The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-27
FEATS WITH THE SWORD.
Wonderful Performances of Experts will
the Weapon.

Wonderful Performances OF Experts with
the Weapon
Feats of workmanship, such as cut
ting through triangular bars of lead or
carcasses of sheep, are performed with
special weapons, and on this subject.
and that of sword blows generally. Mr.
Henderson, the well known professor
of swordsmanship, and for many years
connected with Angeles school OF arms,
has related some interesting facts
Though no longer quite so young as he
was. he is still active and hearty, and
must have been in his prime very
powerful man, weighing one hundred
and ninety pounds He has in his time,
at one stroke, cut through two sheep,
one carcass inside the other, and in a
similar manner through two and three
quarters inches of solid lead. A special
" made cuirass, much thought OF at
the time by the duke of Cambridge.
when tested by the redou btable Hen
derson was cut clean through. Steel
plates-six to the inch-and. ordinary
pokers have been severed at one blow
by the same strong arm These exploits
were all accomplished with a sword
made for him by the old firm of Wilkin-
son. 1t is called 'Excalibur." and
weighs but four pounds. It is perfectly
plain, slightly curved, has hilt some
thing like naval cutlass, and is tenn
pered to pefection-
Mr.. Henderson was present at the
battle of Chillianwal lab in 1s49, and can
testify 10 some remarkab bic instances of
the power OF keen sword. Toward
the terminate ton of the fight, as the
British troops were slowly retiring, a
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, instantaneously
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
engagement Sikh was found sitting
on the ground apparently unhurt, vet
holding his hands up to his head, and
when the surgeon babe him lower his
arms he fell dead On the spot, with half
his skull gone. the entire upper part
having been cut clean through Ele-
plants are completely disabled by one
blow from an 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, leav-
ing it dangling by only piece of the
skin. A GhoorlSa has been seen by the
late Laurence OliFhant to behead a
buffalo with a single blow OF his
cookrie. And Sir Samuel Baker. a man
powerful enough 10 WELD during his
African exploration the BABY" an
elephant rife weighing TWENTY-FIVE |
pounds, once Glove a wild boar with his /
big hunting-knife almost in halves as it |
was making final rush, catching it |
just behind the shoulder where the |
hide and bristles are al least d span |
thick. Sir Walter Scott relates how the |
earl OF Angus. with his huge sweeping I
brand, challenged an opponent to fight. |
and at a blow chopped asunder his thigh /
bone, killing him on the spot. There is
a story current in Australia that a
Lieut.. Anderson, in 1852, during an en-
counter with bushrangers, cut clean
through the gun barrel OF his adver-
sary with his sword And at kassas- /
sin il Is related that one OF Ara bi
Pashas soldiers was severed in two
during the midnight charge. But in
the opinion of experts this is very i'm
probable. even had the new regulation
sa Der been then in uSe--Lon6on Globe.