The evening world., 1892-04-25
OPERA B0UFFE DUEL.
London Believes No Bloodshed
Was Intended,
Harmless Plnmbago Bullets Used in
the Pistols.
al Feel Like FOOL" Borrowc Re
marked When Il Was Over.

! irrrrrL' CAnLr 70 rHr FvFSrS1 woptnA
LONDON, April "I.-Thcrc Is every reason 10
believe that the duel between Edward Fox
and llallctt Alsop Borrowe on the Belgian
coast near NlcupOrt Bains was no duel at all.
The principals and seconds all understood
that thee was to be no UlDodshed, and tho
two newspaper men were taken along 10 give
the no.oricty for which the comedy was
gotten up. The result is entirely different,
however, from what the stage duclLs,s cX-
pccted. and they are now the laughing stock
. OF London.
the statement that the tails OF 'oX's Prince
Albert coat were perforated by BurrOwc's
bullet ON the second shot has not been proven
other than by the say Of those interested Ia
getting up the duclilng story, but how c at
tails could be sGO: through without the indi-
yidual wearing them getting hurt Is Q,l"s-
tion decidedly puz1l!ng.
II Is said here To-day that the bullets used
were made OF plumbago, which Is nucy
divided black lead The explosion reduces
bullets OF this kind 10 powder, ana at the dis
tancc Of one or twelve PAGES they are equally
harmless Plumhago bullets In opera bOu1e
duelS are not unusual, there being number
OF instances ON record ia which they have
been used.
The departure OF the men from London, MS
published in THE EVENING WORLD OF Friday,
WIS made vita great secrecy. They went to
Paris, thence 10 Brussels, aud put W at the
Hotel de Europe ana Hotel Provost ON sun
day morning. The former, at which Borrown
stopped, is similar to most OG the hotels along
West street, New York, aud is rather u cheap
and common place about two blocks from the
steamship docks. BJrrowe who had brought
with Kim yalisn containing a stove-pipe hat
and u blacl; Prince Albert suit, changed hi,
attire, thus assuming the regulation apparel
of the stage duel
William l.. Bacon, OF Boston, was Fox 5
second ana Harry Nane Milbank looked after
BOrr0wc. Edwin Cleary. an actor, was taken
along In consequence OF his large ecquulnt-
nncc, and 50 that he could spread tie story u
the meeting II the newspaper people should
not believe the gcnuineLeSs Of the atrair AMI
refuse to chronicle H. us n bJna-idc duel. VI.
Provost and surgeon, who had been picked
up at Antwerp, were also taken along to the
ducling ground.
When The party arrived MilbanE produced
his famous duclling pistols and first dis
charged them ia the air to prJvc To the news
paper men that they we're real shooters, after
balls. Borrowc, In the meanItim smoked
cigarettes, white FOX assumed al air OF non
chulancc not at all In keeping with the ser-
BUSINESS Of the occasion.
The pistols were placed in the hands Of the
principals and MilDank inquired II they were
ready. Then he began tle count OF one, two,
three. The hiring was simultaneous AS
neither man was hurt the pistols were loaded
made, after which the ho1or Of the gentlemen
was declared satisfied.
BorrOwc returned to the Hotel de lEuropc,
where he changed his Prince Albert suit and
top hat for his travelling wear. FOX wCn, 10
the IlO. el Provost, which had ueen bis head
quarters soon after all started for London.
BorrOwe arrived here yesterday, bui Fox has
not yet put in an appearance. Actor Cicary
has industriously occupied himself IN prornr!.
eating the duel story, but instead Il accom-.
plishing the result desired, has given every. j..
body the impression thai the triggers were
pulled with tie Understanding that nobody
SHOULD be hurt.
II Is also on Interesting fact that the Pc'-
gan police were notified that the duel was To
take place, and as newspaper men IRE not
liable to spoil sensation It Is only tou prob
able that the interested parties are rcspon-
slhle for this too.
There Is n story anoat here that It was
originally inteAdCd that all hands should lie
arrested by the Belgian authorities, AS the
penalty was thought to be SIM 'ly 500 Nnc,
hut as II WAS learned afterwards tina. here
was also month imprisonment Ihr arrest
scheme was concluded 10 Lc unwisa, and The
original place Of nghting, wAiCh vas LNuwu
TO the Belgian police, was changed at the last
moment.
The reason assigned for the taking Of thi,
duel is that burrowc had publicly branded
Fox as 4 liar and Burrowe's courage Wa, IN
dlsrepute owing 20 his failure to Mect Dray-
ton. The Pair were being ridIculel by every
one and felt the necessity OF doing something
to straIghten out their regulations one IN.
Kind sConcr told your correspondent that he
believed that MnbanR went along Just 10
show that his famous duclling pistols. about
which lac has done so much Wanting, were
real weapons and could 90 on.
The BorrOwe-FoX meeting was a source Of
amusement at the CLUBS yesterday. NuJNly
believed that there was the slightest iulcG-
tiun Of bloodshed, The story that FoN'S al
tail was perforated caused genuine greet, uu-
I'll thoughtful man inquired why the bullet
had not gone through Fox IN dolng H.
\ newspaper, whose representative was
present at the duel, prints the following this
morning.
"Borrowc Is an inch or so short OF two yards
long and Is nearly n yarl IN equatorial diam
etcr. Edward Fox Is two inches short OF Two
yards long and is a trine more than Il yard
wide and about a yard thick through the
middle. 10 picture the targets more wildly
II may be said that each gentlAmaG was
nearly one-third the sire OF barn d,oI.
A duelling pistol Is almost big enough to
bo called gun. II is made TO shoot
stFaIQht IL pulls with a hair-triQeer, does