Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-02
rHR puKLLo-somE NorABLs DUELs.


duel, it must not be forgotten that there
are duels and duels, as we'll as duellists
and duellists, and that La Belle France
has had her "killers" of renowp, not to
mention the Marquis de Mores and Paul
de Cassagnac of the present day. The
statesmsn's duel has indeed become
thing OF pleasantly, although Monsieur
Floquet went far to relieve his class
from the air of levity which has char
acterized it for some time past. That
venerable statesman came very near
killing Boulanger, the General Boum
hero of certain class of Frenchmen.
The case was the more notable because
Monsieur Floquet was q barrister and
an occasional journalist, and was near
seventy years old at the time when the
rencounter took place, while his oppo-
nent was posing as an opera boutfe hero.
But there have been French duellists
who might we'll strike terror to the
stouteet hearts. Amongst these was
the celebrated Jean Louie, master OF
arms to the 2Sth regiment of French In
fantry. The story of one OF his exploits
is taken from the official records in the
French ministry of war, and is told IN
the last number of Lippincott's maya
zine. When Napoleon was going
through the expensive process OF prop
ping up his brother Joseph on the
throne of Spain his army on the PENN
sula embraced a-large number OF ltai'
ians, and personal duels between OH
GERS and men of the French and Italian
regiments became very frequent, 80
much go that it was finally decided, in
the interests of discipline, to have
general duel between fifteen representa-
tives of each OF the contendipg factions,
which was to be witnessed by the
whole army of occupation OF Mad
rid. 1t was expressly declared
that this was to settle all qdes-
tions in dispute between the con-
tending intereste, and that there
were to be no more brawls under any
circumstances thereafter, under pain OF
court martial and summary execution.
On the day appointed for the trial at
arms ten thousand soldiers and an i'm
mense number of the people of Madrid
were on hand to witness the novel con-
test.
The fifteen Italians we're headed by
Giacomo Ferari, the master at arms OF
the First French regiment, which was
composed almost entirely Of Italians.
The French contingent was headed by
Jean Louis. In few moments Ferari,
who was the best Italian fencing master,
Law dead at the feet OF the Frenchman,
who exhibited remarkable coolness, and
who stood with the point OF his sword
in the ground, surveying his dead ad-
versary. When it was proposed to re-
place him with another Frenchman ne
said that he was not tired, and
that his compa.riots need not be
called upon just then. He maintained
this attitude. repulsiDg all attempts to
give him a rest and replace him by one
of the fourteen other Frenchmen, until
thirteen Of the Italians lay dead in the
improvised arena. AT this point the
superior officers interfered and stopped
the duel. This was something like the
tournament at Ashby-de-la-Zouche in
Scott's Ivanhoe, with the exception that
Richard Ceur de Lion was not Obliged
to do so much work as Jean Louis, nor
was the Knight OF Ivanhoe himself.
We have had some American duels
and duellists that are noteworthy.
When Senator Wigfall of Texas was
young man he took up his residence in
town of South Carolina that had a
club composed of hot-headed young
fellows like Wigfall himself. Like most
southerners of those times, Mr.. Wig
fall took to writing letters to the
nearest newspaper, and some OF
them did not please the South Caro-
lima Hotspura. The club met one even
ing and resolved that Mr.. Wigfall must
either leave town or fight the club. The
resolution was communicated to the
gentleman animadverted upon, and he
replied that he did not intend to leave
the town. Challenges began to pour in
upon the fearless scribbler, to all OF
which he responded promptly, killing
or winging his adversary. The third
duel was fought between Wigfall and a
brother OF Preston s. Brooks, the latter
known in the north as bully"
Brooks from the episode in the
senate chamber in which Charles
Sumner and he figured. Both were
severely wounded, and Wigfall lay for
six weeks in hut on the Savannah
river before he could be moved. When
he got back to the town in which the
challenges had materialized. he sent
word that be was ready for the next
combatant. The members of tie club
by this time had probably come to the
conclusion that Wigfall was composed OF
the stuff of which good citizens were
made, and they formally expunged their
resolution. Wigfall is said to have
killed twenty -one men in duels, which
takes nc account of the encounters had
by him in which there was less serious
outcome.
The great wonder when one gets down
to the modern French duel is how these
elegant French statesmen and men Of
letters come to imagine that they are
fooling anybody. The distances, when
the duel is with pistols, are so arranged
that only O cowhov could hone to wing