Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-28
SCENE OF MANY DUELs.
The Island Set Apart for Settling
French affairs of HONOR

Paris Letter to Chicago Herald
Your correspondent paid a visit the other
day, accompanied by a friend, to a famous
restaurant In the island of La Grande Jaate
opposite Courbevoie. where almost all the
duels that take place near Paris are fought
The waiter asked US what we would order.
and as We hesitated a moment, he added.
Perhaps You gentlemen have come to ar
range about duei?' The writer winked at
his companion and answered Yes Please
fetch the proprietor" The waiter rushed
downstairs and began shouting at the top OF
his voice. M. Martinez! NJ. Martinez, We
followed and were looking over the estab-
lishment, which comprised a ballroom, sew
eral dining rooms and inevitable cabinets de
sodete. and number of rustic bowers.
when ioviai-looking individual, jus, abou,
nifty. with long. fair mustache sprinkled
with gray and trained downward, Joined us.
Ah! he exclaimed at once, Its for a
duel Well. there Is the ground behind the
swings: twenty meters of splendid ground.
quite smooth and hard. Beautiful trees ana
shrubs: plenty Of shade: quite quiet and
private. you see. Over there on the QUAY.
bordering the narrow branch of the Seine
Is where the carriages stop. NJ Dehayuin
and NJ Jacques Lebaudy fought there only
the other day. NJ. Lebaudy received three
centimeters Of steel in the middle of the
chest. Would You like more open ground,
Here You have it. What beautiful air. How
freely one breathes here. How inviting this
fine sand is. Last month we had an unusual
anair on this very spot. A duel between
ladies'. and smart ones too, / can tell You
1t seems they were actresses. One belongs
to the Varieties, but do not know where
the other plays. Love was the cause of the
dispute. and they fought like tieresses
Upon my word you would have thought they
We're mad; The seconds were elderly gentle
men. both decorated and evidently rich.
The girls were naked to the waist and wore
full riding breeches. One of them had her
breast pierced three times before she would
at least q month"
But. the correspondent inquired. you
are not present at the duels?'' oh" he
answered. reproachfully. most absolute
the doors are bottled and the walters are
shut up In the cafe. I remain near at hand
behind one Of the bushes, for example TO
give assistance IL needed. My clients need
bring nothing with them but their arms l
supply everything except the doctor and his
instruments. OF course. Two salad bowls
full of carbolic acid and water to wash the
wounds. bandages. lint. cotton wool. in fact,
all that Is required for the first dressing
In word you are just comfortable as
II You were at home. But you have not seen
all. The ground have just pointed out to
you would not do on a rainy day In had
weather these affairs are settled in the bali
room, which has a beautiful smooth even
flooring as you will see. Just like a sale
d'armes. 1t was there that the Mores- Never
duel was fought. NJ. Clemenceau, who is
one of my best customers, will never fieht
anywhere else. He was here a few weeks
ago to settle an affair with a deputy. but
the commissary entered by one door. my
customer went out by the other and did the
business In Rothschnd's park, where M
Clemenceau had all the time he REQUIRED TO
put two or three inches Of steel into his
adversary's ribs. When NJ Clemenceau is
not here others are l generally have from
twelve to sixteen duels a week."
And what Is the fee?'
'Oh, a mere nothing-Sl0, service complete
II 1t were not for the refreshments. it would
not repay one the trouble. When the affair
does not terminate badly, the gentlemen
often lunch here"
Then II Is still customary to shake hands
and lunch together when the duel is over?"
'Oh, no; that is not considered correct
now. One of the principals lunches with his
two seconds and his doctor in one arbor, and
the other with his friends In another, fifty
meters apart. But the deJeuner that is the
most curious and profitable is that which is
given a day or two afterward A duel natur-
ally makes lions of the principals. who are
talked about by their friends, and when 1t
has not had an unhappy issue, one or the
other of them, sometimes both. but at diff
ferent times, return here with a party Of
ladies and gentlemen and fights his battle
DER again-in words. The ground is in
spected and everything infinitely explained
The hero is appplauded by the knen and ad-
mired by the ladies, who give utterance to
suppressed shrieks and exclaim: so you
wounded him, mon cher. did you? Well IL
was very chic, anyway Then they cuddle
and kiss him, and you can easily imagine
what a set-out there Is after that. There
upon the proprietor bursts into fit Of
laughter When his hilarity had somewhat
subsided he exclaimed: "And now, gentle
men, II you will name your day and hour
everything shall be at your disposal"
Better Days.