The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-09-02

d., Pu!|E was lof; handed, his right
iorarm having been ampUtated as the
result OF a shooting accident. Early
in the engagement he was badly
wounded in the ribs, the sword point
of his adversary having deeply enter
ed his body. But, though the blood
gushed, he continued to fight gamely
on. The umpire wrenched his sword
from him by force AS consequence
of his wound NJ. de Tully had to keep
his bed six months.
Four or five years ago there was an
other sensational case of splitting the
enemy. The two men who faced one
another were M. de Villette and NJ. de
Mallory. The latter was rather seri-
ously wounded. When NJ. Dubois, the
famous" "maitre d'armes," fought with
NJ. Damotte, the latter received slash
thirteen centimeters long in his leg as
a proof OF the prowess of the profess
sional
The French law forbids duels, but
takes no steps to prevent them Yet
it is sometimes moved in spite of it.
self. One of these occasions was when
NJ. de Villaz killed M. Pietri, a Cor
sican journalist. The latter had no
notion of the use of his arm, whereas
the former was an exl ert swordsman.
He was found by a Seine jury to be
guilty of voluntary homicide and SEN
fenced to three years imprisonment.
In other cases where men have been
killed-as occurred year or two ago
in combat between two Rumanian
students-the courts have taken lem
lent view.
The historic pitch is just at the base
of the Great Wheel, which was con-
structed by an English firm named
Basset at the time of the great exhi-
bition. A graveled strip bounded al
one end by sapling and at the other
by two palms in tubs measures exactly
thirty metres, the regulation length
for a contest with words. The width
is two meters When a duel takes
place, which occurs about 20 times a
year, the ground receives some sort
of preparation, the gravel being scrap
ed off and replaced by sand. The wits
of the boulevards declare hat the
Great Wheel pays its dividend by It's
duels, charging 2 po,rcs a time. AS
matter of fact there is I'D tai if at all
The only payment paid is 4 "nonr-
boire'' to the men who prepare the
ground. The wheels Interest III TIE
affair is the advertisement it gains
from an encounter of the sort.
Dueling is on the decrease, the man.
lager tells me. It's present form is so
attenuated that it is ridiculous. Most
Frenchmen will admit it, but it is a
custom and has to be reprected, even
by those who feel it's absurdity. In
the vast majority Of these morning
engagements under shadow Of the
huge machine the wound that brings
the fight to an end is a mere scratch
on the wrist. This is partly due to the
system of dueling in vogue, known as
the "methode Baudry." It's chief claim
is that it places the inferior performer
cn level with the expert.
Baudry, the inventor Of this simple
true" is reputed swordsman, but in
half an hour he will show you how to
disconcert the ablest antagonist. The
principle is to hold your sword out
straight and keep it there. By these
means you can, bar accidents, defy the
other to do his worst. He can hard
ly press the trio for fear of piercing
himself. Feints and counters are
rarely practised on the actual field |;
movements are the simplest; the
straight thrust is met by an almost
rigid arm.
Military officers fight the fiercest;
they do not stop for the first scratch
Again, their reasons for fighting are
generally of an intimate and private
character, which give impetus to the
sword arm. 1t is generally case of
l"Cherchez Ia femme,' whereas the civ
ilian is often inspired by political mo-
tives. Elections let loose the duelist
Quarrels between politicians who
were rivals at the polls led to at least
a couple of encounters at the Great
Wheel this year. Journalism and the
Chamber provide the major part of the
scenes at this corner of the Champ de
Mars, which appropriately near the
Ecole Militaire, is opposite the site Of