St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-27
SAVED BY A GLASS EYE.
An Impulsive Irishman Involved
in a Duel Finds His Eye of Serv-


ice.
"a glass eye saved a mans life once"
said Col. Monastery, while in reminiS-
cent mood the other evening. ''Poor
Victor La LieuX, wonder what's become
of hm?' And then the colonel pro-
ceeded to tell story.
In a cafe in Baltimore one beautiful
summer evening in 1868 sat Col. Mon
stery, Victor La Lieux, Congressman
Browne, of Pennsylvania, and an army
officer. 1t was after hearty but dainty
dinner; wine flowed freely, fragrant ci-
gar smoke permeated the air and ev-
cry one there thought everybody else
the best fellow in the world.
The union army is no good" sud-
denly broke in La LieuX. ''It has COM
mitted as many atrocities as did the sans
culotteS i'll the reign of terror i'll
France"
upset, and in trice Col. Monastery had
the speaker by the throat. A patriot
like the colonel, who had fought for
liberty in Sweden, Poland and Hungary
could not brook the haunting insult to
the flag of freedom in America and his
passion got the better Of his judgment
La LieuX and Monastery both being
noted duelists challenge followed as a
matter of course.
The meeting took place shortly after
daybreak the next morning i'll field in
the outskirts of the town. Swords
were chosen as the weapons. and the
preparations for the duel were as SIM
pie as during tie days of Cardinal
pick a quarrel before breakfast Just to
Whet his appetite.
La LieuX was an Irishman, despite
his French name, and had lost his right
eye i'll contest with shillaleh in his
native town. His loss was repaired by
a glass orb, which glistened, cold, SIMS
ter and eXpreSsiOnless, like the steel in
the blade of his sword. He was an eX-'
pert fencer, but in the hands of Col.
Monastery, who as either principal or
second has figured in fifty-two duels
la mort, was like Jack Wannop in the
embrace of Evan Lewis. The army Of
ficer who was in the cafe when the quar-
rel started acted as Monstery'S second,
and tire-eating Louisiana planter per-
formed the same Office for La LieuX.
The sun was just arising from its nap
in Chesapeake bay when the two men
took their positions on the field of honor.
La LieuX's glass eye caught the refec-
ton from the sun and glStened like a
gamblers shirt-Stud. Col. Monastery,
calm, severe and dignified, rolled up his
Shirt-sleeves, grasped his sword firmly
by the hilt, and prepared himself for
the fray.
Get ready, gentlemen" shouted the
seconds.
The scintillations from La Lieux's
glass eye were so bright that the sun
covered its face with a cloud. Col.
Monastery advanced toward |, oj1,or
Sary grim and pitiless. 1t was duel
la mort and the colonel had stood so
often on the razor-bridge between life
and death that he was careless of re-
suits. For a few seconds the two
Swordsmen played with each other,
fencing for an opening. The steel
blades flashed through the air, curved
around the heads of the combatants. and
in their desire to tap blood seemed al
most human. All at once Col. Mons
tery's sWordarm fell powerless to his
side and a stream of crimson blood
spirited from his wrist.
lated, as he changed his weapon to his
other hand. ''When man is iusulted
he can fight with either arm"
La LieuX'S glass eye still continued to
cast glitter upon the scene. Its rays
entered the cOlOnelS soul and hardened
his heart. The Irishman, brave. hot
headed, and impulSive, forced the fight
ing, and, for moment, his adversary
had to act on the defensive. In a trice,
however. the colonel recovered himself
and made thrust at the same time that
he parted blow. La LieuX uttered
cry of pain and his glass eye rolled out
upon the grass.
''Look out" he cried; "don't step on
it. 1t cost $S5.
Again the colOnel's arm fell power
less to his side. This time it was with
laughter, and not by a wound that he
was rendered harmless. LA LieuX,"
said he, ''let'S shake hands and call it
quits. [ couldn't fight now if l wanted
to ever so bad'
The IriShman wiped the blood from
the place where his eye was and eX-
tended his hand. The glass eve was
picked up from the grass and placed
back in its socket. The wound inflicted
was not severe one, and that night
the two duellsts and their seconds en-
joyed dinner that called into requisi-
ton all the terrapin and champagne
that Baltimore afforded.
''lf it hadn'tbeen for the glass eye,"
said Col. Monastery, ''La Lieux would
have been a dead man, as my next
lunge would have pierced his heart.
But the thought of a man remembering
the price of an eye when so near death
as La LieuX made me forgive him his