Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1886-01-08
SCARED FOR LIFE.

didates. seem to be born enemies, Jus'I
as it is with some animals cats and
dogs. for instance. When troops ar6a
stationed in a German university city,
the officers and students are certain TO
quarrel. The same cordial relations eX-
ist between them that might be expect
ed to prevail if a few Texas centipedes
and tarantulas were placed in bottle
and shaken up well. In the year 1901
the students at the Polytechnic School
of Carlsruhe, Baden, Germany and
the army officers stationed at that city
were in perpetual session, soto speak.
They were fighting almost every day.
There were several students societies
at the Polytechnic School; the Saxonia,
the Franconia and Bavaria, and when
the members were not fighting duels
among themselves or drinking beer,
they were having personal difficulties.
as David Crockett used to call such
ioint discussions, with the officers Of
the army of the Grand Duke of Baden.
During one of these street exhibit
tions a corps bursch of the Saxonia
came very near being made acorpse by
an officer, who made use of his sword
on the street and on the person of his
antagonist. AS it was. the students
coat, borrowed one, was cut and
slashed in several places. Whenever
the students and officers met in the
beer saloons, if they were sober
enough to converse at all, they used
language towards each other that
would not be tolerated in this country
outside of the halls of congress.
- -phAl.asi fAalina finally culminatei
in a duel between Lieut.. Won HolS md
student named Baum, a member of
the Bavarian society, which unpleas-
ant affair is the subject of this sketch,
the writer being an eye witness. The
quarrel started at a masquerade ball.
They called each other bad names, and
slung diatribes and beer bottles, max
ing good line shots across the table at
each other. Next morning Baum sent
a challenge to the lieutenant, who re-
piled that it would afford him pleasure
to murder Baum, but it was below the
dignity of an army officer, who was
also baron, to fight with rlebeian;
be, therefore, was compelled promptly
and defantly to refuse the challenge.
Several more street fights occurred,
all of which failed to calm the excite
ment. When the dueling societies
heard that Lieut.. Won Holz would not
fight there was a wild yearning on the
part of the students to challenge him
and all his friends. A secret caucus
was held, and the students sent a COM
munication to the colonel of the regi-
ment, begging him as a special favor
to pick out seven of his officers who
needed exercise and excitement an9
The students would pick seven of their
number who were suffering from the
same cause, the idea being 10 have
seven duels with sabres.
The dueling sabre is not safe thing
10 fool with, as it never misses lire
md in the hands of men who are not
careful, accidents are certain to occu1
The officers appreciated this fact and
refused TO 60 into joint session at ally
with sabres, but they offered CONF
promise. There was in Carlsruhe ~
that time an army officer who besides
njoying the high reputation Of being
a hlacklag and blackguard, generally
was also remarkable for being nearly
seven feet tall Now, in a sabre duel
the man with the long arm has all the
advantage over the man with the
short arm. The former can carve up
The latter at his ease, while the other
candidate cannot reach far enough
with his sabre to make the connection.
The army officers were so kind and
1onsiderate, and so utterly opposed to
anything sayoTing of unfairness, that
hey relaxed their dignity to the extent
1f proposing that their blackleg, Count
Leiningen-that was his name
should with his long arm, fight the
whole seven scholastic gladiators. TINS
5ffer was about equivalent to man
with long range rifle requesting an
antagonist with an Indian club toi
ackle him at thousand yards. The
met again in secret conclaYe
md sent back a very sarcastic commu-
suggesting that when Count
Leiningen's friends had sawed him IN
.wo the proposition would be taken up
rom the table on which it hal been
aid. Then some more street fights
as a matter of course.
One afternoon a few days after the
for Count Leiningen to
,ffer up the short-armed students IN
I happened to be strolllng
lown the principal street of Caris- (
-uhe when carriage stopped in front
If me AMI head was stuck out
hrough the window. l recognized
he head as being the personal proper