Connecticut western news., 1886-01-06
SCARRED FOR LIFE


 SCARRED FOR LIFE
 Some classes of men, like rival can didates, seem to be born enemies, just as 1t is with some animals-cats and dogs, for instance. When troops are stationed in 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 few Texas centipedes and tarantulas were placed in bottle and shaken up well. In the year 1861 the students at the Polytechnic School of Carlsruhe, Baden, Germany. and the army officers stationed at that city were in perpetual session. so to 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 joint discussions, with the officers of the army of the Grand Duke of Baden
 During one of these street exhibi- tions corps bursch of the Saxonia came very near being made corpse 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.
 The bad feeling finally eliminated In duel between Lieut.. Von Holz and . student named Baum, 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 masquerade ball. They called each other bad names, and slung diatribes and beer bottles, mak- ing good line shots across the table at each other. Next morning Baum sent 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 plebeian; he. therefore, was compelled promptly and defiantly to refuse the challenge
 Several more street fights occurred, all of which failed to calm the excite ment When the dueling societies neard that Lieut.. Won Holz would not fight isere was wild yearning on the part of tho students to challenge him and all his friends. A secret caucus was held, and the students sent com munication to the colonel of the regi- ment, begging him as special favor to pick out seven of his officers who needed exercise and excitement. and the students would pick seven of their number who were suffering from the same cause, the idea being to have seven duels with sabres.
 The dueling sabre is not safe thing to fool with, as it never misses fire. and in the hands of men who are not careful, accidents are certain to occur. The officers appreciated this fact and refused to go into joint session at all, with sabres, but they offered con- promise. There was in Carlsruhe at that time an army officer who besides enjoying the high reputation of being blacklsg and a blackguard, generally, was also remarkable for being nearly seven feet tall. Now, in a sabre duel he 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 considerate, and so utterly opposed to anything savoring of unfairness, that they relaxed their dignity to the extent Df proposing that their b.ackleg, Count Leiningen-that was his name should with his long ann. fight the
 hole seven scholastic gladiators. This dier was about equivalent to man with long range rife requesting an antagonist with an Indian club tC tackle him at thousand yards. The
 udents met again in secret conclave and sent back very sarcastic commu hication, suggesting that when Coun, Leiningen's friends had sawed him ir two the proposition would be taken uI s-om the table on which it had beer
 hid. Then soma more street fight. followed as a matter of course.
 Ono afternoon .: few days after tn, proposition for Count Leiningen t. s-fer up the short-armed students il
 accession I happened to b strollin. Gown the principal street of Carls Euhs when . carriage stopped in iron e nc and . head was stuck ou tn9eaGA tho window. recognized
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