The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-29
DUELS IN FRANCE.
Seconds Are Hard to Get II Pistols Are the
Weapons

Weapons
Robert H Sherrard in n. Y Jourpal1
Pistol-dueling is in France looked upon
and consider rightly-with considera-
bic disfavor The pistol is considered the
towards weapon, unless the conditions of
the tight are such that there is a fair
chance of serious termination. Pistols
are usually chosen by people who don't
want to get hurt, though also by dueists
who want the duel to end in the death of
one or the other. 1t is difficult to lind
seconds TO assist you In pistol duel, be-
cause, as pistol duel ends either harm
lessiy or else very seriously because
wound with dueling pistol is always a
grave one, people don't want to stand he
tween having engaged in a farce or being
involved IN matter OF some responsible
ity.
1t has been my fate to fight several pis-
TO dutls-always against my willard l
have always found it exceedingly difficult
to get two friends to take charge of my in
terests In these affairs. IF il Is with
swords, with pleasure, but not with pis-
tolls, Is what is the almost invariable re-
mark OF man whom you ask to assist you
In an affair" la which you NAV be en-
| gagged. And even when you do find men
W hOAP lOu III q pASlOl uuCl, LucEE are IL Nv
whose friendship for you is sufficiently
great TO prompt them tc agree to any but
| easy conditions.
In recent affair in which l was en-
gagged, pistol duel being forced upon me.
as l did not wish 10 appear 10 be taking
part in the farce, and had decided that If
| fought pistol due it should be a serious
one, / requested and begged my seconds
TO secure for me as conditions OF the en-
| counter. firing on aim at fifteen PAGES. but
the utmost they would agree to WAS firing
at command at twenty PAGES. Firing at
command is method OF dueling which I
Consider should be abolished, because =
man engages in a pistol duel 1t ought 10
be Tor some result.
Now lie feu au commandment" means
that the combatants are placed, pistol in
hand, with The muzze pointing downward
to the ground, that at the word Fire"
they raise their arms and at these must
be discharged before three has been
counted. Unless nan De a very good
shot what chance has he of hitting his adj
versary, especially il the latter be placed
twenty PAGES away, under these condi-
tions2 There you are, pistol in hand.
The director of the combat" asks YOU
Are you ready?" You say, Eyes" He
cries, Fire, one, two, three" and YOU
have to get your shot off before he has
said three"
In the pistol duel on aim, you have a
full minute in which to fire at your man.
which gives you plenty of time for YOUR
work. If he fire first and wound you, you
are allowed TWO minutes before firing. In
duel on aim, the duelist who knows
what he is about lets his opponent fire
first and then takes deliberate aim at him.
Even If he miss him, the sight OF his adj
versary standing. as dueling code obiges
him to stand, lin posture of complete
lmmobility," for a large numb Der Of Sec
onds. each Of which must appear an eter-
nifty TO the man he Is covering, will more
than compensate him for any ofense he
may have suffered AT the mans hands.
The questi OF the number of PAGES, i.
e., of the distance at which the combs
ants are placed, is an important one. The
minimum allowed by the dueiing code is
fifteen PAGES, equivalent to about ten me-
tiers, the maximum being thirty five PAGES
Pistol duels at twelve PAGES never take
place in France, because that distance be-
ing below the minimum allowed bv Gus
tom and the code, no seconds would incur
the responsibility of a duel. which, if it
ended fatally, would expose them to a
prosecution of the most serious kind.
This Is why people We're SO very skepti-
cal about the accounts OF certain duels al
legged 20 have taken place recently in Bel
GUM, where the combaIants were reported
to have been placed at e distance of twelve
PAGES from each other.
The pistols used in France are inyaria-
bly, the Oid-fashioned muzzle-loading pis-
tolls, which make big noise in exploiting
and carrying a heavy ball 1t is often
said that the seconds, In French pistol
duels, never load the pistols properly. but
though this may occasionally be so, it is
certainly more often the exception. These
pistols, charged as they are, kill at forty
PAGES, and one can always Judge from the
noise of the explosion whether the seconds
have fooled YOU or not
The weapons are usually hired from one
OF the big gunsmiths of Paris, who keep
sets OF dueling pistols in stock for this
purpose. 1t Is against all etiquet for
man TO bring his own pistols, the rule be-
ing that he never has had the weapon
with which he fights in his hands before
the moment OF the encounter. The gum
smiths make you pay heavily for the hire
OF the weapons. At the principal shops
the seconds have to deposit 500 on fetch
ing case. On returning the weapons in
good order $40 are refunded. Elsewhere
pistols can be hired at a lower rate, but
the charge is always a very high one.
1t Is amusing to see how the gunsmiths
make up a case for this purpose packing
1t up with paper and string so that it looks
like parcel of dry goods or anything
rather than what is really il. Boxes of
powder, caps. wads and a supply OF bullets
go with each case, and with il q nice little
ramrod is handed to the customer.
However much in earnest the seconds
may be. they will always do their best to
render the chance of fatal announcement a
small one. If they can get you placed in
an open field they will do so. and if the
fight has TO come off on a road they will
place you diagonally. In the latter case
the eve is diverted by the line of the road,
and this renders hitting your mark very
difficult matter, especially in the case of a
duel with firing at command. However
much principal may object to such pre-
cautions he has 10 submit, "a the entire
responsibility OF his affair rests with his
friends, and he can hardly object to their