The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-17
PLAYED CHESS FOR A BRIDE.
Dramatic and Exciting Contest for a
Wife.

From the New York Times.
Although there is no limit to the num-
Der of ways in which wife may be won,
it is doubtful whether more than two men
have ever played a game of chess, with a
bride for the guerdon.
The story, which comes from Germany,
is that two young artists were infatuated
by the charms of the same maiden, and
neither was given more ground for hope
than his rival The spoil clearly would
fail to the lot of one or the other; and as
each was a skllful chess player, they de-
cided to put their fates to the test of
pawns and castles. The fateful game was
played without a spectator at the Kaiser
hoff restaurant, and after a long and eX-
citing struggle, one rival succeeded in
checkmating the other. The defeated
player rose from the table and betook him
self to France, where news reached him
that the man who had mated" him was
himself more happily mated in Berlin.
The university town of Bonn was, a
few years ago, the scene of a most dra-
matte contest for a wife. Two of the
students of the university, who had fallen
hopelessly in love with charming
young actress, were the most redoubtable
duelling champions of their year, and their
faces were scanned with traces of the
many fights they had taken part in.
The actress was equally Indifferent to
both suitors, but was at last so wearied
by their imporrunity that in a mschiev-
Gus moment she said to one of them: IF
1 am worth wooing, l am worth winning
so if you and Herr Schultz will prove
which is the better man with the sword,
1 will marry the winner"
Such a challenge could only have one
issue. The men, who were equally match
ed, arranged a meeting in the suburbs,
where a fierce duel was fought with ''un-
buttoned foils." AT a critical point of the
duel Herr Schultz slipped in making a
thrust and his opponents foil pierced his
lungs.
The wounded man was taken away, and
for some days lay at the point of death;
the girl who was the cause of the tragedy
insisted on nursing him with the tender
est care When, after many weeks, the
young man was convalescent. the actress,
true to her sex, kept her promise by mar
rying HIM and leaving the victor to his
thoughts.
Schiller's story of the Glove" which a
fair lady threw into the arena among
fierce lions in order to see whether her
lover was brave enough to rescue it, has
had its parallel in Hungary in our day.
Fraulein Weiss, the beautiful young
daughter of the proprietor of travelling
menagerie, had almost as many lovers as
she counted years. Wherever her travel
ing took her lovers spraug up to perse-
cute her; and two young men, both of
high family, were so infatuated that they
followed her wherever she went.
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beautiful and the great attraction of the
menagerie was to see her with her fair
hair flowing down her back, enter the
lions cage and romp with the lions as If
they were so many lambs. One day when
the menagerie was at Buda-Pesth she de-
cided to put her two most ardent lovers
to the test; and, more in jest than earnest,
said she would marry the man who would
claim her hand i'm the lions cage.
AT the close of the afternoons exhibit
ton she again entered the cage of lions,
and, seated on the back of the largest and
fercest of them, payfully beckoned to her
lovers to enter. one of them, without a
moments hesitation, accepted her chal-
lenge, and an spite of the angry grows
of the lions and the sight of threatening
teeth. walked boldly up to the girl and
took her proffered hand, which within a
few days became mis- own absolutely.
Early this year Peter Mile ana Joseph
Hidcock was their wives in a manner
which is probably unique Joseph Folk
had left his wife and TWO daughters an
Poland while he sought his fortune in
America He had been working in this
country only a few weeks when news
came that his wife was dead and mis- TWO
young daughters were in danger of starry
ing In this predicament he decided 10
send for his two daughters; and, as he
was unable TO pay their passage money;
he borrowed f10 from each of two of his
fellow workmen. Mile and Hidock. The
girls arrived in due course, but the father
was unable TO save Sufficient money 10 re-
pay the borrowed go.
A happy solution of the difficulty. how
ever, presented Itself. The daughters
were so attractive that the creditors
promptly fell in love with them. and IN
dertook to cancel their debts in return for
the girls as wives. Hidock married Mary.
the elder girl, in return for his f1O, ana
the younger daughter, Anne, made Mile
regard himself as a lucky man in securing
her for his share of the debt