The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-02-08
A Strange Duel.


A duel which occasioned a great
sensation at the time of its occurrence
Was one between Henri Delagrave
and AlphOnse Riviere, the cause be-
lag the success of the former In
| Wnolng a young lady to whom they
were both attached. Riviere insul-
ted his successful rival by sIapping
hlm on the cheek in a gaming saloon,
and it was agreed that IA duel should
axe place, in which the life of one
| should he ended. The details were
| left to their seconds to arrange, and,
until they faced one another upon
! the field, neither of the young men
knew in what form they were to
brave death. On the following morn"
| in2 four men met in quiet wood.
They were Riviere, with Monsieur
| SaValle, his second. aud Delagrave,
| VITO was accompanied by doctor
named RDcQuet. The latter inform
ed the rivals that Monsieur Savalle
ana himself had arrived at the deci-
~iOn that, in order to secure fatal
result to ore of the principals, it
would he best to leave cut of the
| question swords or pistols and TO
| trust to the more sure action of ii
deadly poison. As he spoke he drew
from his pocket Il little box, in which
lay four black pellets, all exactly
identical in size and shape.
"In one Of these" he sa;d,"I haye
placed sufficient quantity Of pru-sic
acid to cause the almost Instantane-
Gus death of any one who swallows
it, Monsieur SdValle and | will de-
eide by the toss of coin which of
you is to have first choice, and you
shall alternately draw and swallow a
| pin until the poison shows its effects. )
| While speaking the last words the
'lurtGr spun in the air a giittering
gold piece, and, as it fell, SavaIle
cried, Tails !" 1t fell with the head
uppermost, and Sayalle said: "The
first choice is yours, Monsieur Della
grave" The two whose fate was
{ contained in those innocent looking
black balls had shown no sign of tre-
! pidatiOn while the doctor explained
! the awful preparations that he had
made for the death of one OF them !;
and DeIagrave's face was perfectly
| implSaiVe as he selected and washed
! down with Il glass of claret one of
/ the ,,lObnleS. And now, Monsieur
!!HsoaasIrn," said the dnctor. RiYiera
extended his hand and took a pill.
~ hIch he swallowed with as little
| appearance of concern as his OppO-
nent. A minute passed, two, three,
| and Still the dueliStS stood notion
!e-s. ut is your choice again, Mon
| Sipur DelagraVe," said the doctor,
"but this time you must swallow the
| pill at the same instant that Nom
Sieur Rivere swallows the one you
leave for him." Delagravr paused
for moment, looking in silence at
the two balls tnat lay before him.
| The closest scrutiny showed not the
slightest difference between them ;
one was harmless, but in the other
! rested the pail of eternity-the silence
and peace of that sleep which Knows
! no awakening IN this world. With
a start he drew his eyes from the box
and. putting his finger and thumb
/ into it, drew forth one Of the remaiE-
ing pills. Riyiere took the solitary
one remaining, and both men sim ul-
laneOusly guIped down their fate. a
! few seconds passed without any per-
| ceptible movement on the part of
| either of them, ana then RiYiere
| threw up his hands, and, without a
sound, fell fiat upon the grass. He
| turned half round, gave one cOnvul-
sive shudder, and, as his rival bent
over him, breathed his last. The
fair cause of this awful tragedy was
so Mortified at it that she refused to
see Dplagrave agan, and the MEM
ury of those few minutes weighed so
heavily upon him that he followed
Riviere to tile grave in few months
time.
Ahnnt Amarinan Wnmnn