The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-07
ON THE FIELD OF HONOR.
HOW FASHIONABLE FRENCH DU-
ELS ARE FOUGHT.
Recen: Bouispgist Eneountsrs-Ons OF
Rocheforrs Charact sristic Fights and
the First OF McrmeIx's Many Chai-
lengcs.

ienges.
At last the duel between NJ. RocheforI
and NJ. Thicbaud, the X-Boulangistd deputy
has been fought, says Paris correspondent
Of the Philadelphia Times. II took place on
saturday on Dutch territory. After the futile
attempt 10 cross swords on the day before
utmost secrecy as to their plans was neces
sary in order 10 battle not only the gendarmes
Of Belgium and Holland, who appear to have
been rather sleepy, but also the Belgian and
foreign press correspondents, on whom the
police mainly relied for information. NJ.
Rochcfort LEFT Client on Friday night with
his seconds. All travelled by the same
train. bat in different carriages. They
alighied Vt Il. Nicolas. between Client and
Antwerp. spending the night at the Hotel
DIES Ouatro SccauN. The three guests were
up AT dawn. and, taking a fOur-wheeler,
soon reached the Dutch border. which i'm
this. as IN many other parts, Is lOw-lying,
marshy land. Yielding under the foot, and
Astounding in pitfalls and quagmires. The
choice OF the ground for this reason was a
matter of difficulty.
VI. Thicbaud and his two seconds arrived
about : o'clock nj the Belgian station of La
tlingc and walked across the frontier. The
nnrties found AT length convenient site in
"A lonely alley sheltered from the sun bv a
wall. The principals cast a hurried look
around them Not cOckage was on the
horizon. 80, while the doctors were syring-
inc the swords to render them antiseptic,
fhDy hurricdly threw of their coats and
wnistcoats They are now sword in hand (;
the seconds cry. "GOi' and the fight begins.
VI. ROchcfOrt, according TO his usual tao
tics. ruslcs upon his adversary impetuOusly;
the latter retreats one step: rustilng
sound Of swords is heard. NJ. ROchefOrt
rIshcs again. and both men are entangled
breast 60 breast. NJ. Thiebaud received a
thrust i'm the thigh, a cut on the cheek, and
"A violent nat blow across the forehead. The
fight was stopped, and NJ. Ihiebaud, who
WAS not seriously hurt, drove back to II.
Nicolas in VI. ROohcfOrt's carriage, attend
ed hy tbe doctors. The two adYersarles
met again in the railway station, and shook
hands. II hope IL is not serious said NJ.
R0chef0rt, and he added "It was not you ]
alluded 10 in my article. upon my honor
There was a large crowd on the platform,
and NJ. RochefOrt was the Object Of sort OF
friendly manifestation. In sundays In
;ransigcaut he gives characteristic ac-
count of the affair. My perigrinatiOns,'
\
tanccs than those Of VI. CarnOt, have been
infinitely more fertile in incidents. The
correspondents Of papers OF every color
have chased us for three days, and. thanks
10 them, Belgium and Holland modified
their gendarmcrie i'm our honor \ price has
been pnt upon us al the rate of % francs a
head. aud six mounted police, four on foot
and "a swarm of detectives were up the
whole Of last night. While they were beat
ing time ON the same spot, however, we
were polishing up our swords farther along
AT la Clinge. Reporters were swarmlng
everywhere. crossed them on my STAR
ease. \aughan. one OF the seconds, iOund
one in his bed, and they took away our car
riagc- bv main force i'm "A village half Dutch.
