St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-09
A DUELING SCANDAL.
Caused BY Gambling Debt Not
Being Promptly Paid.


Being Promptly Paid.
Vienna Cor. New York Tribune
One of the best known racing stables
on tho continent is that of Baron Won
Stern, whose name is familiar to every
sporting man in Europe. Last week he
was present at the great spring meeting
at Buda-Pesth, and was watching the
numbers of the winning horses being
h0iSted, when suddenly he received two
violent blows on his hat and head from
person standing behind him. On
turning he recognized in his agrees
sor young Count Robert Won
Kutschenbach, and Immediately re.
tallated by lunging at him
with his stick. A hand-to-hand conflict
then ensued. in the course of which
both PARTIES received considerable dam-
age before they could be separated by
the bystanders. Next morning duel
with cavalry sabers took place, which
resulted in the young count being dan
gerously wounded, and that, too, in
such an unfair manner that his adver-
Sary, Baron Won Stern,h mas lost all claims
TO consideration as man of honor. For,
being hard pressed by the count, and
having already sustained several slight
scratches. he suddenly seized hold of
his opponents sword with his left hand,
and having him thus completely at his
mercy, the count being entirely de-
fenSeless, inflicted two horrible cuts on
his appraised arm and his left side before
the Mortified seconds could interfere.
A process verbal was at once drawn up,
which the baron'S own seconds Joined
in, bitterly condemniEg his breach of
the laws of the duello, an infraction of
which is regarded as being more serious
than that of the ordinary code of honor.
The indignation which prevails
against the baron, both at Buda-Pesth
and i'll this city, is intensified by the
circumstances which led to his being
assaulted by Count Kutschenbach on the
race course. 1t appears that the lat
ter'S eldest brother, Alexander, who is
captain of HussarS. had been in the
habit of playing cards with the baron,
and had lost heavily to him at ecarte
during game about three weeks ago at
the Jockey club, in this city. Under
ordinary circumstances debts of this
nature have to be paid within the
twenty-fOur hours. The captain. how
ever: not having the sum due at his dis
posal, telegraphed and wrote to his
mother, asking her to help him out of
his difficulty. The good old lady re-
piled. both by telegraph and Ly letter,
stating that the money would be forth
coming in eight days, the time required
for effecting the mortgage of certain
lands and securities. On receipt of this
news Alexander at once wlOte to the
baron, explaining the delay in the set
Element of the debt, and inclosing his
mothers letter as an additional assur-
ance of his good faith in the matter.
Baron Stern readily consented to give
the time required, but with q lack of
delicacy which cannot sufficiently be
condemned, showed the old countess
letter to a number of his friends. max
ing fun of the motherly advice, which
she deemed it to be her duty to send
her son OH the subject of gambling.
Alexander's younger brother, Robert,
happened to hear of the manner in
which the baron was sneering about his
mother, and seized the first opportun-
ity to chastise him for his dlsrespeet
when he met him on the race course.
The card debt had already been settled
at the time when the duel was fought.
Since the latter the baron has been
forced by the popular cutlery against
him toresign his membership of. the
Jockey club and of several other sport