Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-17

A Complimentary Scratch.
first against the palisades of the velo
drome, then against the trunk of a tree
Twenty rounds had now been fought with
out result. 1t was 1920 noon. The situa,
ton is really cruel" became the murmur
their nose bags. Now M. Daniel C1outiel
proposed to the seconds Of NJ Laberdesque
to adjourn the fight. There was no oppo,
sition. NJ. Laberdesque was also hungry
The twenty cabs and nine automobiles
started back for Paris, accompanied by a
flying cloud of bcycists that had beer
collecting through the hours. A squad OF
police that had been protecting the en-
trance to the park marched off. The extra
ordinary duel was over; and a reconclia-
ton, patched up that same afternoon pre-
cluded any danger of it's repetition.
A Pistol Duet.
While all this effort. Intellectual or highly
effectual, as you choose to view it, was
being expended in front of the tribunes of
the Velodrome. short and snappy pistol
duel came off behind them. NM Eugene
Lautier and Willy de Blest-Gana, both ex-
pert shots met to exchange two balls, at
a distance of twenty-five steps" The dis
tnce being stepped off by Georges BRETT
mayer (who has long legs, the long-bar-
relied, manufacturing dueling pistols were
put into the hands of the principals The
Comte de Laborde, director of the duel
gave the traditional command of, Fire.
onei twoi three!" in the ordinary rapid
cadence. The instant the word ''one'' was
pronounced NJ. de Blest-Gana pulled his
trigger. M. Lautfer fired at the word two"
Immediately Ii was seen that he had, new
ertheless, been hit; blood, in an ever widen
ing patch. stained his white shirt Just
above the tfouser-line. 81 am able to
walk he laughed Il cannot be much
IprIrt
evidently overcome with pain. The sur
geons, causing him to lie on his back ex-
amined the wound. The bullet would have
pierced the abdomen had it not been de-
Elected by a silver dollar in his watch
pocket. Ricochetting it plowed it's way
diagonally upward in ugly but not dam
gerous superficial wound. A week at the
Hospital of the Freres de Saint-Jean-de-
Dfeu put NJ. Lautier in a position to re-
sumo his pistol practice. Willy de Blest-
Cana, after expressing his sympathy and
regrets, stepped around to the front again
to view the sword duel.
This bicycle racing Pare des Princes has
of late become a favorite dueling ground
Only two months after his encounter with
NJ. LaberdeSque the terrible Max Regis
there met the socialist deputy, Gerault-
Richard AS in the case of the preceding
duel-and quite contrary to usual habit
the crowd of spectators was both great and
mixed. Max Regis is evidently not the man
to refuse his friends a treat. The comba t
WAS, HeNeTlueleSS d Snort one. NJ. Gerault-
Richard won the best place, with his back
to the sun. The dueling swords used were
those Of NJ. Regis. In the third round NJ
Regis was touched on the back of the wrist
Every one could see him bleeding as he
held his hand out, looking at it. The two
doctors-MM. Pierre Aumont and Clauzel
Vialard-consulted. NJ. Regis was declared
to be in a state of inferiority The duel was
declared ended.
Max Regis, who had been fighting in an
armleSS undprShirt oh ri
and jacket, murmuring, ut was not worth
while to derange me for so littlev' On
which Gerault-Richard, struck by the ex-
quisite humor of the complaint answered
Really. it is I who ought to say ity' Then
more kindly he continued: "You can find
me again when you please; au revoir. mon
sieurr' and extended his hand. But Max
Regis would not take it. He cried: "Ah
but no. 1 do not wish to shake your hand
I cannotv' Some one interrupted: 'It would
only be courteous!!' "Je me fl don't give
a d. for such courtesy" was the reply OF
NJ. Regis. Then tumult raised itself, the
nouf!-Mal cleve-Bad bringing upland
"Canaille! were uttered. Max Regis
pushing his way through the throng, called
What's that? Does some one want me tt
punch him?" Evidently the ''inferiority'
of the duelist, although caused by
scratch on his punching fist (the French d.
not use their lefD must have been tech
nical inferiOrity only.
What the Term Means
There was a time when this word "in
feriority" meant something In those day:
duels often were arranged to be stopped a.
first blood" Now, the smart dueling tao
tics taught first to inexperienced duelist.
by masters Of the modern school of fencing
Gin which everything counts'D often re
suited in their giving hand scratches tt
their more expert adversaries. These lat
ter, finding 1t their safest resource retort
ed with hand scratches, otherwise They
would be technically beaten. After a tim,
this had gone so far that the duel ito b,
stopped at first blood got itself laughed at
Up to this time the duel ito be stopped
when one Of the parties shall be declared
to be in state Of inferiority" had a re
spectacle reputation. This condition nov
became the usual one; but the safe tactic.
of the play at the extremities," .ie., tn,
back of the adversary's hand, wrist or fore
arm, had become usual also. What Is
state of inferiority?'' the seconds asked
themselves and the doctors. In the las
duel of Max Regis We have seen it pro
claimed of a fist that five minutes later
was prepared to punch" Things have
indeed, gone so far in this direction tina
the Academy of Arms has seriously dis
cussed the obligatory adoption in all swort
duels of special heavy field glove" pro
tecting the hand, the wrist and the Who'll,
of the forearm. When this glove Is adopted
If ever-the pretended and pretentious
meetings" which now cast discredft OIL
French dueling will cease as by magic