The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-10-02
HISTORY OF DUELING.
REMARKA3lE DUELS IN ENGLAND
AND OTHER COUNTRIES.

Rise and Fall of the Code Of Honor and
It's Influence Upon Society-To Satisfy
the Offended 1t Was Not Always Neces-
sary to Draw Blood.
Authorities differ on the origin Of dueling.
Among the ancient Greeks and Romans dis
prtes were frequently settled by personal en-
counters, but there are no records Of any
meetings which resembled the more modern
duel, with its elaborate code of rules as to
challenges, seconds and so forth.
Practically the first duel on record was to
vindicate the chastity Of Gunhled, daughter
of Hardknut. and wife of Henry III of Eng
land According to Blackstone, the first le-
| gal mention of duels is to be found in the
laws of Gundebald, published in 50., and
preserved in the Burgundian code. The
"ordeal by battel" was to settle civil and per
sonal disputes.
FIGHTING A WHOLE DAY.
On the day appointed, a piece Of ground
sixty feet square was inclosed with lists and
on either side was set court for the judges
Of the common pleas, who were present in
their Scarlet robes The court sat at sun
rise, the combatants We're bound to fight till
the stars appeared i'll the evening. The cham
pions were dressed in coat of armor, bare
| legged from the knee, bareheaded and with
arms barred to the elbow. Their only weapons
were target or four cornered shield of
leather and bSton or stave Of an ell long.
Each swore two oaths, first as to the right Of
the issue and second against sorcery and en-
chantment.
~ have this day neither eat drank, nor
have upon me either bone, stune ne gras,
nor any enchantment, sorcery or witchcraft
whereby the law Of God may be abased, or
the law of the devil exalted"
Then they were let loose to belabor each
other with their primitive and harmless
weapons until the stars appeared And the
conditions were such that if the tenants
champion maintained his ground and made
it q drawn battle, Judgment was given for
him as being already in possession. On the
other hand, if either combatant yielded he
became infamous, and ceased to be u "liber
ct lesalis homo"
The ordeal could be refused by women,
priests, infants, or persons over sixty, or
lame, or blind; by peers of the realm on ac-
count Of their dignity, and by citizens OF
London by charter; and also in cases OF very
strong prima facie evidence.
In 1909 q duel was fought between Sir
George Wharton and Sir James Stuart, both
of whom were killed During the last quar-
ter of the Seventeenth century dueling was
in iall swing in England. In 1862 Mr.. (after-
ward Lord Jermyn was severely wounded
in old Pail Mall by Col Howard. In 1867
Sir II. Bellasis fought close friend, and
Pepys, in recording the event, says: ut Is
pretty to see how the world talk OF them as
couple of fools that killed one another out
Of love"
The most trivial circumstances led to duelS.
Two doctors quarreled early in the century
as to which was the better physician. They
fought under the gate of Gresham college
One slipped his foot and fell. Take your
life" exclaimed the other. Anything but
your physic," was the answer, and the mot
seems to have ended the dispute.
Among American statesmen duels were by
no means uncommon. In 1904 Aaron Burr,
vice president, killed the celebrated Ale1an-
der Hamilton in a duel. In 1906 Andrew
Jackson, afterward president, killed Charles
Dickinson in duel, and was himself danger
ously wounded In 1926 Henry Clay, the
well known statesman, fought with John
Randolph Clay had given his vote in favor
Of Quincy Adams for the presidency, which
was denounced by Randolph as coalition
of Puritan with blackleg," for which lam
euage he was challenged by Clay. Two shots
having been exchanged without effect, the
duel was terminated by the seconds.
Even Sir Walter Scott was quite ready to
fight duel with Gen. Gourgaud on account
of some reflections he had made on that Off
Ger in his Life of Napoleon" Writing to
William Clark in 1927, asking him to be sec
ond in case he is challenged, Scott says: If
the quarrel should be thrust on newly,
will balk him, jackie He shall not dishonor
the country through my sides, / can assure
him."
PISTOLS AND COFFEE"
Duels in England were generally fought
with swords until the time when it ceased to
be fashionable to wear q sword with plain
clothes. Then pistols were generally used.
The French code Of 1856 named fifteen PAGES
as the proper distance for contestants, but
Byron speaks of twelve yards, and this was
the usual English distance.
Another method was volonte, when the
combatants were placed at a distance OF
thirty-fve to forty PAGES, and each allowed
to advance to one of two lines drawn at an
interval Of fifteen PAGES. Another was called
ligne parellele the combatants advancing
along parallels traced at distance OF fifteen
PAGES. Occasionally other less orthodox
methods were observed, such aS 10 barriere,
in which the opponents were placed so many
PAGES from fixed line, to which they We're
compelled to advance, each firing when he
chose. If one of the parties fired and missed,
he was compelled to advance to the barrier
and then receive his .dversary's shot
a story is told of Guel Of this kind, where
Young officer was opposed by notorious
duelst whom he missed. His opponent
marching up to the barrier, brutally said, 81
am sorry for your mother" and shot the
wretched youth through the brain.
In Ireland, as may be expected, duellng
throve. But, paradoxical as it may seem,
Ireland had as much to do with the decay of
dueling as with its rise. Hot headed, sensi-
tive and rash, Irish gentlemen fought on
every provocation. And the people, delight
ing in fight, and feeling that morbid pleas
ure in death which is their characteristic
still, supported them with their presence,
and made matters easy for them in the jury
box Men Of the highest dignity and most
responsible position were ready to eat hire or
taste steel.
Ridicule had great deal to do with the
abolition of dueling. The order Of "Pistols
for two and coffee for one" was supplemented
by message sent by Mrs. O'Connell to two
combatants: Mrs. O'Connell presents her
compliments to the two gentlemen and hopes
the survivor will come to supper" Such re-
marks were repeated and quoted until duel
ists earned more ridiculc than honor.
The practice dies slowly II Europe. In
France there are still duels but they partake
largely Of farcical nature, and the alleged
be,liSerants generally take care that they
run no risks In Germany the practice OF
dueEng still continues, and although fatal re-
suits are guarded against and are very rare,
wounds are frequently inflicted. At the uni