The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-29
Oeadty Combat.

Tie ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 81 atrAl 81 SKI
u lance ani sabre between Capt. L !
Jennings. formerly 81 her Britannia
Majesty service, and Duncan { Ross.
the wei known athlete. attracted a large
crowd 10 Central Park yesterday. The
arrangements Wa that both should b.
mounted. Jennings 10 use a lauce aud
Ross 70 swipt the sabre. iwenty-one
points constituted the match, and the
winner If the Lr>t eleven was 70 be &c
clared the successful competitor. ~ :
little before I 0 cock both men appeared,
clad in the regulation arm0r his con-
siSts 81 a steel cuirass, bucklta % both
sides. and protecting the back ami breast
down 10 the top ot the hlps. \ neck
plate OF est steel fits closely around the
neck, coming down under the c~ulrass, and
so protecting the upper part OF the chest,
neck, and shoulders with a double thick,
ness. Over the head j. fitted the regu'a.
ton sword mask. made OF strong IRON
wire, and padded inside with a t~o.luch
thickness Of hair and chamols skin This
mask covers the whole Of the head aud
front part Of the neck, leaving only the
nape exposed.
Capt. Jennings, attirei 10 white dnck
knee breeehes and the armor first g~ailop,d
into the open and took up his station at
the point designated 10y a small American
tlag attached to a stick stuck IN the
ground. He carried a bamboo pole niue
feet in length, which wsS topped by a
dull spear head. A small boy, proud ~
his position as lauect der, Kept two
similar weapons il reserve, IN ease Of ae-
ciicuts. All three lances were adorned
with a diminutjve flag. Duncan G. Ross
was not many seconds behind Jennings,
carrying d regulation cavalry sabre, the
point upset aud beaten together, max
ing a thickness Of oven a quarter OF an
inch. J. W. Fraser was selected a.
referee and Major ". Ii. Cross Of the
Second Life Guard and Major W. G.
Torrance OF the Ninety third lIighlanders
we're Judges. The words Ready, For
ward" Attack were the signals for
the fray. The horses Ieaped forward and
the riders came toward each other. Jen-
nings, 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 aud hith by Jen-
nings.
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's helmet was Knocked from his
head, and he narrowly escaped a fall from
his sad lie. Then there was a shout, and
al the end of forty yards blood could
be seen running down Jennlugos neck
He dlSm0unted however. without aS>ls
lance, 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. \
physician was hastily summoned, and,
after an examination, he stated that Jen-
ningSs skull had been fractured The
wound was over the right ear, nearly four
inches In length, and presented a very
ugly appearance.
DR.. Rosenstirn said there was no doubt
the skull was fractured, while the cash
required eleven stitches to close IL. lie
added that while the wound was not
necessarily fatal, should erys pelas set in
nothing could save the Captains lie.
Jennings was apparently sensible, but
the handageS did not permit HIM to
speak, although be waved his hand
to Ross when that athlete entered the
room.
Later II the evening Ross was asked by
a Chronicle reporter if he could explain
how the unfortunate circumstances oc
CURED and he said:
After the Captain made his last
point on me, he bent his head forward
and the under edge OF his mask came IN
contact with the upper edge of his
%cuirass. The result was the mask was
tilted of | was in the act Of delivering
cut two at cavalry at that instant. The
sword was in the air, when saw the
mask tall. OF course | did all | could to
ease the force of the cut, but it WIS
bound to reach home, and had | not stay
ed the sabre there is uothin~ that would
have prevented the Captains head from
rolling to the ground
DIR. Rosenstirn, who attended Capt.
Jennings, said last night that Jennings's
skull was fractured. 1t il feared, how
ever, that he has small chances Of re-
c0Vcry.