Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-23
' ! n. [ ' ' ! CALL IT AMERICAN.
NAME GIVEN TO MURDERous
 DUEL IN GERMANY.
Mysterious Deaths for Which Every p '-.- '. urdinny Cause Is Wanting h Brought About Through
 Its Agency.


 
 Nothing could be more inconsistent with Germanys claim to a foremost place in modern civilization than the fact that her social life has been disfig- ured by the most revolting instances of the brutal custom of duelling which have horyified humanity in recent times says the London King. Only a short time since particularly shocking instance occurred, when young officer. on the eve of his marriage. was dragged from his wedding festivities to fight a comrade, to whom, under the influence of drink. he had quite unwittingly of fered some trivial fiout. His comrade was perfectly ready to accept his offered apology, but certain bloody minded su- periors, with the countenance of the col- onel of the regiment. formed themselves into a court of honor and decided that the young men must fight. They did so, and the unhappy bridegroom fell mortally wounded. And this cruel and atroclous crime is chargeabie against the social institutions of a country which, during the South African war, claimed the right to exercise a censor ship over others in the interests of humanity The punishment inflicted by the kaiser upon the authors of this atrocity was swift, but wholly inade- quate where nothing short of the capital penalty was demanded.
 A"Of all the devices which mans lower nature has conceived for the extinction of his fellow man. the most grewsome, deadly and difficult to repress is that known as the American duel. In Ger. many. especially. this has been, and still is, responsible for many mysterious deaths for which every ordinary cause is wanting. Nothing more is needed than for two men, who have decided that one of them must die in settlement of their dispute; to meet in the presence of seconds for the spin of coin, a cast with dice, or some other form of lot- tery.
 "The loser at this horrible assignation is there and then placed under an obli gation to destroy himself within stip- ulated period. and it becomes the duty of his seconds to see that the compact is fulfilled. For strong, active men still in love with life to be suddenly confronted with this awful necessity for self-effacement is to add surpassins horror to the final doom of human na- ture.
 Some little while since friend of the writer was seated in big opera house in a German town. His gaze was att tracted to neighboring box, in which an officer was seated alone. He was a handsome young fellow. with almost a boyish face. But in spite of the general gayety of the scene an expression ot such utter hopelessness and depression of soul was visible on his features that the compassion and interest of the ob. server was deeply stirred.
 ," By chance he discovered next day an explanation of what had interested him. It had been the boys last night on earth. which he had spent at the opera alone. Afterward he had returned to his quar- ters. and there. with a pistol, had. as in honor bound. put termination to the existence which was still pleasant and dear to him. The ordinary suicide may be weary of life or mentally deranged, but in such cases as the above there is a reversal of such conditions which ter ribly intensifies the horror of such an exit from the world.
 An even more horrible instance of the above system came under my notice a few years ago. and Germany is again the scene. A man whom the turn of a card had consigned to self-slaughter within a period of 12 months wavered in his resolution. He had fallen in love, and the influence of this passion in- sire for life. He even married, and sent an appealing letter to his adversary. begging that he would mercifully release him from the fatal obligation under which he was placed. The reply was a chilling reminder of his hcnor and of his bond. Still he could not bring him. self to part with all that had become so dear to him. but unfailingly and at regular intervals arrived the ill-omenef demand for the life which was not his own. The persistence of his bloody minded adversary at last succeeded in proving upon his mind. and one night the unhappy man wrote farewell letter to his wife. and sent a bullet through his head.
 While such hideous customs dis figure the social life of our German friends they will do we'll to adopt less critical attitude toward others. And if the kaiser devoted himself to the eradi- cation of this stigma from the present generation of his countrymen he would do far more to deserve the gratitude of posterity than by any triumphs in the political arena or the achievement of