstirn, who attended Captain
Jennings, said that Jennings skull was
fractured. 1t is feared that he has
small chances of recovery.