half Belgian We ask for q carriage TO
carr, u- whittier duty called us. There Is
only one said the iunkeoper, and 1t has
been secured hy reporters; but can get
from the milk woman next door cart with
six DOGS who will run as fast as the village
mare This would have made us butt
for lifelong ridicule. The carriage came at
last however, our tOrmenter- having Jailed
10 secure IL. The gendarmes made no Sc
cret Of their source of information. one Of
them stopping our carriage Yesterday SAID:
Il know what YOU are mp 10. have found
out from the papers. Under these clrcum-
stances affairs of honor become affairs Of
legs While defending yourself in front
YOU are under the apprehension Of being
sand wichcd between a sword ana bayO-
net"
NJ. johnson, the London cOrrespOn lent OF
the Paris Figaro. is one Of the reporters 10
whom VI. ROchciort refers as running after
him. VI. Johnson. who writes from Client
0n the jth instant, had as much difficulty
bon attending this notable encounter as had
the recorders of the sO-called fight between
smith and ~lavin at Bruges. In the first
place. ne left Ostend at 5 40 IN the morning.
and did not get TO Client I'LL
past midnight. About midday fol-
lowing he arrived at Selzactc. on
the Dutch frontier, where the duel was 10
take place: but he did not get there without
the necessity of eIpelling two of his Jour
nali,tic cOnferccs from his carriage, as he
himself describes IL. sans facons. The first
act iu the duel took place here. and con
sisted of VI. Rochefort dyesting himself Of
his coat NJ. Thiebaud, being a little more
leisurely. allowed a Dutch gendarme TO
come up. who said, although he was
much ont of breath: ere, you
can't do this sort of thing here
The majesty of the law being recognized,
the parties returned their swords to their
-cabbards. and adjourned across the IRON
tier % finish out the farce; but here, AZ NJ.
johnson marrates. the most absurd incident
occurred. The adventure had been noised
abroad. and when the Dutch police left the
chase it was taken up by the Belgians, who
threatened to lock up the entire party.
I nder these distressing circumstances the
duel had 90 be adjourned till Saturday.
The ducls and the revelations continue TO
supply Paris with daily matter for excite
ment and help 10 make the dull season one
of the gaycst ever remembered. u. Mer-
meiX's first duel. which took place last
evening. was attended with an unpleasant
hitch. which will offer an excuse 10 those
h, hO have accepted his challenges to with
draw from their engagements with honor
during the first pass of arms be-
tween him and NJ. Labruyere, one Of
NJ. NormciX'. seconds cried out, mistaken
l1. M. Labruyere, you are touched,
upon which another second gave the order
i0 drop swords. VI. Labrlyere Immediately
dropped his sword. when his adversary,
with "a lungc forward, wounded him rather
deeply in the hand. "Sir." exclaimed NJ.
labruyere. you have wounded man Of
his guard after orders 10 stop. You are a
sc0undrel.'
An angry discussion arose among the sec
onds, 'and II seemed as II the affair would
degenerate into a siX-cOrnered duel. NJ.
ID the case, that he had acted quite unn-
.ontionally. having heard the order when
.o0 late 10 arrest his movement. NJ. Labru-
,rre, however, only replied by a scowl and
a shrug OF the shoulders, and, turning TO VI.
Mayer Levy, remarked bitterly that
be- was the cause Of the mischief.
he then insisted on taking up the
words again. but the witnesses would not
iilOw this. The adNersaries, with their
JACKS turned 6 one another, put on their
oats. NJ. MermeiX confused al his '3Sshap,
VI. labruyere nervous from indignation,
zeal or fictitious. The latter, looking round
Il VI. MermeiX over his shoulder, tainted
i'm, and finished 10y saying that the affair
Vas only postponed. He then left the
.round. smarting with his wound, and with
hc reflection that honor. after all, was not
atiiied.
The Official account OF the duel states
hat, order 10 stop being given, NJ. La
ruyere was wounded almost tho sam in
iant one of VI. Merineix's projected duels
mat with the deputy, NJ. Castelin) will not
AXE place. NJ. Castelin had previously OBJ
icted 10 tight with Nj. Mermeix on various
rounds, but NJ. Fortalis, a Deputy, 10
HON both parties had appealed as
mpire, ruled against him. His sec
nds, however, to-day learning the re-
nil az the Iabruyere duel. called on the |