The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-26

At F'unfkirchen, in Hungary, a few
months ago, two young sub-lieutenants Of
dragons, who had just received their
commissions, and who were nothing but
boys, were skylarking together in the bar
ra cks yards. They pretended to be box
ing, one touching the other on the cheek,
the other tapping his friend on the Shout
der. Unfortunately, two senior officers
happened to be watching the innocent
amusement from a window, and without
delay brought to the notice of the colonel
and to the court of honor of the regiment
that the two young fellows had struck
one another. It was in vain that the two
lads declared that they had never dream
ed of insulting or offending the susceptible
tiles or each other, that they were old
and fast friends. and that they had merely
been Joking. The court of honor took a
more tragical view Of the blows which
they had struck in mere fun, and under
the penalty of FORGETTING their commits.
slons they were compelled to fight duel
with sabers in the barracks yard, the
one receiving a serious cut on the neck,
while the other had his lung pierced, sue
cumbing to the wound a couple of days
One could cite dozens more of instances
such as these which have occurred dur
ing the last few years in Austria, Ger.
many, Russia and Italy. These two will
possibly suffice to show that the so-called
courts OF honor proposed by the congress
OF nobles at Berlin are not only utterly
useless as preventive to duels, but are,
on the contrary, calculated to increase
their frequency, if that, indeed, is possible.
II is difficult to suggest any remedy for
TINS eVll which the laws of the land ap-
pear wholly unable to check or to ar
rest. There has been scarcely a single
monarch or ponttff of former days who
mas not issued DEGREES prohibiting the
duello, under the most severe penalties;
but so strong has been the pressure of
pubnc opinion, so deep-rooted the custom,
that all these laws and DEGREES have re-
manned to every intent and purpose
dead letter. Even in England, where the
duello Is ridiculed by the press and con,
q fPnr 1ot 1vs4 mr.
where the articles of war prescribe the
penalty of being cashiered for every Of
fcer involved in a duel, either as a prin-
clpal or as a second, the man who de-
clines a challenge and who attempts to
shield himself behind the army regula-
tions, is compelled to leave the service.
A case in point is that of Col. the Hon.
Frederick Wellesley, brother of the late
Earl of Cowley, and uncle of the present
peer of that title. Col Wellesley, while
acting as charge d'affaires of Great Brit
ain at Vienna, became involved in a
dispute there with an English brother
officer of the guards Capt John Della
behavior as well as his remarks that he
struck him with his glove across the face
and challenged him to fight.
the challenge, on the ground that by so
doing he would render himself liable to
dismissal from the service. On Delacours
return TO London, whittier he was follow
ed by the colonel, recalled, at the sug77
gestion of the Viennese court, which did
not relish the idea of being compelled 10
accord diplomatic honors to a man who
had shown the white feather the captain
pasted up big poster on the walls of the
Guards barracks in Hyde Park, stigma
ting Col. Wellesley as a coward. The ola
Duke of Cambridge, then generalissimo OF
the British army, riding by, saw 1t ana
asked what it meant. He then sent TOT
Col. Wellesley and asked him If 1t Were
true that he had taken shelter behind the
army regulations in quarrel about an ac,
tress. Wellesley, of course, was obliged
to acknowledge that he had.
Then" said the duke, you had better
leave the army"
Leave the army, sir?" exclaimed the
colonel But what am 1 to do If 1 do
leave the army?"
Turn dancing-master and be damned
to your replied the burly old commander
in-chief, swinging on his heel, and ORDER
ing his aide-de-camp in waiting TO sho"
the the colonel his door.
A few days later II was announced that
Col. Wellesley had been "graciously per-
mltted" TO resign his commission IN the
army, and although he did not turn dane
lng-master, yet he may be said TO nave
followed the dukes recommendation az
ter fashion by marrying Kate Vaughan,
OF the Galety theater, IN London VINO Is
known 20 fame as the originator Of the arr
or skirt-dancing