The Cairo bulletin., 1908-03-20
GEN. SMIRN0FF
SHOT IN DUEL
WOUNDED BY GENERAL FOCk-
HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS
WERE WITNESSES.
ALL IN REGULAR FORM
Meeting Had Approval of Military
Authorites-Sequel TO Stoessel
Trial Concerned More
Than Contestants.

/ St Petersburg, March 19.-Details
of the duel fought Tuesday between
Generals Fock and Smirnoff in which
/ the latter was wounded by the fourth
shot fired by his opponent are as fol-
lows:
/ In the great amphitheatre of the
riding school of the Cheyaier Guard
| regiment, Lieut-Gen Smirnoff and
Gen Fock Tuesday fought a savage
1 duel with pistols at twenty PAGES, in
which Smirnoff fell probably fatally
wounded and Fock retired without a
scrach ready for another meeting,
/ his next combatant being Gen Cor
batoffsky with whom he has another
/ bitter score to settle.
| The duel which was witnessed by
many women of title and naval and
| military officers of the highest rank,
as well as many persons prominent
| ir the social and official life of the
capital. was an outgrowth of the
| Stoessel court martial, at which there
vas read certain memoranda written
by SmirnOff during the siege of Port
Arthur, in which he questioned the
course of Gen. Fock, intlmating that
| he and Stoessel We're more than will
ling to surrender the fortress. Gen.
| Fock considered that his honor and
Reputation were at stake and chal.
| lenged Sminoff. The challenge was
at once accepted and preliminaries
were speedily arranged.
Sequel to Stoesesl Trial.
The duel concerned not only the
two principals and their friends, but
| the entire army; in fact 1t might be
said of Russia. for the meeting was to
wipe out the bitter scores dating from
the siege and fall of Port Arthur, and
on which the army has been divided
So ii was that all details and pre-
| liminaries had been arranged with the
care devoted to court ball. All
those present were there by invita-
ton and there We're no late arrivals,
So deep was the interest in the meet
ing The riding school was placed at
the disposal of the combatants by
the commander of the Chevalier
Guard regiment, and he dule occurred
with the full knowledge and approba
tieH of the military authorities.
Met in Morning.
Shortly before 10 O'Clock in the
morning the two principals appeared
/ in the riding school, which was all
-eady crowded with spectators. and
without saluting. took their places
md assigned their seconds. Gen. |
Smirnoff had as seconds his brother |
ir-law, Vladimir Purishleyitch, one of |
the members of the present duma, |
and Capt Schultze of the navy. Gen. |
Fock had Capt. Sido, formerly adult |
ant to Gen. Stoessel in Port Arthur, |
and Lieut. Podgursky, another of the |
defenders OF Port Arthur.
The duelists were instructed to be- |
in firing at the word of command |
and to continue until one or the other |
was hit.
Gen. Kireiff the famous dueling |
authority. gave the word for each ex-
change. Smirnof's second shot went |
through his opponents coat, but at
the next exchange Fock showed his |
nagnimity by declining to fire |
when Smirnoff had fired prematurely
by accident.
Fourth Shot Hits.
On the fourth exchange Smirnoff |
,roaned and sank to the floor A hasty !
examination showed that Fock's bullet |
adj nenetrated his abdomen above |
The right hip. The wounded man was
carried in litter to the military
hospital where surgeons had been
held in readiness TO attend either Of
the duelists who might be wounded.
Ordinary methods failed to locate
fhe bullet It was arranged to use
RCentgen rays in the hope of saving
The life of the wounded man. but the
hysicians hold out slight hope for
his recovery
They announced however that
there is no reason for alarm. The
patient is cheerful
The lack of excitement at the eli
max of the sanguinary affair was re.
markable There was nothing but
subdued murmur. followed by a buzz
# talk in a low tone but no unseemly
show of feeling was evident The
women present were too wellbred to
ovince any emotion, and the men most
# them. too much used TO scenes Of
blood to be affected. The assemblage
~etired as though from a theatre. and
Cen. Fock departed with his friends,
while those of Gen Smirnoff pro-
oeeded to the hospital