The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-31
JEAN GREAT DUEL.
REMARKABLE COMBAT ARRANGED
BY TIE CIR FAT NAPOLEON.

a Deadly Decision OF the Question of
Rsgimental Prowess1Ohe Champion,
However, Lays Out Thirteen of the
Other Side. ,,saE
From the Kansas GttB Star
The bloody exercise of dueling is as old
as history. 1t was over a thousand years
before the gentle Nazarene that David and
his sling disposed of that tull-blown and
rather inflated parsonage. Goliath of Gath.
Many were the celebrated encounters since,
extending indeed fairly down to the present
day. For while the law is everywhere in
Christeudom in solid front against it, still,
with some men, in some sections, the
custom finds its friends and even its ardent
practitioners. ~
AT one time dueliug was familiar form
of settling disputes at law. These legal
combats were supposed to Invoke the atten-
ton and interference Of oinnipotence; and,
OF course. in theory, at least, the right pre-
vailed. In the lawsuits Of that age de-
PENDANT was in most instances allowed his
trial by combat, and, in event of the judges
awarding it, blood was set flowing with
much pomp and circumstance. The victor
was the successful litigait, and there was
no such process as appeal, Women, MANNED
persons, and those under 16 and over 90
were exempt from these combats, as als1
was the clergy. Yet any of them might
claim the privilege, and expose a champion
| in his stead. 4 oNo
The old law records Of England and most
of the continental nations are full Of the his
| tory of these fights at law. On one occasion
| a man buried to the waist and armed with
| short truncheon or club was made to do
battle with bull dog. To those Interested
it may be well to say that the man was in
this instance the victor.
1t was not until the earlier years of the
sixteenth century. however. that dueling as
a method of settling private disputes involv-
| ing somebody's alleged honor came into
vogue. That boom in dueling was due to
| the ill-considered conduct OF brace of
kings, who wrote personal letters of great
virulence, calling each other liars and cow
| ards in q most gallant way, and talking
| fight the while as il it were the breath to
| their nostrils They did not, however, act
| ually meet-monarchs are not as a rule any
wise eager to expose their royal persons to
lance aud sword-and the thing ended in
talk, which was certainly great pity. But
| it set a fashion which mon of greater cour-
age, though lesser estate followed eagerly.
| So zealously, indeed, did the gentry of
Europe pursue the matter of splitting each
| other on their swords in personal quarrels
btldG tuS RON6EuultnJ IOOh anu LDe
| Catholic church brought all the power of
| Rome to its determination as a custom.
Among the most remarkable OF duels was
| one which came off by order of the first
| Napoleon. About 1896 there came to Paris
| brown mulatto boy, by name Jean Louis.
| He was born ON the island of San Domingo.
Later, IN Paris, he was admitted as the
| pupil of regiment, although he was OBJ
| jected to both on account of his dark skin
and his sickly physique. But he was finally
| permitted TO pass, ana subsequently de-
veloped into a good soldier and the best
| swordsman the world had ever known.
This Jean Louis was of a very quiet and
religious turn and an ardent student of the
| Bible. When his thin, brown hand was not
| gripping the sword hilt it was turning the
sacred leaves of scripture. He had mind
| for nothing else.
His fencing was noted for two things
rapidity and simplicity. There was moth
| ing dramatic-nothing of the play house
in his work. 1t was simply serious and
scientific effort to kill an adversary, and all
without fiounce or flourish. His fencing
was like the workings of a clock. He be-
came efamed, first through France and
finally through Europe. Swordsmen made
| pngrimages to the French capital TO eros:
swords with the mulstto. They we're to O
man vanquished. But the duel Napoleon
1
In 1914 Jean Louis was % years of age.
He was in the army, following the standard
| of the Corsican. He had been in thirty
battles for his emperor in Russia, Italy,
| Egypt and Prussia Now he was with his
| regiment in Spain. His position was that
| of first fehcing master to the Thirty-second
regiment, then stationed at Madrid In the
same division-the Third-were regiments
composed Of the subjected allies of Napo-
lanY Hha Itrr% fr,l1v -
| Italians, and one day some soldiers of this
and the Thirty-second. meeting in wine-
shop, fell to brawling The brawl became
| riot, as comrades from each regiment
rushed to the scene, LISTING Tor battle, and
at once involved themselves on their regi-
mental sides. Several were killed and much
blood wss shed, nor did the fighting cease
until brigade was marched to the scene to
quell the war
Napoleon was averse to dueling in his
army. Ii lost bin men aud gained him
nothing, and Napoleon was thrifty of his
| men. When he parted with one he wanted
an equivalent. But dueling had too strong
hold on the minds of his soldiers fer even
the great emperor to break. There were
bound to come a hundred collbats as tina
iruit of this brawl between the French and
Italian soldiery. Napoleon knew this. and
TO avoid it ordered solemn duel for the
that the fencing masters and their assist
ants Of the two regiments should assume all
responsibility and meet in the field. 1t was
to be sanguinary aud spectacular. Thai
portion OF the army ia Madrid was drawn
up ON plain near the city to witness it, A
fiat elevation formed a natural platform
and here, in sight of twenty regiments, the
fencers were to fight until the c1mDetanis
on one side were slain or disabled to the last
man.
BY the rules which governed the fight q
champion was to be selected from each side,
and these were to fight until one was dead
or down. The victor then was to fight the
next man, and still the third, and SO on until
he too should fall. Then the second seleo-
ton from his side was to take bis place, and
the combat go on. % la
There were over 10 900, witnesses to tbs
fight. -
The combatants, fittesehno on a side, with
breasts bare, armed with swords. which
they carried unsheathei in their hands
were marched upon the sceLe. "a eg
The first two selected-they selected them
selves-were naturally the two masters,
Glacomo Ferrari, the Fforentine. and Jean
Louis They advanced to the ceuter Of tue
little stage and saluted. Their comrades
looked seriously o. it would soon be their
turn; but they were all soldiers and grizzly
disposed TO uphold the honor of their regi-
ments. q b.
When the two combatants faced each
other there was a great disparity in size
Inc Italian was tall, powerful man. 1.-the
and quick as panther. The mulatto, jean
Louis, was tall but exceptionally slight.
The word was given and the swords crossed.
From the first the Italian took the initia-