The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-07-12
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WEDNESDAY, JULY IL. 1899.
TT WAS A REAL DUEL.
TWO DANISH OFFICERS FOUGHT IT
OUT WITH BROADSWORDS.

OUT WITH BROADSWORDS.
The Furious Conflict TOOK Place He
fore mn Audience In IA Gymnasium
In Washington In "A Building which
AdJoIned the Police station.
II have figured In quite n number OF
varied events during over a quarter of
century of active newspaper roper
torial life," explained an old newspaper
writer to Il Star reporter, but | never
got In but one duel when 1t was 10
finish, and in the instance | refer to 1t
was to finish, | assure you. | was
only an onlooller, II Is true, but | saw
more than | wanted TO see and more
than | would willingly again see. 1t
was nearly 20 years ago, but have
not forgotten 1t.
AT the time there was IA gymnasium
on Louisiana avenue, between Ninth
and Tenth streets. The building adj
Joining WAS the old central guardhouse,
the police station.
lone evening | WIS invited by Il
friend. who was II former newspaper
man, but afterward ii patent attorney
and who also acted as the resident
Danish consul, to attend the gym
nasium to witness sword combat, In
which two Of his friends were to take
part. WAS told that three or four
others would be present, and the com
bat would be rather lively. realized
that part of 1t fully, To my complete
satisfaction.
with the others, three newspaper
writer's, II couple of actors and n couple
of sporting men, we got to the gym
naslum about o o'clock, but were told
that the combat would not take place
until the gymnasium classes had been
dismissed, ms II was desired that the
onlookcrs should be as few MS possible.
None of us had any Idea as to who
the participants would be or the par
tlcular reason for II, but we were told
That II was desired that we should he
present To see that everything was con
Quoted properly. From this we Inferred
that there WAS stake or something at
Issue, and we were to be the Judges ms
we'll ms referees, as II were.
AT 10 o'clock two carriages arrived.
cnch having II sword, what Is common
~ known rs II broadsWord, like that
which men Of wars men have. They
had but little to say, and In II few min
utcs they were properly attlrcd In the
gymnasium suits and announced that
they were ready for the battle.
Il had seen some professional hroad=
sword combats aud rather looked for
some heavy work, but In less than
minute we al realized that there SEEM
ed to be more cnrnestness about the
combat than was customary In meet
ings of professionals, II mattcred not
how large the stakes were.
"The men wore the customary wire
head covering. aud II was well they did
SO, otherwise there would have been
one or two heads scattered about on
the floor, for the fight was fast and
furious. At the expiration of ten min
utes these was II halt called 50 that
terrible cash on the sword arm of one
of the comhatants could be handaged
by physician who conveniently drop
ped In.
"Then the fighters started Ia hammer
and tongs ut each other. and In II min
utes one Of the men was lying on the
floor with II terrible cash In his shout
der and rap on his head which sound
cd so loud that II was heard In the po
lice station adjoining The clothing of
the men was ms fully covered with
blood rs If they had been painted with
1t.
"That ended 1t. Both men had re-
ceived mt least n dozen wounds. and
the victor fell In faint In less than Il
minute after he was declared the con
queror. My friend, on behalf of the
participants, thanked us For our at
tendance, and we left after seeing the
men lifted into carriages and taken
away.
at was several weeks before we
knew to II certainty what 1t all meant
and We're not told then until both men
had fully recovered. 1t TRANSFERRED that
the participants were both Danish OIL
GERS; that they had quarreled In New
York In regard to an official matter.
and that n challenge passed and was
accepted, and that all the details of the
settlement had been left to the Danish
consul, and that the whole party of us
had innocently presided over real
duel.
'lrhe strange part OF 1t was that II
took place within sound of the police
station. Washington Star.
Cause and Eject.