The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-08-17
DUELLING RELIC OF
A BARBAROUS AGE
Custom Begun With the Judicial Duel.-Queer
Combats-Duel Between Women.
Duel in a Balloon.

The ancients had nothing that cor
responded with the code duello. The
idea from which that institution was
developed came down from the north
with the barbarians who overran the
Roman empire. They brought with
them the Ordeal or Wager of Battle
or judicial duel, which sprang from
their idea to fight it out and let the
guilt or innocence of the accused be
determined by the result of the bat
tie.
Strangely enough, the judicial duel
was considered fitting mode OF SET
Ting disputes between man and wife.
To equalize as much as possible the
INEQUALITY of such contest, the man
was put in a pit in which he was bur-
led up to the girdle, while one of his
arms was bound to his side. Some
times a barrel took the place of pit.
For a weapon the man had a baton
or stick, the woman kind of sling
with stone in it.
The story of the duel in the mod
ern sense may be dated from 1871,
when Francis T gave the lie to the
Emperor Charles V, proceeding
which promised to lead to- combat
of exceptional interest, but which
never took place because mutual
friends reconciled the pugnacious
monarchs.
By this time the judicial duel had
been gradually abolished and the prl-
vate duel, fought before Witnesses
who Seconded the principals in the
encounter, came in. Sometimes the
seconds also mixed it up and instead
of a duel there was a quartet or, a
sextet. The day of duelling has passed
long since in England and America
and only fingers in France as sort
of harmless comedy.
Several duels have been fought be-
tween women, and there are two or
three instances of duels between
man and a woman-in which the man
did not always get the best of it.
One of the duels between women
was that between two French women,
the Marquise de Nesle and the Com
tesse de Polignac, in the eighteenth
century. A man was the cause OF 1t.
The Due de Richelieu was gallant to
both women and instructed his secre-
tary to write each note appointing
a rendezvous for one at two o'clock
and for the other at four o'clock at
certain place. The secretary, by
some sort of misunderstanding, ap-
pointed the same hour for each, and
the feelings of the two at thus meet
ing each other must have been OF the
kind much better imagined than de-
scribed.
A scene followed and the marquise
challenged the comtesse to fight ner
a duel, and the challenge was &C
cepted. Pistols were chosen and the
Boise de Boulogne selected as the
place of meeting. When the women
had taken their place the comtesse
called out to the marquise, do you
fire first, madame, and, mind you'
don't miss me; don't imagine for
moment that I am going to miss
you.' The marquise fired, but miss
ed and hit neighboring tree. The
comtesse smiled, "Your hand trem-
bles with passion, madame cried
she; "you are lost"
The comtesse aimed deliberately
at the head of the marquise and fired.
The marquise fell with great cry as
of one who had received mortal
wound, but the bullet had only cut
away minute piece of her shell-like
ear. All Paris laughed, and, no
doubt, the Duke de Richelieu as much
as anybody.
Two duels have been fought from
balloons. The most interesting was
that between NJ. de Grandpre and M.
LIE Pique, which took place on May 3,
1908. These two French gentlemen
had about the poorest excuse that
one man can have for killing another
"a chorus girl, and French one at
that. Why they selected balloons is
not clear, but possibly because bal
looming was one of the crazes of the
day.
Each duelist, with his second, got
into balloon in the field adjoining
the Tuilleries, and in the presence of
a great crowd the cords were cut and
up shot the balloons. The combat
ants were armed with blunderbusses.
At about 800 feet from the the
ground LIE Pique fired and Grandpre
Immediately responded. The latter's