The Globe-republican., 1890-12-17
A REMARKABLE SHOT.
How Duel Was Happily Averted
in France.

passed, yesterday, on State street, a
man who, not being able to hit hay
stack, yet once acquired the reputation
of being the best pistol shot in all Paris.
In the summer of 1874, when Martin
G. Scott was a much Simmer, more
dandified looking man than he is now,
for he is married, and with the acauisi-
ton of wife and three babies he has
put away the vanities of dress, there
were seated at one of the little round
marble tables before the Cafe Ricci, in
the boulevard des Italiens. two young
Frenchmen, the cheek of one of whom
bore red mark as if some one had
brought his hand sharply against it. In
an inner room of the cafe, the person
who had done this was engaged in wiping
away from his shirt-fron: the stains of
some red wine, which in his fury the
recipient of the slap had hurled across
the table. The man with the red cheek
was the young Mons. Adolphe Terrier,
the son of the celebrated artist of that
name. The man with the soiled shirt
front was Martin G. Scott, of Mobile,
Ala.
There had been an exchange of cards,
and Scott and his friend, George E.
Wainwright, twelve hours later sud-
denly found themselves with a large
sized, healthy French quarrel on their
hands, to be settled, as most Of those
matters are in France, under the code.
When it came to a choice Of weapons,
Scott had wisely chosen pistols, for
while he was VIGOROUSLY bad shot, he
was totally ignorant of the use OF the
rapier.
The rapier. too, is a weapon in the
use of which he gilded youth of Paris
excel Two years in the students quar-
ter had doubtless enabled SCOTS oppo-
nent to become expert with the weapon.
That's why. on Wainwright's advice,
Scott chose pistols.
The affair was to come off at Au-
vergne. little village distant about
nine miles from Paris in forty-eight
hours time. The parties were to go
out on the early train.
doubt if Scott was so much cut I'D
. about the affair as Wainwright. even
though he fully expected to be killed.
Wainwright kept on blaming himself
for ever having let his friend get into
such Grape. They had been college
chums together. and SCOTS father had
put up the funds for the trip, simply
providing that Wainwright the elder of
the two. and in whom he placed i'm
plicit confi6 ence, should see that Scott
was we'll looked after.
Here he was seconding the old mans
son in duel routrance. for that there
was bad blood between the two princi-
pals you may depend on. 1t was to be
no child's play this time, just something
to amuse the readers of the Petit Jour
nal Pour Rire." They were to fire at
twelve PAGES. and continue firing until
one OF the parties was disabled.
The more Wainwright thought over
the affair the more he realized what an
awkward job he had upon his hands
What if his friend should fall 1t
would be bad enough to face SCOTS IA
ther with news of such a character. But
to communicate such result to Mary
Scott his friends pretty sister; to have
to confess how poorly he had fulfilled
his trust; that, he fell. would be task
beyond his strength.
He lay awake all night at his hotel, |
revolving some plan by which they
coIid get out of the scrape- This was
not SO easy. for any scheme he might
adopt looking to an avoidance of hostil- |
tiles must necessarily involve the re-
tirement of his friend with honor, of |
which, being Southerner of the old |
school. be was singularly tenacious.
He had frequently seen NJ. Ferrier
practicing at fashionable pistol gal |
lery in the Rue du CapucineS He knew