The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-05-08
HERO OF THIRTY-TWO DUELS
GUARDS GERMAN BUILDING AT FAIR.
Paul Greiner Relates Experience
of Students at the Universities
of the Fatherland.

\ Visitors to the German Government
building may see a genuine German duel
list. the hero OF no less than thirty-two
bloody encounters resulting from differ
ences of opinion with his. fellow-students
at several German universities The duel
list is Paul Greiner, a military-looking
young man who wears a blre-cioth uni
form and a cap with German Section
embroidered across the band.
Greiner was standing guard at the door
of Charlottenburg Castle yesterday aft
ernoon when the building was closed for
housecieaning. and many visitors, sought
admission. His post was a most unenvi-
able one and required quite as much eour-
age as It requires to face a German
student with a drawn saber to settle a
point Of onor. The young duelist per-
formed his duty faithfully. notwithstand-
ing the fact that he was compelled to
turn away many women who could not
understand why the German building was
not o.;en after it had been opened with
ceremony and pomp and in the presence
of the Princes of two or three nations on
the preceding day.
On exceptionally pretty German girl from
South st. Louis. who first glued her face
against one Of the glass doors and pouted
at Mr.. Greiner. and afterward. when he
had opened the door to explain, talked to
him in his own language and told him
what she thought of a German Govern
meat which denied admittance to Ger
man girls. was a sore trial to the drelist.
IT wish 1t vas so dat l could hat her let
in" said the doorkeeper regretfuliy, after
he had turned the girl away. She iss a
most pretty girl"
A forehead criss-crossed by so many
scars from saber wounds that IL resem-
bles a block upon which hamburger steak
has been made for many consecutive days.
a throat bearing the traces of a saber cut
that came perilously near ending the ca
reer of the student-duelist. and wrists
marked by scars of battle give ample EVIL
dence of Mr.. Greiner's modest admission
that he has participated in thirty-two en-
counters in which sabers or rapiers were
used.
sity students rarely results in a tragedy.
but is always a bloody encounter. because
honor is not satisfied unless blood is drawn
and the two 80 eSm sassrs . naf fsb a ~ each AZ
other with rapiers until sufficient blood is
let to satisfy. the honor of the one whe
makes the lucky stroke: The 3, honor nor OF tne
oughly satisfied than that OF the victor
and he has the additional honor of bear
ing a large and lasting scar that Is salts
u u nfS oifoS
II at a German university, Mr.. Greiner
explains. one student say that his sweet
heart is p~rettier than the sweetheart OF
another student. or insults the other stu
dent in some other way. such as by say
ing tina he is not always willing to pur-
chase beer when It Is his turn to do so. 1t
is considered a cause for a duel with sa-
bers, and the student who does not fight
is beneath contempt. When the nose or
cheek or forehead of one OF the combat
ants is laid open the honor of both IS sat
isfied. It is not considered necessary to
kill an antagonist. as this would deprive
him of the pleasure OF fighting many more
duels. and as & weIl-scarrcd German stu
lent Is valued by his fellows as a we'll
colored pipe is held in high. esteem. his
death would he a calamity &c the student
That Mr.. Greiner has often disagreed
with his friends is proven by his scErs,
but he explains that in Germany, ones
friends are still friends after n duel. and
so. of course, there IS no lasting enmity,
such as exists between mountaineers in
Kentucky and Virginia who have shot at
each other.
At was arrested once for dueling," said
Mr.. Greiner. smiling. Il will tell o
about It some time. Dueling, you know,
il against the law now, and at this point
the hero of thirty-two duels turned to.the
DOORWAY and tactfuily explained to q
score of worner that not until tomorrow
would Charlottenburg Castle be open