The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11
CUBAN F A OF HONOR.
SEVERAL .DUELS SCHEDULED TO BE
FOUGHT IN HAVAN1.

EOOWGAA IN "AI ava
Affairs on DIR. ConEOsto's Misunderstanding
Cuban EditorH-Tho Duel an Institution
on the IsIand-Clubs Where QuRrrels
Arise-A Literature on tho subject.
Duelling Is one of the institutions OF Cuba.
Probably with the evacuation Of the island
by the Spanish forces It will 90 rs the bull
light and the lottery will also go. There were.
however, several affairs OF honor which 1t
was promised should be settled by q resort to
the code as soon as the cessation OF HOSTILE
ties permitted the prohibition laid by Gen.
Blanco or duelllng TO be raised. The Cap
tain General would have no resort TO arms
among auarrelling army officers and civil
officials during the blockade.
DIR. Congosto. the Cuban Secretary General.
who was formerly Spanish Consul at Phila-
de.phia, has several postponed events on his
hands. He had many disaRreements with
Consul-General Lee, aud among the ignorant
Standards OF Havana It was the common be-
lief that the Secretary General would hold Gen.
Lee personally responsible for the troubles
which were thickening around the Blanco ad-
ministration. ConGosto had also many Bit
ter ~quarrels with the American newspaper
correspondents. He frequently told them
that only the duties OF his official post kept
him from calling them out. His lercest quar-
rel was with one OF the editors OF the most
violent Spanish newspaper published in
Havana. The two men came to blows. and
formal challenges were reported to have been
exchanged. At the time when SIMPSONS
fleet was guarding Havana harbor aud the
peaceful blockade was likely to give way any
day to q bombardment its presence caused
less excitement than the impending duel be-
tween the Secretary General and the jour
nalist. Blanco's veto on the duel ended the eX-
element, but the sequence Is now due. There
is in the Cuban capital n German OF some no.
toriety as q fighter. who. II he carries out a
declared purpose. will never let ConGosto
leave Cuba without giving him a gentleman's
satisfaction for insults which could not be
resented at the time they were received.
The Havana editors have usually shown will
inRneSs to back their. opinions by resorting to
the code. though 1t is not invoked With the
same frequency as among French editors. A
few weeks before the American Consuls were
withdrawn from the island the autonomist
Government was honeycombed with intriRues
and torn by dlssensions.. An outcome OF this
situation was n prospective duel between Fer
dinaInd de Castro. the present ciyil Governor 2Hr
a~utonomist newspapers, The town was full
OF, n rumor one night that the meeting had
taken place and that one of the principals had
been wounded. This was untrue. but the
reality was that stern orders and energetic nc
meeting. Several of the Havana editors and
reporters have records as dueilists. One of
them has his office ornamented with weapons
Of ali Kinds. som OF them trophies. To the
indignant subscriber who wants u retraction
Is given u chance among them.
The Union Club OF Havana, which. without
being fast. is not slow. has n room which IL de-
voted to arms. and tales of practice and Of
prowess there sometimes foreshadow the set
Element of a difficulty. Fencing Is u Leading
diversion, and facilities for pistol practice are
i RSt iHGki the p IR tHg an rG0m the O. ee a 1glid pn4k o seT-
eral duels have been fought. 4 year. or more
ago q young man. u member of q ~well-known
mi Nsnn fn1NnH HAnh IN IN ithaca FnnTN2
In his pocket was a letter saying that his pur-
pose was to commit suicide and giving direc-
He had been killed in u duel. The circum-
stances were all known. but neither the sur
wing principal L { nor any 81 9dr the ancb seconds et tha rT was
cipals to write a letter of this kind. Usually
its existence does not become known. because
Ii fatal result, is almost as rare as in German
students duels.
There is a local literature of duelling which
Is much read. On the shelves of the Havana
book stores can usually be found n pamphlet
which gives a complete account of duels
fought for q period Of years; coJ The S sGImpiIer
seconds. the causes Of the challenges. and
endings are recorded. Quarrels over politics
appear to be a common, cause OF duels;, Then
in the United States would be called bar
room, sQuabbles. In some, cases u discreet
hint is given that a woman's honor had been
rashly questioned and atonement made. A
suggestion Is also occasionally conveyed that
q disagreement, arose at the gaming table.
principals were members of the. CircuIo Mill
tar, or Spanish Military Club. Formerly
offiee ssaF aua Melf piA'Sse some n names tails '' that fnW were ere
well known in Havana a decade or two ago
appear In this pamphlet. .
the book stores is a complete treatise:on arms
and d~uelling. A portion Of its contents was
years ago. The duellist. this treatise declares.
is a noble and generous type created by the
n fatn &eSpo on ls MeIiSre,s AS safe TO t aGyi @s'q tRat fF fRs a4t
quoted approvingIy. 1t is further declared
the existence Of duelling are the force OF public
opinion and the ipsuficiency of the avs to
The duel. the author says. has an lmmense
10 tbe Rgea ln fnsf 1t EEe sGSes ffesRecSfs e ADDS e tEat
the the G Penai pi G GShof i The S' | french h Wrl ReSen' a rs
quoted extensively and approyingly In laying
for wounded honor may be sought. Causes
which may be made the ground Of a challenge
with insult and the offence with blow and
wound; The first offence is admittedly the
most difficult to differentiate. The second is
easily disposed OF because an insult Is an In
suit and can be instinctiyely 9pprehended.
touehe frappe'' ('Who touches strikes'''l.
Three arms are recognized as legitlmate
SABRE or c9tless. and the pistol. Most Of the
Cuban duels. we're formerly fought with the
sabre or cutlassT Its use was upheld on the
from It disfgured. 1t did not make a serious
wound. The skill required for its proper han
ding is also cited as G point IN its favor. while
spects Is pointed out. Nevertheless. In recent
years the sword has come to be n popular
weapon for duelling. and the Havana fencing
schools encourage 1t. The pistol is seldom
employed in Cuban duels.
ICE CREAM SODA FOR FIVE CENTS.