The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-02


edge. Perhaps his greatest exploit was
placing franc on edge aud clipping its
rim at top and bottom with 40 bullets at
twenty yards.
Clemenceau rarely speaks of his duels, and
least of all will he mention one of his first,
in which a certain III. de B. fell dead
before bis pistol There is no need TO mem
ton the cause OF that encounter, save to say
that those Of his friends who know the cir
cumstances justify Clemenceau In killing
his antagonist. When that duel took place
the accepted code was somewhat different
from the one now prevailing. The cons
batants with pistols then stood with the
| hand at the right temple and the weapon
pointed upward until the word was given.
Then the pistol was brought down to the
level of the eye and fred. Clemencsau told
his seconds that he would put a bullet in
De B. g right temple before he could bring
his pistol down TO fire. 1t was just that
which happened. The man fell dead before
he could even take aim at bis antagonist.
Two or three of Clemenceau's duels have
had amusing features, and these are the
ones most talked about. A few years ago
Clemenceau, Just after he had overthrown
cabinet, called one evening at the Office of
a Paris journal. A member Of the staff
whom Clemenceau knew did not respond to
his greeting The radical leader spoke to
the man again, and the response was
warm criticism Of his last political exploit.
The peppery journalist wound up by a
rather contemptuous assertion that although
Clemenceau might be able 20 destroy min
istries be had never succeeded in creating
one. Furthermore, in justification of his
first GOODNESS, the writer remarked that
such a man didn't deserve recognition, and
that he wouldn't bow to him on the street.
Clemenceau retorted that the man was a
blackguard TO talk in such fashion. There
was more hot language, and a challenge
followed. In warning to his opponent,
Clemenceau said:
"Ill not kill you. You say you will not
lift your hat to me. Very well Before
you can fire / will take your hat off,
The great marksmau did not quite keep
his word. Before the journalist could fire
ClemenceRus bullet struck his hat rim aad
turned The hat half way round on his head.
1t did not drop off. however. Clemencesu
described this encounter as a duel pour
rire,"
A certain lawyer several years ago as
sailed Clemenoeau's character in a legal re-
view. The latter sent word to the offender,
II can pull your ears for you, but that
would be of little account. / will, how
ever, save you the annoyance Of having
them pulled by anybody else. l will send
you my seconds tomorrow. If when the
terms Of meeting are arranged we have two
shots, will cut Off both your ears only
single shots we're afterward exchanged, aud
Clemenceau had TO be content with one ear,
which he cut off.
A more serious encounter was that with
Major P of the French army
few months after the Franco German war
was finished. The practice of dueling was
under discussion in a small CO npany which
included the major and Clemenceau. The
officer declared cOntemptuOusly that So
called duels between civilians were but
farces, and that most of those in private
life who had regulations for skill in arms
would in a genuine encounter sink into
simple ''pekin," a slang word used often to
express a soldiers contempt OF civilian
courage and skill. Clemenceau took offeuse.
''I'll teach you what a pekin can do" he
retorted, ''if you will meet me with what
ever weapons you choose. My seconds will
arrange with your friends, for hold you
a. coward TO express such an opinion OF
civilians in presence of one of them"
The major chose pistols. When they
went to the dueling ground Clemsnoeau said
to his seconds:
He is an officer OF the French army. so |
will not kill him. But will break his right
leg above the knee. it is not so dangerous
there as 1t would be below and he indicated
with bit of chalk on the trousers of one of
his friends the point where ne would wound
his opponent. The bullet went true to Its
mark.
Was there any need for Clemenceaus ad-
mission that he voluntarily permitted De-
roulede to go unscRthed from before his
pistol two weeks ago? The frat bullet, had
he chosen, would have pierced the heart or
the brain of the brave but foohardy man
who placed himself at the mercy Of such q
wonderful marksmAn. / do not need to re-
hearse the details Of that affair which
oabled at the time to the Sun. Deroulede's
declaration that he owes his life to provi-
Dental protection is OF course absurd Had
the meeting taken place twenty-four hours
earlier, as was expected, Deroulede would
surely have fallen. The motives which
saved him were not those which were given
out. Clemenoeau declared that the arrange
ments for the duel were badly executed
that the word was given so rapidly that
only an expert could respond with anything
but wild shot. He was unwilling to take
advantage Of DerOulede under such ciroum-
stances. 10 ia true that the matter was
somewhat clumsily managed in this regard.
Clemenceau, however, had no intention Of
shooting his opponent when he went on the
ground. 1t had been made clear to him
that be could not afford to risk the conse-
quences of killing a man in Derouledes po-
sition. There were no direct legal conse-
quences TO fear, but Clemenceau's future
was then and is still in tine gravest danger
He is most seriously implicated in the pend
ing scandals, and nobody knows at this
writing what his political fate will be- He
could not afford to bring upon himself the
additional burdens which the killing OF
Deroulede would have involved.
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