The evening world., 1908-03-19

mainder of his life. He was killed
nearly twenty years ago by a Deputy
Marshal who suspected that he was
about to attempt to shoot Justice
Stephen Field of the Supreme Court.
Another California encounter was
between Congressman James w. Den
yer Chen u member OF the state Sen
ate) and eX-Congressman Gilbert in
lS52 They fought with rifles. and G
bert was killed.
DueIling In Ancient Times.
There are records of single mortal
combats OF very ancient date. Some
OF the earliest mentions of them are in
the Had OF Homer. That between
David and Goliath shows that the He
brews were accustomed to them, and
there is an account of one between
Roman and gigantic Gaul during the
war OF Sol b. C. During the Middle
Ages duels. which had become very
common, were approved by jur!sts and
clcrgynen as means OF the trial of
a case between two persons. But they
became so prevalent that the church
was soon obliged to interfere.
BY the truce of God of 10il. duels
were forbidden between Wednesday
and Monday. the days intervening being
sacred TO Christs passion.
Louis IN attempted to restrain duel
ling, and Philip the Fair framed laws
against II. but soon after permitted 1t
in criminal cases which could be set
tied In no other way.
The duel. as judicial ordeal, lasted
TIL the year 1886, when one JaqIes
Legres was accused of a crime. He
was forced to the ordeal of battle, was
beaten, adjudged guilty and hanged,
Soon after another confessed that he
was the real criminal. This set the
rude people of those days to thinking.
and resulted in the abolition OF such
absurd appeals to Heaven. and the
judl lcial ordeal was abolished.
From this time the duel lost its
sacred character. From being an ap-
neal to the decision of God it became
a means OF obtaining satisfaction for
an injury, espcc. ally for an insult.
Francis I. declared that none but "a
base born fellow" would be given the
lie without satisfaction, This gave the
duel great impetus in France. and
thence it spread all over Europe.
Efforts to Abolish the Code in Europe,
1t was in 1891 that the new wave OF
duelling lever swept over the Continent
to such an extent that the Pope wrote
n strong letter condemning the prac-
tice: German lawmakers passed eN-
ceedlngly strict laws against II: in TIA y
an effort was actually made to punish
a ducllist. In Russia the Car forbade
1t -ntircly. and then, in the very year
OF the Pope's letter. sanctioned a court
of honor one OF whose provisions was
that an officer challenged to fight and
refusing, II the court found the cause
for the challenge was sufficient, was
dismissed from the army
In France the authorities made a per-
functory effort to stop the growing
frenzy for duelling. Poor old NJ. lie
Cierc. who had made "A good living
providing II place and means FOR duels
on "A little island at Ncu!lly. near Paris.
was Obliged by the police to close his
MACE. but at that the effort to stop the
uractice ceased and duels grew in num-
per
II has been said IN satire thct a mod
ern French duell,ng party is always
accompanied by snapshot artist or
COURSE thIa is n p.eaSantry, an eXag-
geration, but not without basis OF
in 1881 snapshot photographs werr
taken and reproduced In rlllustratip..
OF the duei with pistols hettecN tur
Prince De SnGor and VI A-cl Hcrman.
with swords between NJ. ThorrgeuX. tna
cleVerest amateur fenCer IN Par.s ana
the Chevsller Pin. An Italian master
q the art.