The Elbert County tribune., 1913-07-25
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| ls.,-u.-JJ geon had resorted to the courts
instead of to the duel. The cul-
prft explained that he had religious scrupes
against dueling.
Religion" the autocrat retorted. ''is one thing;
honor is another" And he commanded the sur
Eeon's resignation.
In the German Reichstag Socialist recently
attacked William for the imperial sanction given
to dueling. He concluded fierce denunciation
with the assertion that the royal exemption
from the code removed that the prince
might become principal In affair of honor,
the kaiser would instantly put the ban such
personal combats.
1t is probable that the allegation of the Social
sst was without any warrant, and that. did honor
permit, the kaiser would send his heir to the
held without whimper. But this charge.
we'll as the czar's pronouncement calls attention
anew to the fact that dueng is still encouraged
by the highest civilization the continent of
Europe. though for generations the divinity that
doth hedge about king has commanded that
the Immediate family of royalty, well the
sovereign himself, must not be exposed to such
peril of bullet blade. Aforetime 1t not
Many kings became famous for prowess In
personal encounters with the foe, and more than
once a duel has served to determine sovereignty.
There has been nothing of the sort, however in
recent history. although only skilled diplomacy
avoided an encounter between George Ill of Eng
land and Frederick OF Prussia
King Georges Duel.
These two peppery and opinonated monarchs
had long list of grievances between them. At
the time of crisis, the chief quarres between
them were over marriages and Mecklenburg.
Finally they agreed to settle their disputes by a
personal combat according to the code
King George chose as his second. Brigadier-
General Sutton, while Colonel Dersheim was to
Frederick. George was In residence at
Hanover. The Prussian monarch at Satz.
dahl which is near Brunswick. Arrangements
for the duel were formally completed and Hide
sheim, on account of its convenient location.
those in the confidence of the two sovereigns
were in state of frightened suspense. and every
effort was made to prevent the fight These fall
3D. however until the Prussian minister to the
court OF St James by secured slight de-
lay. The interval suf1ced to remove the causes
OF bitterest contention, and the monarchs grew
calm enough to hear reason
Under all the circumstances that would have
been the most curious of duels had 1t been
brought to pass. The outcome might have been
either farccal tragical
For the matter of that, there have been actual
meetings aplenty of either kind. the udicrous or
the CHASTITY.
Combat In the Tree-Tops.
Perhaps the absurdest duel fought in the
eighteenth century The Marquis Merle de
Sainte-Marie indefatigable duest An
other gentleman almost equally busy on the field
was Monsieur Pierrot dIsaac. Now. pierrot In
French is sparrow, and merle is blackbird Out
of these seemingly innocent facts came combat
for dIsaac. visit to the nobleman, delivered
himself in this wise:
II Bonapartist. monsieur lie marquis: you
are Royalist am the sparrow: you the
blackbird Isn't there bird too many?"
The marquis gracefully accepted this
statement of the situation.
PRECISELY" he agreed my choice is pistols"
And he added, "As is appropriate for birds of
cur species. let us fight in the trees"
This whimsical suggestion was carried out.
The seconds had their places the ground, but
the principals we're aoft in the branches of trees
that stood the requisite distance apart. The in
stgator OF the duel was the victim. for at the
first fire dIsaac received a bullet in the leg.
which sent him crashing through the branches.
He managed to seize one of the lower limbs and
from there was helped down by his seconds
But the marquis failed to be discreet in the
time of victory Seeing his adversary laid low
he began twittering joyously, initiating the song
of blackbird. DIsaac only waited for his leg
to heal before issuing challenge account of
the offensive chirping. and in this second
counter which lacked any bizarre feature, except
its cause, the Marquis de Sainte-Marie was Sc
verely wounded
duel more amusing in wholesome way was
fought In our country seventy-five
years ago. An itnerant preacher named Brown
used to travel through Kentucky. He man
possessed of mighty sinews, and, too. of a GER
tain skill that would have delighted league
manager. as the event showed In his exercise
of the ministerial function he scathingly rebuked
man of notorious prohigacy. who retorted with
challenge
The parson. as the challenged party, had
choice of weapons. He selected for each COM
blatant half-bushel of Irish potatoes-large ones,
solid and well rounded The further stipulatons
OF the engagement for distance of fifteen
PAGES and the taking of only one potato at
time from the receptacle.
The profigate protested but in vain. Event
ually the two met in accordance with the clergy.
mans requirements. When the word was given
the parson instantly hurled potato, which
caught his enemy in the ribs before the man
could lay hold a missile.
The first was followed by five others, and
every smote the wretched target. The VIC