Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-16
DUELING IN SPAIN
The Amount of Blood Required to
Satisfy Wounded Honor"
CODEPDNISHES, BUT CUS7ONALL0VSI1
Gen. Brooke Determined to Stamp
1t Out in Cuba.
IENIENCY OF THE COURTS

From the New York Post
General Brooke not long ago recalled to
the Cuban courts their duty to apply the
laws existing in the island against duel
ing.
In Spain the same thing happens with re-
gard TO dueling as in Cuba-the penal
code Furnishes it. but custom allows it; and
this custom, stronger than the courts and
the police, causes a very irregular and lax
application of the laws, and dueling con-
tinues though not to such extent as in
France or in Italy.
In the early part of the present century.
and up to the beginning of the reign of
Isabel H. military men still fought duels
and for the most trivial causes. General
Cordova. in interesting volume of Mem
oirs" published ten years ago in
Madrid relates some curious incidents in
connection with this subject among
others. tlsat of duel fought between Cen
erai Sevane, while minister of war, and an
officer If the army. Civilians We're at THAI
period not less Combative than military
men: Scnor MendiZahal, while prime min
lister, fought a duel with Senior Isturiz,
deputy in the opposition The weapons
used We're pistols. and neither of the COM
batarts Was wounded. At the present day
duels are more frequent between civilians
than between soldiers. Journalists, public
men and young men of the higher classes
most CT "n settle their disputes The
field Of honor" Rarely is either combat
ant killed. and in the great majority of
cases neither of them is wounded. This is
TO be accounted for by the fact that the
seconds usually endeayor to give the
bat all the conditions required to minimize
the danger. The duel to the death is con-
siderei f;Grbarous. Almost always when 1t
Is possible &c do so. it is arranged that the
duel shall be fought with swords, and shall
terminate as soon the first blood is
drawn Very heavy swords are chosen so
that the combatants may soon become ia
ugued. and the moment either of them re-
ceives the slightest scratch. from which a
single drop Of blood flows, The seconds &C.
clare that the duel must not go on, and
that honor is satisfied Then they sug-
gest that the combatants shall shake
hands and as these events almost always
take place in the morning. the conclusion
Is fraterral and abundant breakfast.
The Use of Pistols
In the duels with pistols it is arranged, if
possible. that only a few shots shall be
fired. and that time shall not be given the
comtatants to take aim. Sometimes each
of them fires only one shot, and that in the
air. II also happens that the seconds agree
to load the pistols with harmless bullets.
In this case the combat is prolonged ami
those WHO are not in the secret lament that
the duel should have been 50 sanguinary.
This stratagem is employed when the adver-
sGIies men who are no longer young
but of good social position, and who go to
the field. not because they are blOodthirsty,
but for the effect it Will produce. This va
Tiety of duel IS the one most pleasing to
political perSondgeS.
CanoVaS. Castelar,. SagaSta are among
the public men who, in spite of having had
a long life and passed through periods of
revolution. have fought no duels. one day
Senor Castelar, spoke in offensive terms in
the congress of the King of Servia. A Ser
Wan colonel. resident in Madrid, challenged
the distinguished orator, the latter answer
ed that not even If the King of Servia him
self had demanded PREPARATION from him
would he give it, as he mad parliamentary
immunity in his observations.
The most sensational duel which has
taken place in Spain during the present
century was that between the Duke de
Montpe nsier. son of King Louis Philippe
and brother-in-laW of Isabel H. and the
1nfante Don Enrique de Bourbon In 1870
both aspired to the throne of Spain. The
infantc published a manifesto in which he
graveiy inSulted the duke, who challenged
him. Mpntpenser. being the offended per
son, had the choice of weapons. He chose
the pistol, in the use of which he was
lraster. The duel fought on the out
sk irts of Madrid. The infante fired twice
without touching the duke. The latter at
the first shot did not touch Don Enrique;
at the second he wounded him slightly IN
the shoulder: the third bullet hit him IN
the forehead, killing him instantly. Mont
pensier had acted loyalty and was in the
right according to the ethics of dueling-
Nevertheless, the death of the infante rem
dered him unpopular; for the same public
opinion which would have censured him II
he had not fought in defense of his wound
ed honor censured him because he had nao
the fortune-or the misfortune-to Kill his
adversary.
Courts Not Concerned.
The courts do not occupy themselves
with dueling in Spain, except in the event