The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-02-13

social let or hindrance, it being as
sumed that if they are guilty Of what
is ascribed to them by popular ru-
NOR they merely acted in accordance
with the dictates OF unwritten law,
failure to comply with the provisions
of which would have branded them
with disgrace.
She Stamped on Iraducer's Face.
Nor is this by any means the only
instance where royal death has gone
unpunished because of its having
been inflicted in obedience to the
dictates Of unwritten law. Duke
Eugene of Wurtemberg, whose
widow is a sister of Queen Olga Of
Greece, is generally understood to
have been killed in 1877 by the hls-
band of a lady of rank, who, after
being betrayed, had been so shameful
ly abused by the Duke that she ap-
pealed to the man whose name she
bore for protection. It is added that
the lady in question, when she saw
the duke PROSTATE on the ground in
death throes, followed the example >of
that Countess Won Platen, who one
hundred and fifty years earlier, had
stamped on the face Of Count Philip
Koenigsmarck when he was expiring
from the wounds inflicted by assas-
sins in the royal palace OF Hanover
on emerging from the apartments of
Queen Sophia Dorothea Of England.
The name of the slayer Of Duke Eu-
gene of Wurtemberg was a matter Of
common gossip, not only at Stuttgart,
but likewise throughout Europe, at
the time. But he was never called to
account for any share that he might
have had in the matter, it being as
sumed that be had acted in accord
arce with the dictates Of unwrltten
law, which require6s the defence Of
his honor. Moreover, the fact that
he lived happily with his wife after
ward and that neither suffered any
loss of social prestige goes far to
confirm the report, according to
which the lady was an unwilling VIC
tim to the royal Don Juan.
Country House Drama in England.
These ethics hold good to certain
extent even in Great Britain. Some
years ago a married man who was
given to the unpardonable practice Of
boasting of his "bonnes fortunes" ;"
and was accustomed to talk lightly Of
women in general, was discovered by
a couple Of his fellow guests at the
country house where he was staying
to have betrayed the daughter Of his
host, very pretty girl, only little
over II, who had not yet made her
debut and who had no experience Of
society. The men, dreading the fate
in store for her, made it their business
to communicate the facts which had
come to their knowledge to her two
grown-up brothers. On the following
day there was meet of the hounds,
and at the close Of the day the Don
Juan was brought home stone dead,
the victim, it was said, Of cropper,
which had broken his neck. An in
quest was held, the jury comprising
the girls two brothers and their fel-
low guests, to whom reference has
been made above. The coroner was
under deep obligations to the family,
and a verdict Of death by fall while
out hunting was returned. But the
initiated knew that the fall in ques-
ton had been brought about by re-
volver shot at the base of the brain,
fired by one Of the girls brothers,
and in killing her betrayer the young
fellow was held by those who knew
or suspected the true facts of the
case to have done MS SlTlCt Ouly diiu
to have complied with the require
ments Of unwritten law.
This is by no means the only one
of those hunting and shooting accl-
dents resulting fatally and casting
gloom on the days sport which has
constituted an act Of justice, inflicted
by some father, brother or husband,
determined to avenge the honor OF
his womankind and to silence forever
a tongue that might otherwise have
been disposed to boast of its owners
prowesses in connection with the fair
sex. For men who are unscrupulous
with women, especially those respon-
sible for the ruin of young wives and
inexperienced girls, are usually given
to prate in public about their affairs
du ceour," and to merit that worst OF
q