Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-12-15

Steel Plates ana Polsers Severed with :
single Blow.


Steel Plates and Polsers severed with :
single BLOW.
Feats Of swordmanship, shch as cutting
through triangular bars of lead or oar
cases of sheep, are performed with
| special weapons; and on this subject
and that of sword blows generally, Mr..
Henderson, the well-known professor Of
swordmanship, and for many years con-
nected with ALgclo's School of Arms,
has some interesting facts to relate.
Though no longer quite so young az he
was, he is still active and hearty, and
must have been in his prime very pow.
erful man, weighing 100 pounds. He
has in his time, ut one stroke, cut
through two sheep, one carcasc inside
the other, and in similar manner
through two and hree-quartcr inches of
solid lead.
A specially made cuirass, much
thought of at the time by the Duke of
Cambridge, when tested by the redorbt-
able Henderson, was cut clean through.
Steel plates-siN to the inch-and nr-
dinary pokers have been severed at one
blow by the same strong arm. These
exploits were oil accomplished with
sword made for him by the old firm of
Wilkinson. 1t is called "EScaliuur,"
and weighs but four pounds. 1t is per-
fectly plain, slightly curved, has a nlt
something like naval cut!ass, and is
tempered to perfection. MIR. Henderson
was present at the battle of .Chilu;:,-
wallah in 1919, and can testify to some
remarkable instances OF the power Of II
keen sword.
fs.1,VY Jpn1f fifNtN rNf< <1,A E..,,t
as the British troops were slowly re.;r.
iring, Il Sikh challenged by his gestures
and defiant attitude an Irish soldier to
leave the ranks and engage in single
combat, One thrust from his bayonet
went right through the Sikh. who,
though mortally wounded, instautanc-
ously with his razor-edged tulwar cleft
his opponents head in two, as far down
as the base of the neck, both falling dead
at the same instant. After this engage
mcnt Sikh was found sitting ON the
ground apparently unhurt, yet holding
his hands up to his head, and when the
surgeon badc him lower his arms, he fell
dead on the spot, with half his skull
gone, the entire upper part having been
cut clean through.
Elephants are completely disabled by
one blow from the Arabs two-handed
sword, which almost sewers the huge
hind leg, biting deep into the bone. This
feat is varied by slashing off the trunk,
leaving it dangling only by piece oi
skin. A Goorka has been seen by tho
late Laurence Oliphant to bchcad buf-
falo with his cockrie. And Sir Samuel
Baker, man powerful! enough to WELD,
during his African exploration, the
Baby, an elephant rifle weighing twenty
two pounds, once Glove wild boar with
his big hunting knife, almost in halves,
as it was making his final rush, catching
it just behind the shoulder, where the
hide and bristles are ut least O span
thick.
Sir Walter Scott relates how the Earl
Of Angus, with his huge sweeping brand
challenged an opponent to fight, and at
blow chopped asunder his thigh abonc,
killing him on the spot. There is a
story current in Australia that a Lieut..
Anderson, in 1862, during an encounter
with bushrangors, cut clean through the
gun-5arrel of his adversary with his
sword. And at kassassin it is related
that one Of Arab Pasha's soldiers was
severed in two during the midnight
charge. But in the opinion of experts
this is very improbable, even had the
new regulation sabre been then in use.
-LBoston Globe.