Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1899-08-11
IT WAS A. REAL DUEL.
TWO DANISH OFFICERS FOUGHT IT
OUT WITH RRQADSWoRDS.


The Fsvi6vs Con aict Took Place he.
fore a. Audience In . GymsssiuGl
In WAshiasson In = Building which
AaJoinrd the I'Sstcc station.
II have figured In quite a number OF
vnried events during over a quarter OF
q century Of active newspaper roper.
tsrial life" explained un old newspaper
writer 10 Sinr reporter. but ] never
gpt In but one duel when II was to IA
fA,ish. and In the instance | refer to II
was TO a finish, assure yon. I was
usiiy an caisoker, Il Is true. but ! saw
more than wanted to see. and more
thaa I would willingly again see. II
Was nearly - years ago. but ! have
Not forgotten II.
'At tils time there was gymnasium
On Louisiana avenue. between Ninth
aud Tenth streets. The building ad-
Joining was the old central guardhouse.
the police station.
"One evening I was invited by q
friend. who was a former newspaper
lAah. hut aftcrward a patent attorney,
and who also acted as lie resident
Danish consul. 10 attend the gym
nasIuin TO witness n sword combat, In
which, two OF. his friends were TO take
taft I. *as told that three or four
others would he present. and 'thc conn
hat would be rather lively. realized
that part or. a. fully. to my complete
satisfaction.
with the others, three newspaper
writer's. n couple of'actors and couple
- sporting men. we got To the gym
nasium about D O'Clock. but were told
that the combat would not take place
sas!l the gymnasium, classes had been
dismissed. as II was desired that the
0Olookers should be as few ms possible.
"Ncss Of us had any idea AZ to who
the participants would be or the par
ticular reason for II, but we were told
that II was desired that we should be
wcscn.to wee that everything was con-
sfhcted properly. From this we inferred
that there was u stake or something at
iAa,ic. and we were 10 hi the Judges ~
well as referees, M II were.
AT 10 o'clock two carriages arrived.
IN each OF winch wins II single occupant.
each having sword. what Il common.
it known As n brondsword. like that
had but little 10 say, and In few min
utes they were properly attired In the
gymnasium suits and announced that
they We're ready for the battle.
II had seen some professional broad
sword combats and rather looked for
some heavy work. but Ia less than n
minute we nil realized that there seem
al to bc more carnestncss about tho
combat than was customary In meet
tags Of professionals. II mattered not
how large the stakes were.
The men wore the customary wire
head covering. and II was well they did
10. otherwise there would have been
one or two heads scattered about ON
tho tioor, for tho hght was fast and
furious. AT the expiration Of ten min.
,Stcs these was II halt called NO that \
terrible cash on the sword arm Of one
of the conbatants could he bnndagcd
lty ~ physician who conveniently drop
ned In.
Then the fighters started In hammer
and tongs ut each other, aud In ~ min.
utes QUO of the men was lying on tho
Noor With n terrible cash In his shout
der and n rap on his head which sound.
~ 80 loud that II was heard In the po-
lice station adjoining Tho clothing Of
tho men was IA fully covered with
blood as IL they had been painted with
T.
THAT ended Il. 10th men had re-
ecived NJ least a dozen wounds. aud
the victor fell In n faint In less than n
minute after he wns declared the con.
qucr.s. Ny friend. ON behalf OF the
participants. thanked us Tor our at.
tendance, aud WI left after seeing the
iuen llf,esi into carriages aud taken
away
IT was several weeks before We
imss3 ~ al certainty what II all meant
aud wsra not told then until both men
isst fully recovered. lttrnnspired that
the participants were both Danish OH.
GERS. That they had puarrclcd In New
AOrk In regard To an. official matter,
and that a challenge passed and was
accented. and that all the details OF the
Ae,ticmen, had been left To the Danish
consul. aud that the whole party OF MS
had innocently presided over real
duel.
The strange part Of Il was that Il
took place within sound Ut the police
slatioaA Washington Star.
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Ganao mnA EA~~a