The Washington herald., 1908-01-03

Paris, Jan. Count Boni de Castel-
lane, the divorced husband of Anna
Gould, and Prince HeHe de Sagan. a
cousin OF Count Bonrs. and generally
credited as a suitor OF the hand of Nine
Gould since her separation, INDUCED in
gutter fight on the crowded Rue de
Chaillot shortly before noon to-day.
The boulevardiers, rolling the details OF
the encounter over their excited tongues.
expect that duel will be the inevitable
result Of the affair
It was just as the congregation was
leaving the Church Of St Pierre de
Chaillot, where a special memorial serv-
ice had been celebrated in the memory
Of Lady Stanley Errington. the only
daughter of Baron de Talleyrand, that
Count de Castellane, who was sauntering
by. spied the prince with a group OF
friends near the church steps
Count BOEi Gets Profane.
The men came together, and Count
Boni Immediately started in a querulous
voice to upbraid Prince de Sagan for
some faucied insult Prince de Sagan
replied tartly. and Count Boni swore at
him and spat in his face.
The men clinched, and as they did so,
Count Boni struck his cousin a crashing
blow over the head with his cane. With
their hands clawlng each others coat
collars and feet kicking at each others
shins, the two men rolled over the side
walk, hurting curses at each other. There
were very few blows struck. since neither
man knew anything about the English
method Of settling quarrels with the fists.
While friends of the prince tried vainly
to separate the two men. they worked
their blind way to the edge OF the gutter.
and, stumbling, rolled over In tangled
knot Of waving arms and kicking legs,
into the street Prince Helie rolled on
top Of the count and was busily mailing
him with his fists. when Count Jean de
Castellane. a brother of,Count Boni, sue
ceeded in separating the fighters.
Both sIen Arrested.
y large crowd had gathered meanwhile. /
and was excitedIy cheering on the com
batants when several gendarmes came
running TO the spot and took both men or
to tie nearest police station.
Before the commissaire. each fighter
claimed that the other was the aggressor.-
Count Boni exclaimed that Prince Helie
and some Of his friends had lain in wait
at the church TO attack him as he walked
past Prince Helie formally charged Count
Boni with assault After examining them
briefly, the commissaire released them on
their own Fecognizance. Both men, pref
ty badly battered up and very much rum
pied from the encounter, went immediate
ly to their respective homes.
Now Paris gossips await the duel which
they believe cannot be avoided. Since the
story that Count Boni was the aggressor
is pretty generally accepted. it is taken
for granted that as soon as he can select
his seconds and go through the elaborate
prelimiDaries demanded by the code of
honor as Interpreted by the French,
Prince Helie will challenge his cousin.
This will give Count Boni the choice Of
weapons, and this insures that It viii be
a great duel, say the lOiterers of the cafes. /
Fought Hundred DueIs.
The prince is counted a very dangerous
man, both with the sword and pistol. He
has the reputation of being a hair-trigger
brawler and a stickler on points Of hon
or, who has fought almost a hundred
duels, and marked his man more than
score Of times.
Count BOni is reckOned no coward and
very handy with the little dueling pistol
himself. The boulevards take much JOY
out of the reflection that this win not
be a blOOdless duel.
The direct cause OF the quarrel cannot
be learned, though its underlying motive
is evident enough So much has Prince
Helie's name been in the mouths of the
gossips, linked with Nine. Anna Gould's
of late, that Count Boni's pose of mar
tyrdOm. which he had hitherto succeeded
In large measure in impressing upon the
popular sympathies, had recently suffer
ed greatly. Since the prince is so close
a relation 10 Count Boni, the herslding
Of his possible chances at the Gould for
tune had ranked the more deeply In the
small chest of the late husband. Once
the present enemies were friends. and
old ones along the boulevards say that
Prince Helie taught Count Boni all he
knows about life In Paris.
Many Laid Suit to Her Henrt.
Hardly had Anna Gould been freed
from her husband by the courts in No
vember. 1906. when Paris buzzed with ru-
mOrs about various titled idlers who were
wearing orchids In the lapels Of their
coats and signing mighty sighs before
the doors of Nine. G0uid's marble man
sion.
Proposals Of marriage, neatly set into
bouquets of roses. were thrown into her
carriage when she went out to drive. Her
letters were so many that she had to
have two secretaries to open them, said
one Of the little gossip papers
Even while the courts were yet busy
hearing the cases Of Count BonFs credi- |
tors against Nine Gould. all of which |
were subsequently thrown out of court, |
Count Boni made several Intellectual at
tempts to see his hearts desire" once
even going to such impetuous length as |
to fell a concierge with his cane when ne |