The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-18
DUELLlNG IN SPAIN.
AMOUNT or BLOOD REQUIRED TO
SATISFY WOUNDED "HoNOR."


St"tf-Cuhn's Record - Frequent
Clashes in Havana.
From the New York Evening Post
Gen. 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
regard to dueling as in Cuba-the Penal
Code Furnishes it, but custom allows it;
and this custom. stronger than the courts
ana the police, causes a very irregular
and lax application of the laws, and duel
ing continues. though not to such an ex-
tent as in France or in Italy.
In the early part of the present century.
and up TO the beginning of the reign of
Isabel II. military men stiu fought duels
and for the most trivial causes. Gen.
Cordova, in an interesting volume of Me
moirs,' published some ten years ago in
Madrid, relates some curious incidents in
connection with this subject; among 9th
ers, that of duel fought between Gen.
Sevane, while minister of war and an
oihcer of the army. Civilians were at
that period not less CombatiVe than mill
tary men; Senior Mendizabal while prime
minister, fought a duel with Senior Isturiz
deputy in the opposition. The weapons
used were pistols. and neither of the com
Datants was wounded, At the present
day duels are more frequent between eli
villains than between soldiers. Journalists
public men and young men of the higher
classes most often settle their disputes
on the field of honor" Rarely is either
combatdnt killed, and In the great ma
lai Of - a
ed This is 10 be accounted for by the
tact that the seconds usually endeavor
10 give the combat all the conditions re-
CURED, minimize the danger. The duel
TO the death is considered barbarous Al
most always, when it is possible to do so
1t is arranged that the duel shall be
Fought with swords, and shall terminate
as soon as the first blood is drawn. Very
heavy swords are chosen. so that the
combatants may soon become fatigued
ana the moment either of them receives
the slightest scratch from which a single
drop of blood flows. the seconds declare
mat the duel must not 90 on and that
'honor is satisfied" Then they suggest
that the combatants shall shake hands,
ana, as these events almost always take
place IN the morning, the conclusion is a
traternal and abundant breakfast.
In the duels with pistols 1t is arranged.
u possible that only few shots shall be
combatants TO take aim Sometimes each
OF them fires only one shot and that in the
ar IL also happens that the seconds agree
TO load the pistols with harmless bullets
In this case the combat is prolonged, and
those who are not in the secret lament that
the duel should have been so sanguinary.
rms straIegem is employed when the ad-
versaries are men who are no longer young
but OF good social position, and who go to
the field, not because they are blood
thirsty, but for the effect II will produce
This variety of duel is the one most pleas
ing to political personages.
Canovas, CASTELAR,, Sagasta, are among
the public men who, in spite of having
had long life and passed through periods
of revolution, have fought no duels. one
day Senior CASTELAR, spoke in offensive
terms IN the Congress of the King of Ser
via. A Servian colonel, resident in Madrid
challenged the distinguished orator: the
latter answered that not even If the King
of Servia himself had demanded reparation
from him would he give II, as he had par
liamentary immunity in his observations
The most sensational duel which has
taken place In Spain during the present
century was that between the Duke de
Montpensier son of King Louis Philippe
and brother-in-law of Isabel II. and the
Irfante Don Enrique de Borbon. In 1870
both aspired to the throne of Spain The
Infante published manifesto In which he
graVely insulted the Duke, who CHALLENGED
him. Montpensier being the offended per
son, had the choice of weapons He chose
the pistol. i'm the use of which he was a
master. The duel was fought on the out
skirts 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
penser 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
IL he had not fought in defense of his
wounded honor censured him because he
had had The fortune-or the misfortune-to
kin his adversary
The courts do not occupy themselves
with duelling in Spain, except in the event
of either combatan's death. In this case
it becomes the duty of the physician to re-
port to the authorities that the death was
caused by wounds, and this renders ineyi-
table the Intervention of JUSTICE to de-
termine where, by whom, and how the
wounds were inflicted But the slayer Is
not always prosecuted. The judge, when
he is convinced that there has not been an
assassination but duel, has an UNDER
standing with the physician, and the latter
uCCtJfeS lndI what mas occurred was an &C
cident; that the victim, for instance in
trying a pistol, shot himself; or that, hav-
ing a sword in his hand. he slipped and
ran himself through the body. If the judge
IS severe and is determined to apply the
law, the slayer leaves the country, and the
courts find him guilty of homicide. This
case is rare, for the duellists are persons
of good social standing, and the judges
treat them with indulgence. Most of the
Judges are advocates Of duelling and prac-
tice IL when the occasion offers.
The civil governors and the mayors have
curious way Of intervening. If they re-
ceive notice that a duel is about to be
fought al a certain place, they are obliged
10 send the police there to prevent il. The
conbatants and their seconds are taken
before the Governor or the Mayor. VINO
exacts from them their word of honor that
the dua shall not take place. Sometimes
the combatants give this promise in posi-
tive terms; at others they promise only
not to fight in the territory over which the
f,..,orpor or the MaVor has Jurisdiction.