The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-02
A FIERCE SWORD FIGHT.
Furious Thrusts Exchanged by Two
Fencing Masers in a Duel.
From the New York Sun.

Fencing Masers in a Duel.
From the New York Sun
The two most conspicuous fencing mas
tiers of Paris, NJ. Vigeant and NJ. Rue,
quarrelled the other day over a letter
which the latter published in the Figaro,
criticising Vigeant's conduct on the occa-
sion of a fencing bout between Merignac
and San Malato in 1881. NJ Vigeant de-
manded a retraction from NJ. Rue in q
rather stiff sort of letter. NJ. Rue prompt
ly refused, and a challenge was the con-
sequence Rue accepted the cartel. and
the respective seconds arranged the condi-
tions of the fight. The weapons selected
were swords.
AS the two men were masters in the
art of fencing, great interest was taken
in the duel. and it was thought that one
OF them would certainly be left dead on
the ground. The place of meeting had TO
be kept secret by the seconds, and to all
inquiries by reporters and others they re-
piled: The duel will be on the outskirts
of Paris" On Dec. % last the fight came
off at the Park Saint-Ouen. A few jour
nalists and friends alone had an oppor-
tunity to witness the encounter Among
them was a reporter of the Figaro, from
whose account the following description
of the affair is taken:
duel is always exciting, especially
when II occurs between two swordsmen
like Nigeant and Rue Unlike amateurs,
when fencing masters fight they dispense
entirely with little thrusts at the arms;
they drive straight at the body. At II
O'Clock in the morning the adversaries
and their friends came upon the ground
The place was admirably selected, in front
or the old Chateau Saint-Ouen Lille
mounds of sand, which might Interfere
with the fighters, were promptly cleared
away by workmen employed by NJ. Adam,
the owner of the race course of Saint
Ouen Then when the spot was thorough
ly swept, the two combatants, NJ. Rue
and M. Nigeant, were called up. Previous
to this they were walking about quietly,
chatting with their friends and with the
reporters.
The two duelists took off their coats
and vests, although the cold was ex-
IRENE, and one of the doctors Prof. Fell
zet remarked laughingly that the fighters
were in greater danger of catching pneu-
monia than of getting a sword thrust
However, the sequel made him change
his opinion, for the fight was furious.
There was an ominous silence in the
| crowd, broken only for an instant by the
| whispering of impressions upon the prob
/ able issue of the combat. NJ. Rue won
the choice of position and of swords. His
/ swords were just half a centimeter longer
| than those of NJ. Vigeant; but the seconds
| gave the option to NJ. Nigeant of using
one Of his own weapons If he preferred
it, and he decided to do so. 1t was now
| twenty minutes past II, and the weather
/ was cold and clear. The adVersaries were
| placed in position by NJ. Broutin, one of
the best swordsmen of Paris who pro-
6~AANAN-%ANAA"
| and the fight began.
| Ngeant and Rue were admirable in the
combat. Not the slightest emotion could
| be noticed in the countenance of either.
| Vigeant bent little forward with a low
| guard, and his vigorous parties at the
| commencement of the engagement were
| noticeable. Rue, taller than Vigeant, and
| evidently more fiery, held his guard just
| as he would hold it at a public fencing
match. but with the point of the weapon
At first Rue took the offensive. and
attacked soberly and prudently by simple
straight thrusts, which We're parted by
Vigeant with superb maestria. Then
Nigeant attacked at the very moment
when Rue was about to deliver one of
those extraordinary straight lunges which
he executes so marvelously in the fencing
school, This resulted in a close. At that
moment everybody was literally breath
less with excitement. The surgeons, the
spectators, and the seconds were in dread
of a fatal thrust. Fortunately it was
agreed that the bouts should be of two
minutes duration only, and the two, min
utes were up. M Broutin called out
"Haltw Everybody heaved a sigh of re-
lief. But in this first engagement, on
the attack Of Rue, Vigeant was. obliged
to give ground to the extent of about ten
metres; and the conditions of the COM
bat, agreed upon verbally by the sec
onds, were very severe Each adversary
had only fifteen metres to give way, and
so Vigeant had only five metres behind
him when the fight was renewed.
Rue attacked again. Vigeant stood up
nary skill coolly parted the onslaughts.
His riposts were low, and sometimes he
let drive at the legs.
(Rue) furiously endeavored to land, and,
like a cat, watched an opening for
straight lunge, without advancing. Just
here some marvellous phases of fencing
were displayed on both sides. One would
imagine that the adversaries were play
ing with forked lightning If any one
of the terrific thrusts had reached home,
the man who received it would have been
pierced completely through. But the COM
batants were artists in the business, and
the lightning flashes seemed to dance be-
tween them harmleSSly, Vigeant still hold
ing his weapon low, tried to gain ground,
and in this effort the point of Rue's sword
scratched his forehead as he was parry
ing thrust. He Immediately thrust
claiming: "Hows that?'
The seconds rushed in and stopped the
combat. They believed that Rue was
wounded, but in reality he had only re-
ceived a side stroke of the weapon, and
to prove that he was utterly uninjured,
he bounded up, rolled up his trousers,
and, smiling, said to the surgeons: See
for yourselves?
they were not very far away, and every
body noticed that Rue possessed muscles
Of steel; and, as a matter of fact, many
of them knew that beforehand.
The third bout was now to commence,
and there were many pale faces among the
spectators; but just here a perfect coup
wound in Vigeants forehead flowed down
into his eyes, but he insisted upon going
on He said he would not stop for a
small scratch, and that the fight should
continue. But this was not the opinion
of the surgeons and the seconds, who,
noticing the blood flowing down over
his eyes, declared at once that he was in
a state of inferiority, and an end was put
to the struggle then and there. Specta-
tors seconds, and surgeons were only too
happy to see the affair, which promised
to be tragic, end in the way it did; but
the two rival swordsmen left the duelling
ground without shaking hands.
-Snobberly: What do you think found
last year when / was at Long Branch?
Knickerbocker: I've no idea Was IL
pocketbook2 Snobberly: No, found that
everything was very dear.-Texas Sift-