Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-01-16
A REMARKABLE SHOT.
How Duel Was Happily Averted
In France.


Ipassed, yesterday, on State street, g
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 much simmer, more
dandified looking man than he is now,
for he is married, and with the acquisi-
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 a 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-front 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 theii
hands, TO be settled, as most of those
matters are in France, under the code
When 1t came to a choice of weapons
Scott had wisely chosen pistols, fol
while he was VIGOROUSLY bad shot, hi
was totally ignorant Of the use of the
rapier.
The rapier, too Is weapon in the
use of which the gilded youth of Pari!
excel. Two years in the students quar-
ter had doubtless enabled Scott's 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 abou
nine miles from Paris in forty-eigh
hours time. The parties were to g.
out on the early train.
doubt if Scott was so much cut u
about the affair as Wainwright ever
though he fully expected to be killed
Wainwright kept on blaming himsel
for ever having let his friend get int
such q scrape. They had been colleg
chums together, and SCOTS father ha
put up the funds for the trip, simpl
providing that Wainwright the elder Q
the two, and in whom he placed i'm
plicit confidence, should see that Scot
was we'll looked after
Here he was seconding the old man
son in a duel poutrance, for that Their
was bad blood between the two princi
pals you may depend on. 1t was to b
no child's play this time, just somethin
to amuse the readers of the Petit jour
nal Pour Rire." They were to fire a
twelve PAGES, and continue firing unit
one of the parties was disabled.
The more Wainwright thought owe
the affair the more he realized what a
awkward job he had upon his hands.
What If his friend should fall.
would be bad enough to face SCOTS fS
Their with news of such character Bu
to communicate such result to Mar
Scott, his friends pretty sister; to hav
to confess how poorly he had futile
his trust; that, he felt would be tas
beyond his strength.
He lay awake all night at his hote
revolving somo plan by which the
could get out Of the scrape. This wa
not so easy, for any scheme he Nigh
adopt looking to an avoidance OF hosti
tiles must necessarily involve the r.
tirement Of his friend with honor, {
which, being Southerner of the oil
school, he was singularly tenacious.
He had frequently seen M. Ferrie
practicing at fashionable pistol ga
lery in the Rue du Capucines He kne'
that he spent the best part of ever
evening there in ringing the bell on tn
target-to accomplish which feat q
every one knows, it is necessary to HI
the bulls eye. Wainwright arose earl
with plan fully thought out
Come" he said to Scott, I'VE haven
too much time before us, We must g
down to Maupassants gallery and &c
some practice. You stay here and hav
some breakfast. don't care to eat S
early. I'll run down there and see
We can't get the gallery all to ourselve
tors, couple of hours"
THAT will be pretty costly won't it?
nazarded Scott.
Not more than . decent coffin, an