Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-26

from one another. When the word
Fire was given the two reports We're
heard at the same second. The count
missed his adversary, but was seen
to snake as Il he had received severe
blow from a fist. The seconds rushed
toward him and on examination it was
found that the count had received the
princes bullet Just at the hight of
the liver, but that it had struck a
coin forgotten in his waistcoat pocket
The bullet was found embedded in the
coin as if soldered there
My congratulations monsieur YOU
keep your money we'll placed, said
Prince Napoleon as, with a smile h
shook the counts hand. (The pun is
better in French; as the same word
means placed or invested, the coin
was indeed well in-Vest-ed.)
In 1880 | remember II pistol duel
between a deputy noted for his fierce
atheistic views and a newspaper man
arising out of one of the latter's arti-
cles. The wife of the deputy who
adored her husband but was quite OPP
posed to his doctrines, was in deadly
fear The night before the duel she
seWed religious medal blessed by the
pope in the lining Of his waistcoat. The
miracle she prayed for occurred. al
though possibly not as she expected
for the newspaper mans bullet tiatten-
ed Itself against this copper medal and
thereby was prevented from perforat-
ing the deputy's right lung.
When NJ. Willy de Blest-Gana, about
1900 fought a pistol duel with Eugene
l.autier of the Temps everybody pres
ent vas astounded to see the latter I'M
touched, for everybody knew De Blest-
Gana's skill with pistol, or indeed
with all arms. He was reputed to be
able to put a bullet Just where he lik-
ed, and he was no novice on the duel
ing ground. NJ. Lautier in taking his
money out Of his pockets before the
encounter forgot n cent, little solitary
cent tthe French cent, however, is big
ger than the Ameriean). This cent
saved him from a nasty wound. for the
bullet had struck it.
About five years ago there Was a
meeting between the son of a senator,
NJ. Beaupin, and dramatic author,
NJ. Lauras, who died few months ago.
When | gave the word Fire. both fir
eG together. l ran to NJ. Beaupin, for
l saw that he staggered. and had him
undrcssed. The bullet had struck his
leg, but fortunately had hit the buckle
of a sock suspender. and so had only
caused an insignificant wound. We
found the bullet between his under
wear and his lcsh, md a black and
blue swelling racre pleasant to look
at than danger US.
NJ. Marcel Boulenger's criticism of
a revue at the Cigale music hall the
other day brought him a letter from
the joint authors. in which they refer
red to his well-knoWn skill with the
pistol as giving him extra freedom in
his criticism, to which NJ. Boulenger
replied that he had never fired a pistol
but once in his life CHS weapon being
the sword)
Il was director of the duel in which
NJ. Boulenger fired his only shot. His
opponent was NJ. Sapene of the Matin,
and at the word Fire. N. Boulenger
phlegmatically raised his arm, took aim
between this word and One" and fired
between .Iwor and Three VI. Sapena
moved, almost imperceptiby. as he
stood. Tie cloth OF his trousers shook
slightly as if it had bean struck by
stick He was wounded in tile thigh
but the bullet in entering met six
cents which NJ. SaTene had fortunately
forgotten to remove from his pocket
These six coppers saved aim from
having his femoral artery severed.
Every one knows ho~ difficult it is
sometimes for surgeon to tie Up in
time one Of these organs, through
which the blood circuIates and by
which il also may escape SO violently
as to make, in q few instants, corpse
Of a man as vigorous as was, and still
is. happily. the adversary of Marcel
Boulenger." Paris Correspondence of
the New York Sun.