The times., 1901-06-16
UNIQUE AFFAIRS OF HONOR
Duels Not Exactly According TO
the Usual Code.

Curious weapons Chosen for Use in
Deadly Combat - An Unusual En-
counter Between American
Shipmaster and an EnEIishman.
The stories Of American dueIs are of
great interest and are among the most
famous in the whole history of dueling.
but they are too well known To be repeat
cd The majority have been desperate
tragedies. when good men and true have
been led TO kill each other often through
Misrepresentation that lost the world
many noble and helpful life. one, how
ever. that was not so disastrous was be-
tween an American ana a hot-headed for
eigner. What the qual rel history
stateth not, perhaps 1t was so small
to be quite overlooked. but at all events
it was arranged that the two take their
places on kegs of powder, with lighted
fuse placed in the bunghole OF each. The
/ kegs, Of course, We're empty. but the
| foreigner saw the fire slowly burning
down to the supposed volcano below him
| his courage failed him and he fed
Still more interesting is the story Of the
Yankee skipper and the Englishman. In
the earlier days there was not much love
| lost between the two factions, conse-
quently it was no very hard matter to
pick a quarrel especially when each
thought the death Of the other would be
a service not only to his country. but TO
the world. In this particular case the
skipper Of weather-beaten Yankee whal-
CT met an Englishman in a foreign port
and had an alteration with him. perhaps
over a matter Of precedence. 4 duel was
arranged and ut the appointed time the
EngIishrnan appeared. bringing with him
two swords as, though the Yankee had
the choice of weapons, he inferred that
the armory of 4 whaler contained no
such luxuries. Bat the skipper would not
accept the Eroffered weapons, whereupon
the other brought out handsome pair OF
dueling pistols. These. too, were refused,
and the Enslishman demanded IN aston
ishment what his opponent did want TO
fight with. whereup0n the Yankee repled
that he had brought his weapons with
him. and produced a pair of welf-Sharpen-
ed harpHons The Englishman. of course,
/ protested, but as the choice OF weapons
! did not lie with him he was obliged 10 ac-
4 cept the harpoon. W hen the Yankee
/ raised the murderOus-ICOking piece the
| f-nglishEan knew that arm, experienced
| in piercing the oodgiIg whale could not
| fail to hit him The unwieldy harpoon
began to shake in his awkward hand ana
| he flung it down, leaving the eXuitant
/ Yankee master Of the situation.
! Another interesting duel fought without
| the use of ordinary weapons had for one
/ of its principals the Duke Of Richmond.
/ then NiceToy of Ireland His title to fame
rests on the fact OF his being great
duelist and a six-bottle man, able to drink
all his staff and gentlemen guests under
/ the table. on a visit TO a friend IN the
[ west OF Ireland the duke complained that
I he had nc one to drink with him, and
! his host, wishing TO remedy this deh-
cheney, sent for curate famous tOr MS
! liquor drinking. After five bottles had
/ been disposed Of by each the curate COM
! planned that it was too slow work and
/ proposed bumpers of brandy. These were
/ Immediately hlled and as quickly emptied-
| Fresh bumpers We're then filed for
each but as the representative Of the
I Church stretched out his hand to receive
one he fell helpless TO the floor. on the
| following day the duke made him a dean.
| remarking that if he had been victorious
in the drinking duel his curacy would
have been exchanged for bishopric.
4 little earlier than this the famous DR..
Young. going with some ladies to NduX-
hall then the rendezvous of all the beauty
and fashion of London. played on the
German flute to amuSe them Just behind
| them came a boat load Of officers, and
when the doctor ceased playing one of
them insisted that he could continue or be
thrown into the water. Wishing to avoid
a dispute before his friends he continued,
but arriving at his destination he sought
out his tOrmentOr and dema nded salts
faction with swords and without seconds
early the following morning When they
met, however, and had taken their places
the doctor instantly drew out a huge
horse pistol and. pointing it at the Off
GERS head. compelled him to dance a
minuet The officer had no choice but to
| obey. and for quarter of an hour kept
up the dance The doctor then lowered
his pistol, saying as they were quits they
might now arrange another affair with
seconds and the officer might have sat
isfaCtion.
But if England was an uncomfortable
place to live in in those days. Fra nee was
still worse Such a state of affairs ex-
10
'SaviOurs truce, whereby duels were pro-
hibited from Wednesdays until Mondays.
But. like all other forbidden things. the
duel rather grew in favor than decreased
Montaigne says: II three Frenchmen
We're put into the Libyan desert they
would not be a month there without
fighting and quarreling-' Cases are re-
corded of father and son facing each
/ other in mortal combat, brother arraySsl
against brother. and the dearest of friends
killing each other for absolutely nothing
except perhaps a misplaced word Even
the women of France have fought
though, indeed, it was no very unusual
occurrence in any country for wife to
disguise herself in her husbands 5 armor
{ when he was unable TO meet the foe him
self
one of the most famous of the women
duehStS of France was Maupin. one of
/ the performers at the opera Serane. the
famous fencing master. feil in love with
her and gave her many Valua bic lessons
in the art. one evening at ball Maupin
was very rude TO another lady and was
requested to leave the room. She replied
she would if those gentlemen who had
espOused the lady'S cause would accom-
Uanv her This they consented to do.
and after hard combat she killed them
all. Then she quietly returned TO the ball
room.
But Of these affairs no count can be
made More people have probably lost
their lives over some foolish quibble than
have been killed in Il dozen wars for
their country's good.-Philadelphia Times