Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-07-24


I'D Iigion. Kumrof, regimental sur
= geon, sued a civilian with whom
- he had quarreled and won a judg-
fC7r-Yy--=7z1 ment of one hundred dollars. His
III NNaN j colonel made complaint to the
J7#S7I czar, who sent for Kumroff, and
III I'M il demanded to know why the sur
C&-.A.->-J geon had resorted to the courts
instead OF to the duel. The cuI-
prit explained that he had religious scruples
against dueling
Religion" the autocrat retorted, ''fs one thing;
honor is another" And he commanded the sur
geons resignation
In the German Reichstag q Socialist recently
attacked William for the imperial sanction given
TO dueiing. lie concluded fierce denunciation
with the assertion that were the royal exemption
from the code renoved so that the crown prince
might become a principal in an affair OF honor
the kaiser would instantly put the ban on such
personal combats
1t Is probable that the allegation OF the Social
i8t without any warrant and that, did honor
permit, the kaiser would send his heir to the
field without a whimper. But this charge as
well the cars procurement, calls attention
to the fact that dueIing 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 as the
sovereign himself, must not be exposed to such
peril Of bullet blade. Aforetime it was not
80. Many kings became famous for prowess in
once 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 III. Of Eng
land and Frederick of Prussia
King Georges Duel.
These two peppeIy and opinionated monarchs
had long list of grievances between them. At
the time Of crisis the chief QuarreIs between
them were over marriages and MeckIenburg.
Finally they agreed to settle their disputes by
personal combat according to the code.
King George chose, as his second Brigadier-
General Sutton, while Colonel Dersheim was to
serve Frederick. George was in residence at
Hanover The Prussian monarch was at Saltz-
dahl, which is Brunswick. Arrangements
for the duel were formally completed, and Hide
shem, account OF its convenient location. was
selected for the place of meeting. Naturally
those In the confidence of the two sovereigns
were in state Of frightened suspense, and every
effort was made to prevent the fight. These fail
I'D. however, until the Prussian minister to the
court of st. James by a ruse secured a slight de-
lay. The interval suff1ced 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 It been
brought to pass. The outcome might have been
either farClCal tragical
For the matter of that, there have been actual
meetings aplenty OF either kind, the ludicrous or
the CHASTITY.
Combat in the Tree-Tops
Perhaps the absurdest duel was fought in the
eighteenth century. The Marquis Merle de
Sainte-Marie indefatigable duelist An
other gentleman almost equally busy the field
Monsieur PierrOt dIsaac. Now. pierrot In
French is sparrow, and merle is blackbird Our
Of these seemingly innocent facts came combat
for dIsaac, a visit to the nobleman, delivered
himself in this wise:
Il am Bonapartist monsieur lie marquis you
are Royalist. I the sparrow you are the
blackbird. Isn't there one bird too many?"
The marquis gracefully accepted this suave
statement of the situation.
Precisely" he agreed MY choice is pistols"
And he added. AS is appropriate for birds OF
our species, let us fight in the trees"
This whimsical suggestion carried out
The seconds had their places on the ground, but
the principals were aloft in the branches of trees
chat stood the requisite distance apart. The in
stigator 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.
ne began twittering joyously. initiating the song
of a blackbird. DIsaac only waited for his leg
TO heal before issuing challenge on 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 i'll wholesome way was
fought in our own country some seventy-fve
years ago. An itinerant preacher named Brown
used TO travel through Kentucky. He was a man
possessed of mighty sinews. and. too of a GER
tain skill that would have delighted a league
manager, as the event showed In his exercise
Of the ministerial function. he scathingly rebuked
of notorious profgacy. who retorted with
u challenge.
The parson, the challenged party. had
choice OF weapons. He selected for each com
Blatant halfbushel OF Irish potatoes-large ones.
solid and we'll rounded. The further stipulations
OF the engagement were for a distance of fifteen
PAGES and the taking of only one potato at a
time from the receptacle.
The prohigate protested but in vain Event
ually the two met in accordance with the clergy
ms0's requirements When the word was given
the parson instantly hurled a potato. which
caught his enemy in the ribs before the man
could lay hold on a missile.
The first was followed by Ave others and
every smote the wretched target. The vic
tnl never even secured a potato much less threw
one Each time he reached for one. another
from his foe smote him sore. After the sixth
potato had struck he fell unconscious, and it was
week before he recovered sufficiently to leave
his bed
The farcicaI result of this resort to the field
q honor had very considerable effect in bring
ny dueijng into local disrepute.
Another instance in which curious weapons
served the need of combataDts occurred a few
years ago in Paris, Tintard journalist, became
engaged in a quarrel with rival, while the two