The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-18
who is anybody" has had his AFFAIRS

utatlons Tor themselves as duelists. As
RUE the Viennese duels are not of
the harmless sort, either. 1t is a more
serious matter to send or accept a
cnalienge IN Vienna than it is in Paris,
ana, while the fatalities are not great
compared with the number of duels
iousht, nearly every encounter results
III one or both of the duelists being
pauly wounded. Rapiers are the favor
tie weapons, though cavalry swords
are not unpopular, and sometimes pis-
lois are chosen. The latter weapon is
not USED much, however, for the Wen
hese regard it as too prosaic and com
ilollplace a weapon. Rapiers and sa-
perS are regarded as more aristocratic
implements to use when one gentleman
wants TO Kill another gentleman. At
the trlal of Frau Pietsch it was
brought out incidentally that the only
place which view with her parlors in
popularity and good form" as duel
ing ground was the courtyard of the
imperial barracks. Although the EN-
peror. has issued an order forbidding
uueilng IN the Austrian army it seems
that 1t has had no effect upon the
custom, which is still regarded as one
OF the cherished institutions of the
service. 1t came out at the trial that
the officers stationed at the barracks
habltuaIly permitted the use of the
courtyard of the palace by officers and
ex-officers for a dueling ground.
People who had money, of course,
preferred to settle their little affairs
in the luxurious parlors of Frau Pie
tSch, but she charged a good, round
price for her hospitality, and one could
fight in the barrack courtyard for
nothing. An officer awaiting himself of
the privileges of the courtyard would
OF course, feel in duty bound to ask
the officer who granted to him the
privilege to take a drink, or, possibly
to be- his guest at a small luncheon if
he survived. But it was a cheaper place
than Frau Pietsch's establish
ment, where the worthy lady
took into consideration the pos
sible damage to furniture from
flying pistol balls or flashing sabers,
and the running of carpets by gentle
men who were careless enough to bleed
to death in the middle of the floor. To
fight duel in the parlors of the frau
was an evidence of prosperity and
showed that one was really a most
"swagger" person. No disgrace at
tached to fighting in the barrack yard,
to be sure, but one could not boast of
it with quite the same air of grandeur
as he could speak of having paid an
early morning visit to Frau Pietsch.
The barrack yard was considered good
enough for young officers with limited
allowances or retired officers living on
their pay. But a young blood must
fight at the frau's, and was not consid-
cred as being really in the inner cir
cieS of society until he had had at
least one affair in the good woman s
parlors. Now it was a distinct shock
to society when the parlors were raid
ed and many mobiles and officials of
high degree secretly used their infiu-
ence to get the woman whose hospital
ity they had so often enjoyed clear of
her troubles.
But society could do nothing for her.
The Emperor has set his face sternly
against dueling, and no one dared to
thwart him by letting the guilty wo-
man escape the penalty of her crimes.
Had it not been for the Emperor's at
titude on the subject, however, she
would undoubtedly have gone free, for
her friends were powerful, and popu-
lar sentiment approves of the code" in
Vienna. All over Austria, in fact, duel
ing continues with undated activity,
although the authorities from time to
time make >pretense of trying to stop
it. They make all such attempts in a
half hearted manner, and in spite of
the. efforts of the Emperor to suppress
dueling it has become sort of ma
tional pastime in the empire. Duels are
fought over the most trivial matters,
and the unsuspecting stranger who ac-
cidentally gives offense to one of the
young fire-eaters of Vienna is pretty
sure to receive challenge if his social
position is such that the offended per-
son thinks it component with him.
Americans are challenged less than
strangers or other natfonalities, for an
American is apt to knock the challenger
down, or, if he accepts the invitation to
combat, is pretty sure to name pistols
as the weapons, and with pistols every
son of Yankeeland is supposed by the
Viennese to be a dead shot. Neither
are Englishmen much annoyed by the
dueling proclivities of Vienna. Visitors
from the nations of Continental Eu
rope are, however. always in danger
of being challenged and have to walk
a straight line if they want to keep
out of trouble.
Although all men of fashion in Aus
tria are duelists the most inveterate
fighters are the officers of the army.
who are always at it. Now that the
usefulness of Frau Pietsch is impaired
by her incarceration in the common Jail
one of the favorite topics of CONVERSE
ton in fashionable circles is regard
ing her probable successor. Having got
used to fighting in comfortable parlors
the duelists object to being obliged to
fight out of doors, and it is thought
that some enterprising person will soon
fill an aching void by opening an estab-
lishment similar to that run by the I'M
fortunate frau. There is money in it
for the right party. Frau Pietsch was
noted for the fine surgical instruments
she kept for the use of her customers.
She had several complete sets, and she
kept them in the best of condition all
the time, taking a professional pride in
her work, as 1T were. She kept abreast
of the times and always had on hand
the most modern appliances for dress
ing wounds and for performing capital
and minor operations. The good woman
tried to make the process of getting
punctured slashed or pistoled in her
house a distinguished and genteel oper-
alton. Several persons have been men,
toned as possible successors of the
frau, but so far no one has been
thought of who quite fills the bill. Then
again, she is much missed on account
of her knowledge of the code"
There is no one now who can be of
such service in giving advice on dis
puted points. There are old and tried
duelists, to be sure, who are authori-
ties in their way, but the decision of
Frau Pietsch had become to be con-
sidered as law. Really, society there
suffered a severe loss when that talent
ed woman was sent to a dungeon cell.
Frau Pietsch was fortunate in the fact
that no one of the many who received
their wounds in her house ever died
OF