New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
COURTS OF HONOR.

sv OF THE CONTINENTAL CODE.
,.re.s Of the German Mobiles, at the
Ins as,,rs tust week ago. enacted that II
annual A ,oreer be regarded as brand OF dis
snou'' 49, a nobleman to decline DUEL II the
W. WI. Of his refusal were hono'ao'e' 1"'
No considered as step III the risn' u"e.
nss vet II is doubtful whether It Will coh'li'u'e
p0A' NAV TO check or arrest the mama 'oi
~ ~ n,.o which lie raging at the present moment
aue" ..ahout the length and breadth OF Europe
'n'0. ",.ons decided upon by the convention aS
inc namely, the organization OF courts OF
renee - the regulation Of differences nither'o
hono' ~, single combat. already exists IN the
se'"eu ~. army. and, far from Diminishing the
Case =, due,s among military men. mas. u"
n'"' -.rorv. had the effect Of increasing '"e''
frequency horor composed Of
I"es ,.,onp,nR "a far as possible to the req.
o"'. % which the disputants belore. were ""'
m eh'' nv old Emperor william wno' IN
esA 49, GRANDSON was sincerely honest l" "'s
IL. .,ors 70 diminish duell.ng. ana ne oec.seu
e'a ~ Aght should be permitted 70 'ane pc"
'"a, 49,. no,nt Mt issue had been suom'''eu "
u" and the latter. after due oehoe'"'
Tue .,aad whether the matter was one VI 'ui
hau ortance TO warrant meeuhe on ''e
neld Of honor .,,o, however. the
ohe ru,nsror aid after ascending the throne
peS' },,,.or a epeech az one Of the uniVersi-
was !" Tho svs.em Of the dueTo. end pro-
ties 'auu =. ono NJ the most cherished insu'u-
nou"' educational and incidentally or the
tons VI .. Germany. This speech gave q
soc'a| s,,,, ~ due,,ing. and served to undo
'rene. ,,ood that had been effected In the direc'
.'ar q, ito abolition by the ola E"'e'o'
uo" IA aversion TO the custom. Few mon'"s
nou"oe" >,,,,s,.r ~ War Of Bavaria. General
lae' %, was encouraged by these Imperial Ut
Won as declare IN the National Legislature
Ve'@ ,,.,n,ch that under no circumstances couid
s,su,ne be done away with IN 'he army VI Wv
u'. .,ea code Of honor modified this 100, ID
s0.e"" ~ foc, that duellng Is strictly forbid
.p'e =. Tho criminal code in Bavaria. as well as
oe" =. o.,or country OF Europe. About the
time the Austrian Minister OF war the
,o,e Baron Won Bauer. declared IN 'ne
~, =. vienna that the condition Of society Old
~, hermit Of the abolition OF encounters VI "''
Nv. ~. :, tho army. while his colleague. Baron
rsvar,arv. Minister Of War for hungary ~
,.,.. It,, view Of demonstrating how cordially
\. annroved General Won Bauers re''a'k III.
$3.50 Denutv who had denounced In the Diet
ne frequency of duelling IN the army, any
.'..h, him with sabres in the garrison church
At Pesth on a Sunday. an hour a1'er 'he o'os
:. a,,,rs service. the marble floor OF the sacred
.,,nce being spattered with the pioou Vi inc W.,
,.,,r,,.a legislator. who was badly wounded.
u NAV be added. by-the-way. that baron rover
larry Is still in Office.
PERVERTED INSTITUTION.
ithaca courts Of honor. which have been adopt
"A &, TIA armies Of every Continental couhu! ]"
reeve have entirely lost sight OF the oo,ec'
d, which they were originally created. am nave
~ -e,ert wears developed into means OF pro-
Noting the frequency Of the duello ihs'eao Vi
a,n,n,sh,ne II. That Is to say. they constantly
order duels TO be fought in cases where' il 'i'V
matter had been lef; 70 the care OF CONSCIENTIOUS
and trustworthy seconds. the point at isSu7
cou,a have been easily settler without any
combat taking place. Indeed. these courts ap-
near IA haya usurped inquisltorial preroga'lNes
~ an almost Incredible character. and actuaHy
90 ont Of their way to seek in the private lives
of Officers In active service. and even on the r."
tired list. for points which could be construed
a. affecting their honor. 1nasmuch as almost
every well-to-do German Of any education or po-
siton completes his obligatory service IN the
army with the rank Of officer Of the reserve
forces II will readily be seen how wide-reach-
Ing are the operations Of these military courts OF
honor. which, constituting an imperium In I'M
perio. decree and enforce laws Of their own max
ing. which are Numerically opposed to those OF
the land.
Thus. Baron Won Kotze the principal figure IN
the anonymous letter scandal at Berlin. after hav-
ing fought two dues in vindication OF h!s honor,
receiving In one Of the encounters wound that
will cause him to limp for the remainder OF his
le decided TO resort to the courts OF law for the
purpose Of clearing in the eyes OF the general pup
lie his character Of the aspersions that had been
cast upon 1t with liberal and cruel hand. so ne
instituted suits for criminal and civil libel against
those who had been most outspoken In their accu-
cations his fellow master OF the ceremonies being
the first 10 be served with writ When this be-
came known in military circles. 1t was declared
that Won Kotze had resorted to dishonorapie
means to vindicate himself. and on the matter
being brought before military court OF honor'the
latter decided that Won Kotze. having preferred
the law courts to a single encounter. was no long
Or Ut for the society Of gentlemen and ofncers'
The Emperor declined to ratify this finding In SO
hr as II decreed that the baron was unnt TOT the
Wdety Of noblemen and gentlemen, and this ieav-
tg him free TO fight. ne was practically goaded
BY the courts Of honor, as we'll as by threats OF
social ostracisrn into the duel which resulted In
the death OF Baron Won Schraeder.
Another instance in point Is the case OF DR.. Zen
ker who two or three weeks ago received bullet
through the heart from the pistol Of his Intimate
friend. Baron Won Kettleholt. DR.. Zenker was
one Of the most prominent lawyers In Berlin, ana
In the enjoyment OF large practice. HIS famiy
consisted Of three children and wife. the lat
Ter an extremely pretty woman. disposed 70
coquetry and Irritation. which. however. were
source OF more amusement to her husband than
OF annoyance or Of anger. Potsdam. which they
maze their home. !s a hotbed Of gossip and OF
scandel. and It was not long before the name
OF lovely Frau Zenker was connected by SANDER
GUS quidnuncs with those Of certain OF her hus-