The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-10-15
INTERESTING DUELS.
THE YANKEE AND THE ENGLISHMAN
WHO DIDN'T FIGHT.


A Curate who Was Made a Dean
and Who just Missed BishOpric.
Dancing Under CompulsiOn-A Fa-
nous French Female DueIist.
The stories of American duels are of
great interest and are among the most
famous in the whole history of dueling,
but they are too well known to be re-
peated. The majority have been desper-
ate tragedies when good men and true
have been led to kill each other often
through misrepresentation that lost the
world many a noble and helpful life.
One, however, that was not SO disastrous
was between an American and a hot
headed foreigner. What the quarrel was
history stateth not. Perhaps it was so
small as to be quite overlooked, but at
all events it was arranged that the two
take their places on kegs of powder, with
a lighted fuse placed in the bunghole OF
each. The kegs, of course, were empty,
but as the foreigner saw the fire slowly
burning down to the supposed volcano
below him his courage failed him and he
fed.
sui uOE6 lhIGISollAS 10 NhO ShNAJ "a
the Yankee skipper and the Englishman.
In the earlier days there was not much
love lost between the two factions, con-
sequently 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
whaler met an Englishman in a foreign
port and had an alteration with him,
perhaps over a matter of precedence.
A duel was arranged, and at the APP
pointed time the Englishman appeared,
bringing with him two swords, as though
the Yankee had the choice of weapons. He
inferred that the armory of the whaler
contained no such luxuries. But the skip
per would not accept the proffered weap-
ons, whereupon the other brought out
handsome pair of dueling pistols. These,
too, were refused, and the Englishman
demanded in establishment what his oppo-
nent did want to fight with, whereupon
the Yankee replied he had brought his
weapons with him and produced a pair
of well sharpened harpoons. The Eng
lishman, Of course, protested, but as the
choice of weapons did not lie with him
he was obliged to accept the harpoons.
When the Yankee raised the murderous
looking piece, the Englishman knew that
arm, experienced in piercing the lodging
whale, could not fail to miss him. The
unwieldy harpoon began to shake in his
awkward hand, and he flung it down,
leaving the exultant Yankee master of
the situation.
Another interesting duel fought with
out the use of ordinary weapons had for
one Of it's principals the Duke of Rich
mond, then viceroy 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 visit to a friend
in the west of Ireland the duke complain
ed that he had no one to drink with him,
and his host, wishing to remedy this de-
fciency, sent for a curate famous for his
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 filed and as quickly emptied.
Fresh bumpers were then filed for each,
but as the representative of the church
stretched out his hand to receive one he
fell helpless to the floor. On the follow
Ing day the duke made him a dean, re-
marking that if he had been victorious in
the drinking duel his curacy would have
been exchanged for bishopric.
A little earlier than this the famous
DR.. Young, going with some ladies to
| Vauxhall, then the rendezvous of all the
beauty and fashion of London, played
on the German flute to amuse them. Just
behind them came boatload of officers,
and when the doctor ceased playing one
Of them insisted that he should continue
or be thrown into the water. Wishing to
avoid dispute before his friends, he con-
| tinued; but, arriving at his destination,
he sought out his tormentor and demand
ed satisfaction 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
officers head, compelled him to dance a
minuet. The officer had no choice but to
| obey and for a 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 salts
faction.
But If England was an uncomfortable
place to live in those days, France was
still worse. Such a state of affairs ex-
listed that in 1041 was instituted the ''Sa-
vior's truce" whereby duels were prohib-
tied from Wednesdays until Mondays.
But, like all other forbidden things, the
duel rather grew in favor than decreased.
Montaigne says, "If three Frenchmen
were put into the Libyan desert, they
would not be a month there without
fighting and quarreling." Gases are re-
corded of father and son facing each 9TH
er in mortal combat, brother arrayed
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 armor
when he was unable to meet the foe him
self.
One of the most famous of the women
duelists of France was Maupin, one Of
the performers at the opera. Serane, the
famous fencing master, fell in love with
her and gave her many valuable lessons
in the art. One evening at a ball Maui
pin 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
accompany her. This they consented to
do, and after hard combat she killed
them all. Then she quietly returned to
the ballroom.
But of these affairs no count can be
made. More people have probably lost
their lives over some foolish bubble than
/ II-1s j. Con fhlnVT