Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-01-12
WEARING SUITS OF MAIL.
MediaevaI Practice Has Not Yet To-
tally Died Out.

talIy DIoo Outs
Notwithstanding the presentation of
the Dymoke suit of armor to his ma
jesty, the wearing Of coats-of-mail has
not caught on in fashionable circles,
perhaps because the price Of a we'll
hammered suit runs into several thou
sands Of pounds. For instance, the
armour Of the Kings Champion, which
dates from 1855, was sold by the Dy-
moke family for e1,400 in 1887, and
was afterward purchased by Mr.. Spit
ger for between $4,000 and $4,000, a.
sum very few would feel justified In
giving for a single suit OF clothed
however hard wearing they may be.
Although a suit Of armor Is not con-
sidered a desirable substitute for a
macintosh, about half a dozen years
ago an individual strolled into the
court then presided over by Lord
Brampton Cat that time known as Mr..
Justice Hawkins) and Mr.. Justice
Bruce, and asked for protection. The
attire Of the petitioner gentleman
hailing from the learned city OF OK
ford, suggested that he was not alto
gether certain of securing the object
of his quest, and so had prepared for
the worst; for, in addition to the or
dinary male habiliments, he wore
black gown, mortarboard cap with
punches of variegated ribbons hang
ing at the corners, and (strangest OF
alD a seventeenth century coat-ol
mail. It appeared that a certain Me-
tropolitan magistrate had styled the
armor- wearer public nuisance; az
ter which, for reasons best known to
himself, he had gone in fear Of his life.
Hence his request, which the learned
judges did not see their way to grant.
In addition to Constantine Won
Braun-a distinguished continental
colonel assisting the Beers. who. when
captured during the operations on the
Tugela, was wearing an oilskin coat
with steel netting-there are, If report
speaks true, other people who wear
armored underclothing in self-defense
mentioned solicitant Of legal protec-
ton had. For example, 1t Is reported
that the czar has worn a mail-shirt OF
steel end nickel ever since his life was
attempted by the Odessa Nihilists
That shirt cannot, during hot weather,
be less irksome than the hair shirts OF
medieval times; but 1t Is guaranteed
to turn a knife, and might turn bull
let II its range were not too short, as
the hard wearing garment donned by
Prince Bismarck did when Blind made
his attempt upon the chancellors life
In 1866. The Bismarckian undershirt
was the invention Of a young Hungar-
ian magnate who had allowed his es-
tates to remain uncultivated In order
to avoid the payment Of any taxes:
and the price he required for the ar
ticle was simply the defeat Of the Aus
trlans. That this was paid in full very
shortly afterward Is now matter OF
history. In addition to their metal
garments, according to information
freely circulated for sufficiently OBJ
vious reasons, both the czar and the
Kaiser William never go anywhere
without a small but serviceable revolv-
er within easy reach. The cars Wea-
pom, it is said. was presented to him
by his mother, and when he Is out
driving it is kept in pocket In the
carriage. The Shah Of Persia relies IN
case of emergency upon long jeweled
dagger, and the Emperor Of China car
ries three knives concealed about his
person, which is q somewhat danger
Gus practice.
At the famous Eglinto tournament,
in which the late emperor OF the
French figured, it was found, when the
distinguished competitors came to try
on the armor Of the fifteenth and six
teenth centuries, that the nineteenth
century man could not get into 1t on
account of his larger proportions;
nevertheless, it would seem that the
price of armor has not increased IN d
like manner, for there Is warrant IN
the state paper office ordering 6 $50 "a
sum equivalent to about $4,000 at the
present day. to be paid for one rich
armor fairly gilt and craven for Hen
ry, eldest son of James l., and this
price would obtain today.
To those who think Of creating
sensation in Bond street or Of inviting
a few nouveaux riches to their shoot
ing parties, price list Of ancient ar
NOR may be Of interest. A short time
ago, at the Zschille sale, damascened
casque with decorations in relief IN
russet iron fetched $500, a breast
plate Of russet steel, e 1870, and shield
of bright steel the same sum. On
another occasion e110 was given for
three quarter suit of armor OF bright
steel, and similar suit Of blackened
armor went for ESQ. Further, at
sale at Christies' some little time ago
a cap-a-pie suit Of German armor dat
ing from the sixteenth century fetched
e252, and a quarter suit OF fut-
ed armor Of the same date and nation
ality 120 guineas.
The Earl of Ashburnham's collection,
one Of the finest in the United King
dom has been valued at G35,000,
sum which would in days Of yore have
paid for nearly 100 medieval suits OF
'overalls,' the most elaborate trousseau
ever collected. In view Of the fact
that at the celebrated Bradley Martin
fancy-dress ball in 1897 Mr.. Belmont
of New York, sported a costume of the